My Perspective
We each have an innate wisdom within us and I love supporting people in realigning with and following their authentic self. Physical, emotional and psychological symptoms are telling us we are living in a way other than from who we really are. People lose their connection with their innate wisdom if they have been abused or neglected and/or from family, societal and cultural programming. If we watch little children who are supported in who they are, they are full of joy, honesty, enthusiasm and energy. If we travel through life editing or judging our innate selves eventually uncomfortable symptoms will appear (depression, anxiety, etc.) These symptoms are our innate wisdom asking us to return to our natural state. If we choose to listen and make changes and live from our authenticity symptoms go away. If we choose to stay in the same self limiting patterns and beliefs our symptoms keep getting louder until we become disabled (physically or emotionally). Benjamin Franklin said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
What I ask of you
If you come to psychotherapy please be ready to change, challenge your old beliefs and patterns, and replace them with new more life affirming ones. In the over 30 years of practice in psychotherapy, I have discovered those who have been successful in making changes have had certain characteristics:
The first time you come in we will get to know each other. I will share with you how I work, what my office policies are and set your fee. You will share with me what brings you to therapy, what experiences you have had in therapy before and what you would like different in your life. I will give you an intake form to fill out and bring back next session. If you prefer we can fill it out together. The second time we meet we will go over your intake form and I will ask more questions. If you have brought the form filled out you will save time. Then we will develop a plan, set goals and begin to identify targets to clear. This may take a couple of sessions and will continue through the Resourcing phase of treatment.
I often ask people to write an outcome. What will be new and different in your life when you complete treatment? Why? This assists you in measuring your own progress. This is also a time I can introduce you to Conscious Language and how you can identify and change unconscious self sabotage programs.
First Phase of Treatment
From here we will begin the Somatic Resourcing phase of treatment. This is part of the assessment and preparation phase of treatment. We will assess what resources you already have and what requires rebuilding. These phases are crucial for successful treatment.
Somatic Resourcing
I start everyone out with Somatic Resourcing activities, ie: grounding, centering, boundaries and containment. These activities allow both of us to assess what resources you already have and gives you tools to build resources that may be missing or have been breached. This phase of treatment is critical.
We start with mindfulness. To be successful at making changes you must be able to observe your physical, emotional and cognitive reactions. You will have to have dual focus (aware of what you are currently experiencing and remembering a past event) to be able to do EMDR or Lifespan Integration. Mindfulness tells us both if you are able to dual focus and if not will give you the tool to develop dual focus. Mindfulness also assesses your ability observe whether you are grounded or not. Being fully and completely present, grounded, when doing LI or EMDR will allow you to make changes. If you loose your focus, presence or groundedness LI and EMDR will be other than effective.
From here we will begin Somatic Resourcing activities. Somatic Resourcing activities are somatic and experiential in nature, not visualizations or imagining. You will experience a “felt sense” of how grounding feels, how your feel when your boundaries are working for you, and how you feel when you are centered. You will learn how changes in your physical structure will change your emotional and psychological state. You will have tools to use in your daily life to rebuild and/or maintain your resources. Once we move into resolving trauma or self limiting patterns, your ability to notice if you lose your grounding will be crucial. If you are ungrounded trauma resolution will be other than effective and can cause you to feel re-traumatized . If you lose your grounding we can stop, reestablish your grounding and then continue to work. You will learn much about yourself through these experiential activities. I have had clients make dramatic changes in their lives just from these activities.
We will assess you ability to self soothe and build in skills if more are required. Self soothing is crucial for handling emotional challenges which may arise between Lifespan or EMDR sessions, as we clear traumatic experiences or ingrained belief patterns. Trauma becomes stored our nervous systems when we become overwhelmed by an event. Having new life experiences, resources and self soothing tools when you target these old memories or beliefs allows you to revisit and clear the original experiences in a new way. You may still experience emotional upset for a short while and your new perspectives and tools will allow you to move through old experiences without overwhelm and reach resolution. New self soothing skills will allow yourself to self regulate in between sessions when we address issues with Lifespand and/or EMDR.
Why are somatic resourcing skills and self soothing so important? These are skills we are suppose to develop in early childhood. They provide a foundation for the rest of our lives. Without them depression, anxiety, and other symptoms appear. These skills give you the resources to make choices and follow through with action with a sense of confidence, knowing what is right for you. Think of it this way. If you build a house, the first thing you build is a foundation. If there is no foundation or it is built inadequately at some point the house (your life) will fall off of the foundation and crumble. Once you rebuild your foundation you are prepared to rebuild you life in a lasting way.
If theses resources are already working for you, you will move quickly through this phase. If they have to be rebuild this phase will take as much time as you nervous system requires and lays a crucial foundation.
During this phase of treatment we will be identifying what your presenting life issues are you would like to see change and develop a target sequencing plan. We will do a history of each issue various times you recall having the same experience and the first time you recall. The Somatic Resourcing activities often help us identify experiences.
Conscious Language
I am a “Language of Mastery” Instructor with Mastery Systems. I can tell what your core life issues are in a short period of time based on what you say. I often share with you some of this information so you can begin tracking your own self sabotage systems and make new choices. Conscious Language is a wonderful tool for becoming aware of what unconscious self sabotage beliefs are operating in your daily life. I have a book, CDs and DVDs available if you are interested in studying more deeply. Since I teach people to work mindfully I can give you opportunities to feel what your words are doing to you and how new choices feel. As you become more self aware you can catch your patterns and make changes. Conscious Language assists you in living your life consciously.
Second Phase of Treatment
After you have completed the assessment and beginning preparation phase we will move on to resolving specific targets. Many times some of the original issues have already improved. You will choose a life issue to address (from the list you started treatment with and those we uncovered in the assessment and preparation phase). We will develop a Target Sequencing Plan identifying the self limiting beliefs you experience and do a history of all of the times you remember having the same experience. We will then systematically address each one to clear the entire pattern. I use both EMDR and Lifespan Integration. The assessment and preparation phase will have allowed me to identify which tools will work for you. Sometimes I use both since both work differently our brains. The combination can make remarkable and profound changes. Some people who have a long history of emotional abandonment and neglect growing up so better with Lifespan Integration to start with. Adding the EMDR to the same targets after often clears associations you had not even considered. I am a Facilitator with the EMDR Institute, Inc. and an Approved Consultant with EMDRIA (EMDR International Association). I have been using EMDR since 1991 and assist in training other professionals. I have been doing Lifespan Integration since 2003.
You will be asked to make brief notes about what physical, emotional, and cognitive experiences you are having in between sessions, as well as any further memories that may show up. What comes up that is uncomfortable tells us what else has to be cleared. What positive changes occur tells us what progress you are making. I will be relying on you to give me accurate feedback of what you experience in between sessions to guide you further in your process.
Here is some information on both Lifespan Integration and EMDR:
Lifespan Integration
Lifespan Integration (LI) is an excellent choice for therapy if you have a history of abandonment (including emotional abandonment), neglect (including emotional neglect), if you grew up in an alcoholic or drug addicted home, and/or abuse. LI is a gentle method which works on a deep neural level to change patterned responses and outmoded defensive strategies. LI helps you connect unpleasant feelings and dysfunctional patterns with memories of past events where they originated. Making these connections at a deep level of your body-mind “re-sets” your neural system to be more in line with your current life situation. LI uses an affect bridge to find a memory which is connected to a current life problem. I then guide you to imaginably re-visit this past memory, bringing into therapy whatever is required to resolve the memory. Once the memory is resolved, I guide you through time to the present using a Time Line of visual images of scenes from you life. The Time Line of memories and images proves to your body-mind system time has passed and life is different now. Each pass through your time line strengthens your core sense of self and weaves in all of your life skills in a way that makes them now easily available to you. After LI therapy people find themselves spontaneously reacting to current stressers in more age appropriate ways. After several session of LI clients have reported they feel better about life, are more self accepting and are better able to enjoy their intimate relationships. For more information you can visit www.lifespanintegration.com.
EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) is a method of psychotherapy which has been extensively researched and proven effective for treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols incorporating elements from many different treatment approaches. To date, EMDR has helped an estimated two million people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress. EMDR can also be used to enhance performance, ie: sports activities, public speaking.
EMDR is founded on the premise we have an innate inner wisdom which prompts us toward health and wholeness. EMDR is an approach to psychotherapy comprised of principles, procedures and protocols. It is not a simple technique characterized primarily by use of eye movements. EMDR is grounded in psychological science and is informed by both psychological theory and research on the brain.
EMDR integrates elements from both psychological theories (e.g. affect, attachment, behavior, bioinformational processing, cognitive, humanistic, family systems, psychodynamic and somatic) and psychotherapies (e.g., body-based, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, person-centered, and psychodynamic) into a standardized set of procedures and clinical protocols. Research on how our brain processes information and generates consciousness also informs the evolution of EMDR theory and procedure.
EMDR has 8-phases. The first two phases (assessment phase and preparation phase) are crucial to success of EMDR treatment. I use Somatic Resourcing and self soothing tools in the assessment phase and the beginning of the preparation phase. We will identify what life issues you would like to improve and do a detailed history of how often the pattern has repeated itself in your life, which were the most difficult and when the first one occurred. We will assess your ability to feel safe during EMDR treatment. Because challenging emotional responses may come up, feeling safe with me and having an ability to tell me what you are experiencing are crucial. I act as a guide through the EMDR sessions and you accurately reporting what you experience allows me to guide you correctly. Giving me accurate and clear information about what you are experiencing between sessions is crucial for both of us to measure your success. You will have to have good self soothing skills to use between session if challenging memories or emotions arise between sessions. I use Somatic Resourcing to begin treatment so we have assessed your skills and resources and built or strengthened your skills and resources before beginning any trauma treatment. We will take into consideration appropriate timing of using EMDR based on what is currently going on in your life, ie: how busy your life is (do you have time to go through the process?), support you have while going through treatment, safety. EMDR can shorten length of treatment and you still may have periods of intense emotional processing until the target are cleared.
In Phases 3 – 6, standardized steps must be followed to achieve good results. EMDR is a process, not a technique, and unfolds according to requirements and resources of each person in the context of our therapeutic relationship. Therefore, different elements may be emphasized or utilized differently depending on the unique requirements of each person.
To achieve comprehensive treatment effects a three-pronged basic treatment protocol is used to first address past events. After past targets are cleared we clear current stimuli still capable of evoking distress. Finally future situations are processed to prepare for possible or likely circumstances. For more information on EMDR visit: www.emdria.org
Attendance
I do 1 hour & 20 minute sessions and require you to attend weekly. EMDR and Lifespan Integration both require longer sessions. We can move through the assessment and preparation phases more quickly with 1 hour & 20 minute sessions. Once you have made significant changes we can reevaluate frequency. I have found people who attend irregularly or even every other work have not met their treatment goals. Real change requires focus and consistency. There are exceptions. For those who have already done significant work and have already had Lifespan Integration and/or EMDR treatment and are doing some fine tuning a different schedule may be possible (length of sessions remains the same). EMDR and Lifespan Integration both require longer sessions.
Cost
My fee is $165.00 per 1 hour & 20 minute session. I am not on any insurance panels but if you have insurance and if you have a plan that covers an out of network provider I can provide you with forms to submit to your insurance company so you can be reimbursed. You should also find out how many sessions they will cover so we can plan your treatment accordingly. It is important you tell me how many sessions your insurance will cover if you plan to stop treatment after your insurance benefit runs out, so we can come up with a treatment plan that fits the number of sessions you will be attending. For those who do not have insurance and require a reduced fee I do some sliding on my scale. We can discuss my range and see if something can be worked out.
How long does therapy take?
There are many factors which affect length of treatment. What resources you already have in your life and how your nervous system responds to treatment makes a difference. If you have had an extensive history of emotional abandonment and/or neglect or abuse therapy can take longer. How consistent you are with practicing the resourcing activities I prescribe makes a difference. How focused you are in treatment makes a difference. How consistent you are in attending sessions makes a difference. If you have financial limitations it may be best to set realistic goals for a limited number of sessions and return later to work on the next goal. How can you speed up treatment?
Confidentiality
Washington State Laws have always been very protective of patients rights. All of what you share in session is kept confidential with some exceptions. I am required to report child abuse/neglect, elder or those with developmental disabilities abuse or neglect, or if you commit or contemplate committing a crime (past or present). If I receive a subpoena for your records I can protest them being released but ultimately if a judge orders me to release them I have to. You may authorize me, in writing,am to release or share information to anyone, ie: a family member who will help your treatment, another health care professional to coordinate treatment.
Communicating with Me
I do all communication with clients via telephone. E-mail is other than secure and less reliable in reaching me. There may be days I am unable to get to e-mail. I can be easily reached by voice mail or my Google voice number during business hours and I return calls as soon as possible. Messages left outside of business hours are returned on the next business day unless you are a client of mine who is having a clinical emergency. Then I return calls as soon as I am able to pick up my messages. You can call the Crisis Clinic at: 206-461-3222 if you require assistance sooner than I am able to get back to you.
Office Days & Hours
My office days are Monday - Thursday. I see clients on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Other days I am consulting, teaching, writing or doing administrative tasks. I see clients from noon to 4:30p on my client days. My sessions are 1 hour and 20 minutes long.
I am able to do some sessions via internet video conferencing. Some of the Somatic Resourcing work can be done via video conferencing and some has to be done in person. This option can be helpful for clients who find themselves traveling for work, when logistical issues come up, or those who are outside of my area. If you are out of my area contact me to discuss if this method could work for you. Usually you will have to have some sessions in my office during the initial phases of treatment.
How to Contact Me
I look forward to supporting you in discovering and living from your authentic self! You can leave me a message on my voicemail: 425-747-5774 or try reaching me in person on my Google Voice number: 425-502-5607 for more information or to schedule and appointment.
We each have an innate wisdom within us and I love supporting people in realigning with and following their authentic self. Physical, emotional and psychological symptoms are telling us we are living in a way other than from who we really are. People lose their connection with their innate wisdom if they have been abused or neglected and/or from family, societal and cultural programming. If we watch little children who are supported in who they are, they are full of joy, honesty, enthusiasm and energy. If we travel through life editing or judging our innate selves eventually uncomfortable symptoms will appear (depression, anxiety, etc.) These symptoms are our innate wisdom asking us to return to our natural state. If we choose to listen and make changes and live from our authenticity symptoms go away. If we choose to stay in the same self limiting patterns and beliefs our symptoms keep getting louder until we become disabled (physically or emotionally). Benjamin Franklin said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
What I ask of you
If you come to psychotherapy please be ready to change, challenge your old beliefs and patterns, and replace them with new more life affirming ones. In the over 30 years of practice in psychotherapy, I have discovered those who have been successful in making changes have had certain characteristics:
- They have been willing to learn about themselves
- They have been willing to let go of beliefs that limit them
- They have attended therapy consistently
- They have practiced tools they learned in session in their daily lives
- They have made themselves a priority so change could take place
- They have stayed focused on their treatment and achieved their goals
The first time you come in we will get to know each other. I will share with you how I work, what my office policies are and set your fee. You will share with me what brings you to therapy, what experiences you have had in therapy before and what you would like different in your life. I will give you an intake form to fill out and bring back next session. If you prefer we can fill it out together. The second time we meet we will go over your intake form and I will ask more questions. If you have brought the form filled out you will save time. Then we will develop a plan, set goals and begin to identify targets to clear. This may take a couple of sessions and will continue through the Resourcing phase of treatment.
I often ask people to write an outcome. What will be new and different in your life when you complete treatment? Why? This assists you in measuring your own progress. This is also a time I can introduce you to Conscious Language and how you can identify and change unconscious self sabotage programs.
First Phase of Treatment
From here we will begin the Somatic Resourcing phase of treatment. This is part of the assessment and preparation phase of treatment. We will assess what resources you already have and what requires rebuilding. These phases are crucial for successful treatment.
Somatic Resourcing
I start everyone out with Somatic Resourcing activities, ie: grounding, centering, boundaries and containment. These activities allow both of us to assess what resources you already have and gives you tools to build resources that may be missing or have been breached. This phase of treatment is critical.
We start with mindfulness. To be successful at making changes you must be able to observe your physical, emotional and cognitive reactions. You will have to have dual focus (aware of what you are currently experiencing and remembering a past event) to be able to do EMDR or Lifespan Integration. Mindfulness tells us both if you are able to dual focus and if not will give you the tool to develop dual focus. Mindfulness also assesses your ability observe whether you are grounded or not. Being fully and completely present, grounded, when doing LI or EMDR will allow you to make changes. If you loose your focus, presence or groundedness LI and EMDR will be other than effective.
From here we will begin Somatic Resourcing activities. Somatic Resourcing activities are somatic and experiential in nature, not visualizations or imagining. You will experience a “felt sense” of how grounding feels, how your feel when your boundaries are working for you, and how you feel when you are centered. You will learn how changes in your physical structure will change your emotional and psychological state. You will have tools to use in your daily life to rebuild and/or maintain your resources. Once we move into resolving trauma or self limiting patterns, your ability to notice if you lose your grounding will be crucial. If you are ungrounded trauma resolution will be other than effective and can cause you to feel re-traumatized . If you lose your grounding we can stop, reestablish your grounding and then continue to work. You will learn much about yourself through these experiential activities. I have had clients make dramatic changes in their lives just from these activities.
We will assess you ability to self soothe and build in skills if more are required. Self soothing is crucial for handling emotional challenges which may arise between Lifespan or EMDR sessions, as we clear traumatic experiences or ingrained belief patterns. Trauma becomes stored our nervous systems when we become overwhelmed by an event. Having new life experiences, resources and self soothing tools when you target these old memories or beliefs allows you to revisit and clear the original experiences in a new way. You may still experience emotional upset for a short while and your new perspectives and tools will allow you to move through old experiences without overwhelm and reach resolution. New self soothing skills will allow yourself to self regulate in between sessions when we address issues with Lifespand and/or EMDR.
Why are somatic resourcing skills and self soothing so important? These are skills we are suppose to develop in early childhood. They provide a foundation for the rest of our lives. Without them depression, anxiety, and other symptoms appear. These skills give you the resources to make choices and follow through with action with a sense of confidence, knowing what is right for you. Think of it this way. If you build a house, the first thing you build is a foundation. If there is no foundation or it is built inadequately at some point the house (your life) will fall off of the foundation and crumble. Once you rebuild your foundation you are prepared to rebuild you life in a lasting way.
If theses resources are already working for you, you will move quickly through this phase. If they have to be rebuild this phase will take as much time as you nervous system requires and lays a crucial foundation.
During this phase of treatment we will be identifying what your presenting life issues are you would like to see change and develop a target sequencing plan. We will do a history of each issue various times you recall having the same experience and the first time you recall. The Somatic Resourcing activities often help us identify experiences.
Conscious Language
I am a “Language of Mastery” Instructor with Mastery Systems. I can tell what your core life issues are in a short period of time based on what you say. I often share with you some of this information so you can begin tracking your own self sabotage systems and make new choices. Conscious Language is a wonderful tool for becoming aware of what unconscious self sabotage beliefs are operating in your daily life. I have a book, CDs and DVDs available if you are interested in studying more deeply. Since I teach people to work mindfully I can give you opportunities to feel what your words are doing to you and how new choices feel. As you become more self aware you can catch your patterns and make changes. Conscious Language assists you in living your life consciously.
Second Phase of Treatment
After you have completed the assessment and beginning preparation phase we will move on to resolving specific targets. Many times some of the original issues have already improved. You will choose a life issue to address (from the list you started treatment with and those we uncovered in the assessment and preparation phase). We will develop a Target Sequencing Plan identifying the self limiting beliefs you experience and do a history of all of the times you remember having the same experience. We will then systematically address each one to clear the entire pattern. I use both EMDR and Lifespan Integration. The assessment and preparation phase will have allowed me to identify which tools will work for you. Sometimes I use both since both work differently our brains. The combination can make remarkable and profound changes. Some people who have a long history of emotional abandonment and neglect growing up so better with Lifespan Integration to start with. Adding the EMDR to the same targets after often clears associations you had not even considered. I am a Facilitator with the EMDR Institute, Inc. and an Approved Consultant with EMDRIA (EMDR International Association). I have been using EMDR since 1991 and assist in training other professionals. I have been doing Lifespan Integration since 2003.
You will be asked to make brief notes about what physical, emotional, and cognitive experiences you are having in between sessions, as well as any further memories that may show up. What comes up that is uncomfortable tells us what else has to be cleared. What positive changes occur tells us what progress you are making. I will be relying on you to give me accurate feedback of what you experience in between sessions to guide you further in your process.
Here is some information on both Lifespan Integration and EMDR:
Lifespan Integration
Lifespan Integration (LI) is an excellent choice for therapy if you have a history of abandonment (including emotional abandonment), neglect (including emotional neglect), if you grew up in an alcoholic or drug addicted home, and/or abuse. LI is a gentle method which works on a deep neural level to change patterned responses and outmoded defensive strategies. LI helps you connect unpleasant feelings and dysfunctional patterns with memories of past events where they originated. Making these connections at a deep level of your body-mind “re-sets” your neural system to be more in line with your current life situation. LI uses an affect bridge to find a memory which is connected to a current life problem. I then guide you to imaginably re-visit this past memory, bringing into therapy whatever is required to resolve the memory. Once the memory is resolved, I guide you through time to the present using a Time Line of visual images of scenes from you life. The Time Line of memories and images proves to your body-mind system time has passed and life is different now. Each pass through your time line strengthens your core sense of self and weaves in all of your life skills in a way that makes them now easily available to you. After LI therapy people find themselves spontaneously reacting to current stressers in more age appropriate ways. After several session of LI clients have reported they feel better about life, are more self accepting and are better able to enjoy their intimate relationships. For more information you can visit www.lifespanintegration.com.
EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) is a method of psychotherapy which has been extensively researched and proven effective for treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols incorporating elements from many different treatment approaches. To date, EMDR has helped an estimated two million people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress. EMDR can also be used to enhance performance, ie: sports activities, public speaking.
EMDR is founded on the premise we have an innate inner wisdom which prompts us toward health and wholeness. EMDR is an approach to psychotherapy comprised of principles, procedures and protocols. It is not a simple technique characterized primarily by use of eye movements. EMDR is grounded in psychological science and is informed by both psychological theory and research on the brain.
EMDR integrates elements from both psychological theories (e.g. affect, attachment, behavior, bioinformational processing, cognitive, humanistic, family systems, psychodynamic and somatic) and psychotherapies (e.g., body-based, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, person-centered, and psychodynamic) into a standardized set of procedures and clinical protocols. Research on how our brain processes information and generates consciousness also informs the evolution of EMDR theory and procedure.
EMDR has 8-phases. The first two phases (assessment phase and preparation phase) are crucial to success of EMDR treatment. I use Somatic Resourcing and self soothing tools in the assessment phase and the beginning of the preparation phase. We will identify what life issues you would like to improve and do a detailed history of how often the pattern has repeated itself in your life, which were the most difficult and when the first one occurred. We will assess your ability to feel safe during EMDR treatment. Because challenging emotional responses may come up, feeling safe with me and having an ability to tell me what you are experiencing are crucial. I act as a guide through the EMDR sessions and you accurately reporting what you experience allows me to guide you correctly. Giving me accurate and clear information about what you are experiencing between sessions is crucial for both of us to measure your success. You will have to have good self soothing skills to use between session if challenging memories or emotions arise between sessions. I use Somatic Resourcing to begin treatment so we have assessed your skills and resources and built or strengthened your skills and resources before beginning any trauma treatment. We will take into consideration appropriate timing of using EMDR based on what is currently going on in your life, ie: how busy your life is (do you have time to go through the process?), support you have while going through treatment, safety. EMDR can shorten length of treatment and you still may have periods of intense emotional processing until the target are cleared.
In Phases 3 – 6, standardized steps must be followed to achieve good results. EMDR is a process, not a technique, and unfolds according to requirements and resources of each person in the context of our therapeutic relationship. Therefore, different elements may be emphasized or utilized differently depending on the unique requirements of each person.
To achieve comprehensive treatment effects a three-pronged basic treatment protocol is used to first address past events. After past targets are cleared we clear current stimuli still capable of evoking distress. Finally future situations are processed to prepare for possible or likely circumstances. For more information on EMDR visit: www.emdria.org
Attendance
I do 1 hour & 20 minute sessions and require you to attend weekly. EMDR and Lifespan Integration both require longer sessions. We can move through the assessment and preparation phases more quickly with 1 hour & 20 minute sessions. Once you have made significant changes we can reevaluate frequency. I have found people who attend irregularly or even every other work have not met their treatment goals. Real change requires focus and consistency. There are exceptions. For those who have already done significant work and have already had Lifespan Integration and/or EMDR treatment and are doing some fine tuning a different schedule may be possible (length of sessions remains the same). EMDR and Lifespan Integration both require longer sessions.
Cost
My fee is $165.00 per 1 hour & 20 minute session. I am not on any insurance panels but if you have insurance and if you have a plan that covers an out of network provider I can provide you with forms to submit to your insurance company so you can be reimbursed. You should also find out how many sessions they will cover so we can plan your treatment accordingly. It is important you tell me how many sessions your insurance will cover if you plan to stop treatment after your insurance benefit runs out, so we can come up with a treatment plan that fits the number of sessions you will be attending. For those who do not have insurance and require a reduced fee I do some sliding on my scale. We can discuss my range and see if something can be worked out.
How long does therapy take?
There are many factors which affect length of treatment. What resources you already have in your life and how your nervous system responds to treatment makes a difference. If you have had an extensive history of emotional abandonment and/or neglect or abuse therapy can take longer. How consistent you are with practicing the resourcing activities I prescribe makes a difference. How focused you are in treatment makes a difference. How consistent you are in attending sessions makes a difference. If you have financial limitations it may be best to set realistic goals for a limited number of sessions and return later to work on the next goal. How can you speed up treatment?
- Attend sessions weekly
- Practice daily the activities I prescribe
- Make time for yourself to integrate your new changes - make yourself a priority.
- Make time to notice changes and make brief notes to share with me at your next session.
- Stay focused on your treatment goals.
Confidentiality
Washington State Laws have always been very protective of patients rights. All of what you share in session is kept confidential with some exceptions. I am required to report child abuse/neglect, elder or those with developmental disabilities abuse or neglect, or if you commit or contemplate committing a crime (past or present). If I receive a subpoena for your records I can protest them being released but ultimately if a judge orders me to release them I have to. You may authorize me, in writing,am to release or share information to anyone, ie: a family member who will help your treatment, another health care professional to coordinate treatment.
Communicating with Me
I do all communication with clients via telephone. E-mail is other than secure and less reliable in reaching me. There may be days I am unable to get to e-mail. I can be easily reached by voice mail or my Google voice number during business hours and I return calls as soon as possible. Messages left outside of business hours are returned on the next business day unless you are a client of mine who is having a clinical emergency. Then I return calls as soon as I am able to pick up my messages. You can call the Crisis Clinic at: 206-461-3222 if you require assistance sooner than I am able to get back to you.
Office Days & Hours
My office days are Monday - Thursday. I see clients on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Other days I am consulting, teaching, writing or doing administrative tasks. I see clients from noon to 4:30p on my client days. My sessions are 1 hour and 20 minutes long.
I am able to do some sessions via internet video conferencing. Some of the Somatic Resourcing work can be done via video conferencing and some has to be done in person. This option can be helpful for clients who find themselves traveling for work, when logistical issues come up, or those who are outside of my area. If you are out of my area contact me to discuss if this method could work for you. Usually you will have to have some sessions in my office during the initial phases of treatment.
How to Contact Me
I look forward to supporting you in discovering and living from your authentic self! You can leave me a message on my voicemail: 425-747-5774 or try reaching me in person on my Google Voice number: 425-502-5607 for more information or to schedule and appointment.
PSYCHOTHERAPY
My Perspective and What to Expect
Somatic Resourcing
Conscious Language in Psychotherapy
Lifespan Integration
EMDR
Attendance
Cost
How long does therapy take?
Confidentiality
Communicating with Me
Office Days & Hours
How to Contact Me
My Bio
Somatic Resourcing
Conscious Language in Psychotherapy
Lifespan Integration
EMDR
Attendance
Cost
How long does therapy take?
Confidentiality
Communicating with Me
Office Days & Hours
How to Contact Me
My Bio
Somatic Resourcing 1
Know Thyself
Mindfulness & Support Exercises
Somatic Resourcing 2
Grounding Exercises
My Perspective and What to Expect
Somatic Resourcing
Conscious Language in Psychotherapy
Lifespan Integration
EMDR
Attendance
Cost
How long does therapy take?
Confidentiality
Communicating with Me
Office Days & Hours
How to Contact Me
My Bio
Somatic Resourcing
Conscious Language in Psychotherapy
Lifespan Integration
EMDR
Attendance
Cost
How long does therapy take?
Confidentiality
Communicating with Me
Office Days & Hours
How to Contact Me
My Bio
My Perspective and What to Expect
Somatic Resourcing
Conscious Language in Psychotherapy
Lifespan Integration
EMDR
Attendance
Cost
How long does therapy take?
Confidentiality
Communicating with Me
Office Days & Hours
How to Contact Me
My Bio
Somatic Resourcing
Conscious Language in Psychotherapy
Lifespan Integration
EMDR
Attendance
Cost
How long does therapy take?
Confidentiality
Communicating with Me
Office Days & Hours
How to Contact Me
My Bio
Somatic Resourcing 1
Know Thyself
Mindfulness & Support Exercises
Somatic Resourcing 2
Grounding Exercises
Know Thyself
Mindfulness & Support Exercises
Somatic Resourcing 2
Grounding Exercises
My Perspective and What to Expect
Somatic Resourcing
Conscious Language in Psychotherapy
Lifespan Integration
EMDR
Attendance
Cost
How long does therapy take?
Confidentiality
Communicating with Me
Office Days & Hours
How to Contact Me
My Bio
Somatic Resourcing
Conscious Language in Psychotherapy
Lifespan Integration
EMDR
Attendance
Cost
How long does therapy take?
Confidentiality
Communicating with Me
Office Days & Hours
How to Contact Me
My Bio
Upcoming Workshop
Tools for Developing Somatic Resources & Resolving Challenges in Your Life
Tools for Developing Somatic Resources & Resolving Challenges in Your Life
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