Online therapy & EFT for neurodiverse individuals & couples in Sunnyvale, Silicon Valley & Beyond

Redwood and Oak Couples Counseling FAQs and Resources

Illustration of an oak branch and acorns.

About the Individual and Couples Therapy Process:

  • The first step is for us to schedule a free 30-min phone consultation. This allows me to learn about what is bringing you in to therapy, and to answer any questions you may have. If it feels like my approach would be a good fit for your situation, then we can get you scheduled to come to your first session. For couples, the initial phone consultation can be with both partners together or with just one partner.

Schedule a Free Consultation

  • Your first session gives me a chance to get to know you in more depth, and for us to discuss in more detail what our sessions will be like.  It is common to feel nervous or even anxious about the first session.  However, it can help to remember that I am here for you and your needs, so there is no need to discuss more than you are comfortable discussing at the first session.

  • I wish I had a nice, clean answer to this question!  Length of treatment varies wildly depending on the presenting problem, and the nature of therapy / counseling makes it impossible for me to predict a precise timeline for any client. Research on EFT often suggests 10-20 sessions can be effective. In my experience, this is true for many couples, especially those seeking therapy early in their relationship. However, these are controlled studies usually performed with young couples in university settings. For most real-world couples who have been through significant stressors, the work tends to take longer - often 6 months to a year of weekly sessions. And, for couples who have been through profound life-altering stressors, including but not limited to trauma, grief and loss, betrayal, infidelity, medical stressors, children with special needs, it is not uncommon for the work to take more than a year of weekly sessions. If you would like to know which end of this spectrum I believe your situation might fall on, feel free to ask.  I encourage all my couples to see my blog article on how you can get the most out of your EFT sessions. To some extent, the process just takes time, but there are many things you can do to help EFT work optimally for you and your partner!

About My Approach to Individual and Couples Therapy:

  • Yes!  I welcome clients of any sexual orientation and gender identity to individual and/or couples therapy.  It is important to me that all my clients to feel welcomed, respected, and understood.  I try to bring this to all my sessions, and in particular, try to conduct my couples therapy sessions in a way that minimizes gender-based expectations.

  • I have a master’s degree in Couple and Family Therapy and have been working in the field since 2011. I have always taken my training very seriously and am proud to have earned a 4.0 in my master’s program. After graduate school, I continued to pursue advanced training by completing Parts 1 and 2 of EMDR training and beginning the long road of obtaining ICEEFT Certification in EFT Couples Therapy, which made me the first EFT-Certified therapist in Cincinnati in 2020.

    However, research shows us that it is not necessarily a therapist’s credentials that are most important. The greatest predictor of success in therapy is the sense of “fit” between the therapist and the client. Do you feel comfortable talking with me, and does my approach gel with the way you and your partner think? The best way to see if we would do well working together would be to schedule a phone consultation to get to know me and my approach a little more. I welcome the opportunity to speak with you!

  • ?  I love working with clients from diverse spiritual (or non-spiritual) backgrounds.  I welcome clients to discuss spirituality in their therapy work, if they would like to.  When this happens, I try to learn about the client's spiritual beliefs and ask questions to learn how their spirituality interfaces with the topics we are working on in therapy. I do not bring a particular religious perspective into this work but rather work within whatever the client’s spiritual framework may be. This may include major religions, more unique or individualized senses of spirituality, or also agnostic and atheist clients.  

  • Yes - we certainly can! Physical intimacy and sex are often integral parts of our relationship bond. When couples are seeking Couples Therapy, it is common for them to be experiencing conflict or disconnection. This often translates into the couple’s intimacy, and many couples may feel disconnection or even anxiety around sex. I welcome couples to share any thoughts or challenges in the area of intimacy. I will try to ask about this at our first session, but couples are also welcomed to bring this up at any time.

  • The pictures I’ve chosen for my website serve to communicate a felt sense of Rosewood and Oak Couples Counseling’s Vision, including connection to nature and the arts. They are sourced from the following collections:

    • Adam Hornyak (Unsplash)

    • Amaria (Pexels)

    • Apri Rianto (Unsplash)

    • Bioscience Image Library by Fayette Reynolds (Unsplash)

    • Casey Horner (Unsplash)

    • Casey Horner (Unsplash)

    • Chris McIntosh (Unsplash)

    • Erica Li (Unsplash)

    • Ganajp (Pexels)

    • Greysen Johnson (Unsplash)

    • Joey Kyber (Unsplash)

    • Julio Andrews Rosario (Unsplash)

    • Kamaji Ogino (Pexels)

    • Ketut Subiyanto (Pexels)

    • Nandhu Kumar (Unsplash)

    • Pavel Danilyuk (Pexels)

    • PNW Prod (Pexels)

    • Ryan Hoffman (Unsplash)

    • Skyler Ewing (Unsplash)

    • Sonny (Pexels)

    • Spencer Demera (Unsplash)

    • Tara Winstead (Pexels)

    • The New York Public Library (Pexels)

    • Vadim Morozov (Unsplash)

About My Therapy Rates and Insurance:

  • My fees are based on the session length and the location of the client, and I accept payment in the form of cash, check, credit card, or HAS/FSA accounts. (Verification of appropriate HAS coverage is the responsibility of the client.)

    Individual Therapy or Couples Therapy 60-min session:

    OHIO $250 per session | CALIFORNIA $275 per session

     

    I also offer 90-min sessions for those who would like a little more time to go more in-depth, or just more freedom to “maze” around:

    OHIO $375 per session | CALIFORNIA $413 per session

  • Many prospective clients ask why I do not take insurance.  I made the deliberate decision not to accept insurance at Rosewood and Oak Couples Counseling for the following reasons:

    • Insurance places limitations on the length and number of sessions. Without insurance, I am able to offer more flexibility to meet a client's needs. I don’t have to cut corners by offering only 45-min or 50-min sessions - my clients get the full 60-min hour. I do not need to charge additional fees if I need to consult with other therapists or physicians involved in your care.   

    • Insurance requires the therapist to report a mental health diagnosis, which can become a permanent part of the health record, and often does not apply in cases of Couples Therapy. I can work with you and your partner without any additions to your medical record.

    • Insurance requires the therapist to complete burdensome paperwork and participate in lengthy phone calls in order pay for services.  Without insurance, all my time and energy goes directly into my clinical work to help you feel better and reach your goals.

    • Having a smaller practice also gives me the time and flexibility to seek advanced training and consultation frequently to make sure my skills stay on the cutting edge of my field.

    • Insurance reimbursement rates are relatively low.  If I were to take insurance, I would need to see a large number of clients to run my business and support my family.  Providing excellent couples therapy is very complex, and the quality of my work suffers when my days are too packed.  Without insurance, I can keep my practice small, and devote more time and energy to YOU to help you and your relationship thrive.  

  • The length of treatment varies wildly depending on the presenting problem, and the nature of therapy / counseling makes it challenging to predict a precise timeline for any client. Research on EFT often suggests 10-20 sessions can be effective. In my experience, this is true for many couples, especially those seeking therapy early in their relationship. However, these are controlled studies usually performed with young couples in university settings. 

    For most real-world couples who have been through significant stressors, the work tends to take longer – often 6 months to a year of weekly sessions. And, for couples who have been through profound life-altering stressors, including but not limited to trauma, grief and loss, betrayal, infidelity, medical stressors, and children with special needs, it is not uncommon for the work to take more than a year of weekly sessions. So, the full cost of these services can range from $3,450 (15 weekly sessions at $230) to $11,040 (48 weekly sessions at $230).

    I acknowledge that this is a serious commitment of time and resources. However, it is about the cost of a sectional couch (yes, I checked the LoveSac website!) or a new HVAC system for a home. When we think about the importance of our relationship to our health and well-being, perhaps this cost comes into perspective. I encourage all my couples to see my blog article on how you can get the most out of your EFT sessions. To some extent, the process just takes time, but there are many things you can do to help EFT work optimally for you and your partner! 

  • As per the No Surprises Act, you are entitled to a “Good Faith Estimate” of the fees of your services up front. Please make note of the fees posted above and communicate any questions or concerns to me.