Answers to Your Questions about Marriage Counseling Raleigh NC

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What happens when I schedule my free phone consultation with you online?

We will chat for about 15-30 min about your concerns, what you are hoping to achieve in therapy, and whether and how I will be able to help you with that. It will be a very brief discussion just to make sure we are a good fit. At the end of the conversation, if we both feel we are good fit, we will schedule our first session called assessment/intake.
If you are looking for marriage counseling Wake Forest NC, ideally I would like to have both of you on the phone during the intake call. If your partner is unavailable, they will have to give me a call so that we have a similar conversation with them to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Please note that the best way to schedule your intake call is through booking it on my website here.

What happens during our first session and after that?

Please note, this video was created years ago before I have discovered the power of intensives. I no longer offer weekly therapy today, but the nature of the assessment questions and the overall clinical process is the same.

What happens during our first intensive—and after that?

All new couples begin with a 2-day couples intensive, meeting for 6 hours each day. This extended format allows us to slow things down and go deep from the very beginning, rather than spending months gathering information in short weekly sessions.

During these two days, we will explore multiple layers of your relationship and individual histories—how you each grew up, key attachment experiences, past relationship injuries, and the emotional patterns that keep repeating between you now. At times, it may feel like we’re touching many topics or moving in different directions. That’s intentional. I’m tracking the emotional, attachment, and nervous-system themes underneath the content of what you’re sharing.

Especially early on, I may be quieter than you expect. This is by design. I want to give you space to tell your story, notice what happens internally as you speak, and allow deeper emotional material to emerge rather than rushing into problem-solving.

After the initial 2-day intensive, couples who continue work with me commit to a 12-month intensive model, meeting once a month for a 6-hour session. This structure allows for deep, focused work while also giving time between sessions for integration and real-life practice.

This is not short-term therapy. If you’re looking for someone to fix your relationship in a handful of sessions, I’m not the right fit. You don’t walk ten minutes into a forest and get out in five. This work requires commitment, honesty, and a willingness to stay with the process—even when it’s uncomfortable.

If you’re ready to do real, meaningful work and shift how your relationship actually feels, this intensive model is designed for that.

Do you do online therapy in North Carolina?

Yes, and my clients love the convenience of it. I am also licensed in VA (I used to live there) and work with many couples who reside in VA as well.

I am not able to provide counseling to any clients who live outside of the states of NC and VA. However, I have been providing online therapy to many couples from different countries for over a decade now since the regulations are quite different for outside of the US.

Do you work with individuals as well or just couples?

Even though couples work is my specialty, I do provide individual therapy as well. Most of my clients are struggling with relationship issues and/or anxiety, whether it’s unhealthy pattern of dating, divorce recovery, tendency to overthink, or being preoccupied with what could happen.

  • I do NOT accept insurance for several reasons.

    1. I have to diagnose you (on the first session) to get reimbursed and these labels will be part of your official record permanently. This may impact you if you have security clearance, look for a new employment or need to purchase new benefits (health insurance, life insurance etc.)

    2. Your records are not protected and the treatment will be dictated by the insurer. This may impact you if you want certain information to be held confidential or if you need longer or a specialized treatment (like Emotionally Focused Therapy)

    3. I will not be able to focus on our treatment (my favorite part!) as much as I like to because I will have to deal with constant insurance related issues/changes, which I don’t like.

    However, I would be happy to provide you with a receipt that can be used for reimbursement, using your out-of-network benefits (for individual clients only).

  • Couples full day marriage retreat in North Carolina start at $3000 for 1 day (6 hour long).

    A good faith estimate is provided at the start of treatment and any time the fee changes. 

  • If you need to cancel your session, you need to do so within 48-hour window. This will allow other clients to use the canceled time slot when needed. If you cancel in less than 48 hours, you will be charged a full session fee.

  • It would be unethical for me to promise you will fully recover from whatever you are struggling with. However, what I can promise you is to listen carefully with an open mind, reflect back honestly what I hear, be a sounding board for you without a hidden agenda, stand behind your goals when possible, and stay constructive and practical throughout our time together. And we will probably laugh and curse too. A lot.

  • I work with adults (over 21) and couples throughout all stages of life. I do not work with children. I have a sweet spot for helping distant couples and anxious adults build more meaningful relationships with themselves and their partners. This is my passion!

    My specialties include marriage counseling Wake Forest NC, marriage counseling intensives, online therapy North Carolina, individual counseling, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, and Brainspotting.

  • If you do not like me or my style, that’s perfectly okay. I believe that the relationship between the therapist and the client is very important and is one of the major predictors of successful treatment. I will probably ask you for some feedback if you are open to it at all, but I will not take it personally. There are a lot of amazing therapists out there, and I would be happy to refer you to some of them.

  • Yep! Learn more about me here

  • After working in the field for over 15 years, I no longer offer weekly therapy sessions. My work is structured entirely around intensive, deep-dive experiences because that’s where real, lasting change actually happens.

    I work with couples through a 6-12-month intensive model, meeting once a month for a 6-hour session. These sessions integrate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Brainspotting, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) when clinically appropriate.

    This format allows us to:

    • Move beyond surface-level conversations and into the emotional and nervous-system roots of the relationship

    • Create meaningful shifts that simply aren’t possible in 50-minute sessions

    • Work deeply while still allowing time between sessions for integration and real-life practice

    • Maintain consistency and momentum without the burnout of weekly therapy

    This model is especially well-suited for couples who:

    • Feel stuck in a painful, repetitive cycle

    • Have already “talked things to death” without real change

    • Want focused, efficient work without dragging therapy out for years

    During our initial consultation, we’ll determine whether this intensive model is the right fit for your relationship and outline a preliminary treatment plan for the year.

    This is not quick-fix therapy, and it’s not therapy that just keeps going because it can. It’s intentional, structured, and designed to actually shift how your relationship feels.

  • The full fee for your session is collected at or before the time of service via a credit or debit card. The system I use (Called Simple Practice) securely stores a debit or credit card on file so you will not have to take time for payment during your session. I do not bill for services, or carry account balances.

  • Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits?

    • Are services rendered by a licensed clinical social worker covered? My license in the state of VA is 0904009547 and in NC is C010718

    • Is any pre-approval required before obtaining out-of-network mental health services in order to be reimbursed?

    • If I have out-of-network benefits, will I be reimbursed the full amount I paid or a portion?

    • Do I have a deductible and if so, what is it?

  • The best way to schedule your free 15-minute consult with me is through my website here.