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Guides

Guides to therapy, and to how I work.

Plain-language answers about starting therapy, the practical side of it, and the approaches I draw on—so you can get a feel for the work before we ever talk.

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Starting therapy comes with a lot of small questions that don’t always feel worth asking out loud. What actually happens in a first session? What do the letters after my name mean? Is it normal to have no idea what to talk about? These guides are my attempt to answer them plainly, the way I would if you asked me on a consultation call.

Some of them are practical—out-of-network benefits and superbills, confidentiality, what a first session looks like, how long therapy tends to take. Others go further into the traditions underneath my work: psychodynamic and attachment theory, mindfulness and Buddhist psychology, meditation and breathwork, and why the shadow is always welcome in our work.

None of them can replace a real conversation, but they might help you decide whether that conversation is worth having. For shorter pieces, my blog is the place to look, and the FAQ covers the quick logistics. Everything else lives on the Resources page—and if you’d rather just talk, you can request a free 15-minute consultation whenever you’re ready.

Approaches I draw on

The traditions underneath the work, what each one means in practice, and what it can look like in a session.

Psychodynamic TherapyHow the past keeps shaping the present, and what psychodynamic work looks like with an active therapist.Read the guide Attachment-Focused TherapyHow early experiences of being met, or not met, shape the way you reach for people now.Read the guide Mindfulness-Based TherapyPractical attention to the body and the present moment, woven into therapy with nothing spiritual required.Read the guide Buddhist Psychology in TherapyAttention, compassion and curiosity from Buddhist psychology, offered without asking you to adopt anything spiritual.Read the guide Meditation & Breathwork in TherapyGentle, optional practices for settling your body and connecting with your mind’s eye and core self.Read the guide Shadow Work in TherapyWelcoming the parts of you that once seemed too much, too angry, too tender, or too strange.Read the guide

Starting therapy

What to expect, what to ask, and how to tell whether a therapist—or a way of working—is the right fit for you.

What to expect in your first therapy sessionFrom a short note on the contact form to the end of your first 45 minutes, here’s how starting works.Read the guide How to find the right therapist for youWhat to look for, what to ask, and why the right fit matters more than any credential.Read the guide Thinking about switching therapists?When therapy feels stuck, how to tell whether it’s the work, the fit, or both.Read the guide How long does therapy take?An honest answer to a fair question, and what tends to shape how long the work lasts.Read the guide What do I talk about in therapy?Where to start when you’re not sure what to say, and why you don’t need an agenda.Read the guide Therapy for self-exploration and growthYou don’t need a crisis or a diagnosis to start therapy. Curiosity about yourself is reason enough.Read the guide Individual or couples therapy: which fits?How to choose between working on your own and working with a partner, and what each one offers.Read the guide

The practical side

Insurance, confidentiality and credentials, explained plainly so there are fewer surprises later on.

What LCSW and LICSW meanThe letters after my name, what they say about my training, and how to check any therapist’s license.Read the guide Using out-of-network benefits for therapyHow superbills work, what to ask your insurer, and the trade-offs worth knowing before you decide.Read the guide Is therapy confidential?What stays between us, the few legal exceptions, and how records, email and insurance fit in.Read the guide