FAQ

That is a good question. I have been living and practicing in Colorado for over 15 years. Due to some family health issues that required me to fly to Minnesota for extended periods, I am back and forth from Colorado and Minnesota.

I see clients on the phone or Zoom Video.

It depends. I am in the Boulder/Denver area, and when there, I see clients. Please call me to find out my current schedule.

Typically, I work on Tuesdays through Fridays.

Times will change when life happens for me, such as vacations, health appointments, retreats, and holidays.

I charge $150 for a 25-minute, half-hour session.

Most of the time, I see clients for a full 50-minutes (or two sessions), or a 75-minute hour and a half (or three sessions). The half-hour session is recommended only for a quick tune-up or a mini-crisis between sessions.

For those who pay ahead of time, I also offer three Treatment Package Savings Plans that save you up to 20% off my standard fee on each session.

Please ask me more about the Savings Plan at our initial free hour consultation.

I accept payment by check, American Express, VISA, Mastercard, or Discover. I also accept HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) debit cards.

No, I do not. I have found out through my therapy mentors that most professional people do not want a mental health diagnosis on their record.

Even though your record is supposed to be confidential, I have found that occasionally, employers or prospective employers will discover this diagnosis.

Also, the less severe the diagnosis is, the less amount of sessions the insurance will financially cover. Sadly, there is still a stigma around mental health.

Traditional insurance panels are not familiar with Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) and do not acknowledge NET as a therapeutic technique. This position forces therapists to either not treat insurance clients with NET or potentially treat with NET and leave NET out of their chart notes and be less than honest with the insurance companies.

I have chosen to keep my integrity and help and treat my clients with what is needed. Therefore, my clients pay me directly for my services, and I keep my fees reasonable.

Please call (888) 679-1969 or complete my contact form below.

That depends. When you are first under care, I prefer to see you either once or twice weekly.

I have clients, who see me once a week for an hour, an hour and a half, or two hours. This frequency enables us to get to your issues quickly, and you can start feeling relief and progress right away.

If finances or time availability is a concern, we will look at every other week.

As you resolve many of the areas in your life that are contributing to your stress and feel like you are in a really good place, you have the option of maintaining or reducing the treatment frequency. However, many of my clients continue to meet for maintenance or wellness on an every other week basis.

I also have clients that have seen me for over a decade and continue this transformative work monthly to resolve the blocks that keep them from being present. Both of us value this because it keeps their life running smoothly, like getting your oil changed regularly-emotional tune-ups help to prevent emergencies!

We decide together what frequency is best for your life, your demands, and your finances.

My philosophy has always been about quality, not quantity. I have chosen to have a very concentrated, boutique practice with private clients.

My ethical and empathic responsibility is that I am completely available (mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually) for every weekly session with my clients. I am only as valuable to you as I am “walking the talk” myself and demonstrating balance and vitality.

With that said, my client sessions translate to about 25-28 client hours per week. This schedule allows me to respond to client questions, emails, consults, and sudden needs.

When client sessions become full, I offer a waiting list for new clients.

After we meet initially on the phone for a free consultation, I will let you know the approximate wait time, or I can best direct you to a few of my colleagues that might be a match for your current needs.

Because scheduling an appointment involves reserving a dedicated time specifically for you, I request that you notify me by phone or text at least 48 hours before your scheduled appointment.

If you notify me with less than 48 hours, and I am still able to fill your reserved time with another client, you will not be charged for the missed session. However, if I am unable to fill your reserved time, I will charge your card the full session fee.

Honestly, this hardly ever happens. If there are weather or time issues, we can always move our session to phone or Zoom.

If there is a true emergency (i.e. you are sick, you need to pick up your kid from school who is sick), I will understand, and we’ll try to find another time that week, and you will not be charged the missed session.

Yes, it sure can.

Yes! Couples are FUN! I see them by phone, Zoom meeting, or in-person in Colorado.

After my Minnesota license is accepted, I will see couples in person in Minneapolis.

Yes! I am a family therapist. I see children individually as young as ten and also work with families.

Yes! I identify as a member of this community. I am highly equipped to maneuver the special benefits and unique handicaps of the decisions to be out and be your authentic self.

It is widely accepted that there are six stages of Coming Out, and each stage has many celebrations and pitfalls.

Long before we could talk about these things openIy, I have been the “Queer Visual Aid” and the facilitator for discussions and questions during Sexuality Diversity day at many Battered Women’s shelters, Drug and Sex Rehab Clinics, and graduate schools.

Most of the time, I was the only ‘gay person’ people had ever met. Did I date myself just now? For more information, see my LGBTQ+ page.

Of course! I am open and affirming
and strive to foster a climate where all people feel included.

We find a time to meet over Zoom Video or on the phone.

I will ask you what has brought you here to talk with me and other relevant information that I may find helpful.

I may ask you some more questions, and I will talk to you about my philosophy and style. If it is a match for both of us, we will determine the frequency of care and set up some initial sessions together.

It’s a lot like seeing me in person without the hug. Check out my Online/Teletherapy page for more information.

I applaud you for being brave in asking that question.

We are going to have to address that as we experience it. Even though it is now the norm for coaches and therapists to see their clients on video or phone, it’s not for everyone.

I won’t be offended. If it doesn’t work for us to meet in person, then you may need to find someone close to you who can offer that service consistently. It is about finding the right match for YOU.

Absolutely! Please find out details on my In-Person Intensives page.

Not yet, but I plan on it.

Stay tuned and please visit my Workshops page and fill out your information. I will put you on an email list and contact you when I begin to offer workshops.

I received my bachelor’s degree in social work from Luther College in Iowa and spent the next several years in South Minneapolis, where I worked with homeless teenagers, who were kicked out for being pregnant, speaking out about their family abuse, or were LGBTIQ.

I’ve worked in women’s shelters and volunteered for suicide hotlines, and I’ve helped young men emancipate back into society after jail and taught new foster parents how to support their new children into their households.

For over three years, I volunteered my therapy services to a nonprofit program for low-income folks and have helped direct a county-wide support program for all LGBTQ+ 13-21-year-old teenagers.

I’ve trained dozens of interns just beginning in the helping field how to be a compassionate and boundaried helper.

I graduated from the University of Denver in 2003 with a master’s degree in Social Work and have been working in private clinical practice since 2005. I earned a certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Denver Family Institute in 2005 and a certificate in Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) in 2004.

My deep dive into the Enneagram and cultivating deep presence and spirituality began in 2010 and now co-lead inner work retreats aimed at waking up from our inner trances and finding out who we really are.

Heck, yes! Did I mention I grew up in a Scandinavian household in the Midwest, where there was no talking about feelings or processing our emotions? (I was adopted, so I’m Irish, German, and Bohemian, and yes, the Norwegian culture is REALLY polite).

It is safe to say that I’ve been to therapy. I found the first therapist by myself in the 12th grade and thought my parents wouldn’t find out until the invoices came in the mail. Now that was an awkward conversation!

I have used therapy because it works. It just does.

Finding the right therapist is key. A few of my therapists were simply outstanding at their craft, and some were horrible.

Clicking with your therapist is life-changing. It is worth the risk, the leap, and the unknown to find someone who can advocate for you and have your back and at the same time nudge and challenge you in uncomfortable ways.

I had to click with them and trust them with my vulnerabilities. These experiences have been rewarding and grueling and painful and amazing.

You are invited to take your journey to find your true nature and not continue settling for who you have been told to be. Are you ready to see who you are meant to be?

I see it in the following way: What amazingly successful person has become successful all on their own? Ever?

Everyone knows that if you need to get better at something, you need a coach, advisor, guide, or even -gasp, a therapist. Look at Tony Robbins, Serena Williams, Adele, Oprah Winfrey. They all asked for help, and they paid for it.

Sure, you can practice, practice, practice, and see improvement. But what if having a guide and mentor could give you the tips, the language, and the shortcuts before you lose hope or motivation that you will ever improve on your own?

I am a personal development guide, coach, mentor, healer, and therapist all rolled into one. I know my lane, and I can help guide you even when you can’t see another way. And, most importantly, when I’m out of my area of expertise, I’m humble enough to shake out any of my false pride and get you in front of a better-suited guide.

Discussing what is not working in your life and how you are not feeling loved or seen or enough can be painful. How can it not be?

This space may be the ONLY place in your life that you can begin to be ALL of you, the good, the bad, and the ugly. You can be Here (as in the present) without judgment or agendas.

As a fellow social worker and kick-ass researcher of humans, Brené Brown says,

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.” 

Short answer- Yes.

Long Answer- Yes. Most likely. Ripping off a band-aid is painful. It is a big OUCH, but after a few minutes, the pain and discomfort are gone. This is why I like to work with the brain on all levels. The healing is so quick! 

Bring your own tissues if we work on the phone!

Yes, most definitely. Trust me; I’ll be laughing with you and sharing a story or two from my own experience that will help you to feel less alone. It is almost always funny.

Here are a few great choices to begin: Rising Strong by Brene Brown, Loving What Is by Byron Katie, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks, The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Riso and Russ Hudson. I would also recommend Stressed, a documentary film about Neuro Emotional Technique.

To take the scientifically validated Enneagram test or for more resources, go to www.enneagraminstitute.com.

This is always a popular question. It depends on you, your desire, and your past and present life circumstances. How long have you been suffering? How many coping patterns do not serve you anymore? How many ways do you hide, not show up, overcompensate, or numb?

I am trained in homeopathy, and a classic homeopath would say to their patients that for as many years that they have had a physical ailment, they would need to take the recommended tincture for one month. 10 years of pain = 10 months of a tincture to heal the pain. That doesn’t mean, however, that they will not see improvement after a few weeks and months of a dose.

Personal growth is a lot like homeopathy. It takes time to unlearn these ingrained thought patterns. This technique and process is NOT a quick fix. We are undoing your messages and hurts rather than learning enough to ace the test.

If you have been in 10 years of pain, would you be willing to invest in 10 months of real help and assistance to get out of that pain? Are YOU worth investing the time, effort, and money to let go of that pain? This path is the most phenomenal form of self-care you can experience.

What would it mean to you to have your life back? To have your sass and vitality back? To feel inspired and to inspire others? To walk your talk? To heal some old hurts and stop some old tapes from continuing to play? To save your marriage and avoid divorce?

This is your chance to have it.

Another great question. There are no guarantees.

You have to trust your gut and make the first call.

The first hour with me is free, so what do you really have to lose?

I will give you my best self and my best effort. Will you do the same?

If so, you know where to reach me!