Frequently Asked Questions

You can schedule an appointment by emailing or calling your preferred provider directly.

All clinicians are responsible for their own scheduling.

We have a 48-hour late cancellation/rescheduling policy.

If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, please notify your clinician 48 hours in advance. Monday appointments must be canceled/rescheduled by the previous Thursday at 5 pm.

If an appointment is canceled or rescheduled with less than a 48-hour notice or if it is missed, there is a 50% charge of the private-pay rate for the first occurrence. Any time after the first occurrence, there is a full session charge of the private-pay rate.

We reserve the right to terminate the counseling relationship if two or more sessions are missed without proper notification. If reoccurring appointments are scheduled, these will be removed to prevent the client from incurring additional missed appointment fees and allow other clients to schedule.

We will work with clients 18 and older.

In some cases, we will work with children. Contact for a consultation if you desire to include a child or have the child be involved in therapy.

We are trained and experienced as Marriage & Family Therapists.

We can work with women and men of all ages as couples and individuals.

We find that our best work concerning relationship issues involves couple work and not just one part of the couple.

If you have concerns, please contact us for a consultation to answer your questions.

A better question may be, “What is the cost of not having therapy?” So much of life depends on our mindset and how we approach the world and those we love.

Counseling is an investment in yourself, relationships, and life. The investment goes a long way when you apply it outside of the session to other areas of life.

Often, the goals people achieve through counseling are priceless.

Another way to gain some perspective is to consider what it will cost you if you don’t invest in yourself or your relationship. How many more years, how much heartache or resentment, and how many opportunities will be lost?

With therapy, you learn concrete skills to have a healthier, better, stronger, more vibrant, and more fulfilling marriage and life.

Therapy is an investment that is hard to put a price tag on.

You may spend money buying healthy food, joining health clubs, and getting prescription drugs for your needs. However, your emotional needs are more important than any other need because they can impact them. Don’t stop yourself from getting the life and the relationship you want. Call us to start feeling better!

No.

While insurance makes many health procedures affordable, it is a broken system.

By using insurance, I am required to give a mental health disorder diagnosis that will become part of your medical record. The clinical diagnosis is based on your current symptoms, even though you may have been previously diagnosed. This can result in multiple mental diagnoses in your medical record over time.

Your insurance company will know the times and dates of services provided. They may request further information to authorize additional services regarding treatment.

Some psychiatric diagnoses are not eligible for reimbursement (i.e., marriage/couples therapy).

Only a few sessions are usually granted when visits are authorized.

When these sessions are complete, we may need to justify the need for continued service, potentially causing a delay in treatment.

Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed if insurance requests information for continued services.

Sometimes, additional sessions are not authorized, leading to an end of the therapeutic relationship even if therapeutic goals are not met.

Potential Negative Impacts of a Diagnosis:
Insurance companies require clinicians to give a mental health diagnosis (i.e., “major depression” or “obsessive-compulsive disorder”) for reimbursement. Psychiatric diagnoses may negatively impact you in the following ways:

1.  Denial of insurance when applying for disability or life insurance;
2.  Company (mis)control of information when claims are processed;
3.  Loss of confidentiality due to the increased number of persons handling claims;
4.  Loss of employment and/or repercussions of a diagnosis in situations where you may be required to reveal a mental health disorder diagnosis on your record. This includes but is not limited to applying for a job, financial aid, and/or concealed weapons permits.
5.  A psychiatric diagnosis can be brought into a court case (i.e., divorce court, family law, criminal, etc.).

You must be an informed consumer. This allows you to take charge of your health and medical record.

At times, having a diagnosis can be helpful (i.e., a child needing extra services in the school system or a person being able to receive a disability).

Yes. We do have options for those in need.

REtherapyCENTER has a set number of openings for those seeking a Sliding Scale. At times these are full. You can request to be added to a waiting list if you desire.

The sliding scale is based on the national poverty level, your household income, and the number of people residing in the home. We will send you an application and form to complete for consideration. This is reviewed for need after every six sessions.

Alternatively, we offer package/bundle pricing for those who know they will invest in therapy for some time.

Lasting therapy results can take an average of 6-12 sessions, depending on the issues being dealt with, to gain traction and implement new strategies effectively.

Those desiring to invest in a session bundle can save on the total cost of what sessions would cost if scheduled individually. All cancellations and rescheduling policies are applied the same, but there is a reduced fee for services given to those willing to commit to the work.

Therapy and counseling can take on many different forms.

At its core, therapy is about pursuing meaning and truth amid confusion and uncertainty. There is a longing for clarity and a way forward.

Therapy involves a trained individual that acts as a guide through the desert to cool springs of refreshment and hope.

A therapist or counselor can walk you through the valleys of despair and lead you to the mountaintops where a vision for the future can be seen and the path marked. Therapy is not a forever commitment. It’s a right now commitment.

Therapy should help you get back on your feet so you’re equipped to face life’s challenges stronger and better than before.

Therapy is for everyone.

If you have an issue that has been nagging at you or a relationship you desire to improve, there is a way.

If you are uncertain, speak to a few therapists to see what they offer and what they can do for you.

If you have specific needs, seek a specialist trained specifically for your needs. Not all therapists and counselors are equipped equally – training and experience matter.

Most people can benefit from counseling services at some point in their lives. Seeking professional assistance shows good coping skills and intelligence, not weakness.

Counseling gives you the benefit of an outside perspective.

The feeling of being stuck usually brings most people to counseling. Sometimes people feel stuck in a dissatisfying career, relationship, mood, thought pattern, or destructive pattern of behavior. People may approach their “stuckness” or problems similarly, hoping for different results each time.

What is necessary is a change in strategy—a new approach.

Utilizing your strengths, a counselor can offer an objective and caring perspective to help you move forward.

Clarifying your strengths and values, identifying possibilities for your future, and unblocking emotions will usually bring relief, clarity, awareness, and a renewed energy to face life’s challenges.

Therapy has two purposes: treating problems and improving a decent life.

Most know if you are experiencing emotional disconnect, anxiety, depression, or general difficulty, you could benefit from therapy and counseling.

Therapy is a useful tool for getting healthy, helping us achieve our full potential, and making a good life better.

Here are some reasons to try therapy that may not be common knowledge:

• You want to love and accept yourself – Many people have difficulty with this, and they’re not necessarily depressed or afflicted with another mental disorder. Therapy can help you explore roadblocks to self-esteem and teach practical ways to prioritize your happiness.
• You want to make a good marriage great – Many relationships are functional but no longer fun. Couple counseling can help improve communication and strategize ways to return passion and excitement to a marriage.
• You want to be a fantastic parent – Many of us, despite our objections, revert to parenting patterns we observed in our childhood. Therapy can help you get out of this rut and become the parent you want to be (and your children need).
• You want to thrive in your career – You say you’re unhappy where you are. Why aren’t you striving for something different? Is fear, hard work, or interpersonal conflict holding you back? Therapy can be the catalyst for healthy change in your career.
• You want to understand your purpose in life – Many therapists love to dive in and help you discover who you are on a deep level, helping you uncover the passions buried under the busyness of life. A desire for this time to self-reflect may mean that…
• You want one hour each week to focus completely on yourself – Therapy is a course where you are the subject matter. You can explore yourself, go deeper into your current thoughts and feelings, or sit and “be” for a while. This vital practice has become a forgotten art in our world today.
• You want to let go, and forgive – Holding a grudge isn’t a diagnosable condition, but it does have serious physical, emotional, and relational consequences. Through therapy, you can learn to resolve these issues for yourself and move on.
• You want a place to practice assertiveness, expressing emotion, or anything else – Therapy is a laboratory to explore, experiment, and practice behaviors you might consider scary.

Shy people can practice confrontation. Detached people can experiment with expressing emotion. When you’ve tried this out a few times in session, you may be ready to take it out into the world.

Shy people can practice confrontation. Detached people can experiment with expressing emotion. When you’ve tried this out a few times in session, you may be ready to take it out into the world.

Therapy helps treat serious problems but offers so much more. Reach out and schedule today for what could be the beginning of your journey toward a fuller life.

Deciding to Find a Couples Therapist

Research shows that, on average, couples wait six years from the onset of a problem until they seek help from a specialist. By this time, it’s not uncommon for a marriage to be in crisis. For this reason, if you seek couple counseling, you must find the help of a therapist who specializes in marriage and couple therapy.

When a therapist offers couples counseling, it is usually part of a range of other services. At REtherapyCENTER, couple therapy is at the center of what we do. We have expertise that comes from our focused and evidence-informed approaches.

Ask A Couple Therapist About Their Experience

When choosing a couples therapist, you should ask the therapist several essential questions.

First, ask them about their training and experience. Couple therapy is considered one the most challenging types of therapy to do. So you must find a couples therapist with extensive training and experience in the field.

Ask the therapist what percentage of their practice comprises marriage and couple therapy clients.

Avoid therapists who mostly do individual work, as they are likely not skilled in working with couples or relational issues.

Check the Therapist’s Certification

Ask the therapist if they are part of a professional organization that certifies credentials in the field of marriage or couple counseling.

Certification and licenses in marital and couple therapy show the therapist has devoted their time toward being a seasoned and competent practitioner.

Use Evidence-Based Models

Find a therapist that utilizes an evidence-informed model.

There are countless approaches in the field of couple therapy, but only a handful of them have demonstrated effectiveness or long-term success.

Finding a therapist who utilizes an evidence-informed model can dramatically increase the chances that your couples therapy will have lasting and long-term success.

Choose A Counselor Who Feels Right

Lastly, go with your gut. Finding a therapist who feels the right fit for you and your partner is important.

While other therapists might meet all the criteria we’ve discussed, if they don’t feel like the right match for you, there’s a good chance that the therapy won’t be helpful.

Reputable resources for locating couple therapy specialists include The Gottman Institute, The International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT), The National Registry of Marriage-Friendly Therapists, and The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

MFTs are Specially Trained

Marriage and family therapists are the only behavioral health professionals required to get specialized training and education in working with couples and families.

Psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, professional counselors, and clinical social workers can obtain their licenses without ever having experience conducting therapy with a couple or family.

Before obtaining a license in the field, MFTs in Arizona must have taken classes on working with couples and families and have conducted supervised hours of therapy with couples and families.

Helping you create and maintain a healthy relationship with your partner and family is our expertise and joy.

MFTs Look at the Whole Picture

MFTs do not consider problems isolated to the individual. Rather, we take into account the fact that individual problems affect the whole family and that family problems affect each member.

MFTs see the family as more than a collection of people. Instead, it is an organized network of interlocking relationships that fit together to function.

Our goal is to look at the whole puzzle and how it fits together, rather than at a single piece of it, to provide clients with the most comprehensive therapeutic services available and the best possible outcomes.

MFTs Exercise Neutrality in Therapy

Rather than taking the side of one individual in a couple or family system, MFTs see the perspectives and goals of each member as equally valid and valuable.

When looking at the source of a problem, we likewise place no blame on any individual in the family or couple system. Instead, we look at the cyclical patterns between people, rather than within them, that serve to maintain problems.

MFTs view Change with Great Hope

MFTs believe that individuals and families in crisis are stuck – not sick.

We view your problems as transitional rather than innate and believe it is our job to help you, and your relationship adjust to and prepare for bumps along the road.

We believe that families and individuals can be the creators of their own experiences rather than the recipients of them, thus making change both accessible now and sustainable over time.

Counseling is a process of self-examination, clarification of values and beliefs, emotional awareness, and growth. You may choose to make changes in your attitudes, perceptions, and behavior as you progress.

Research has shown that counseling may contribute to increased productivity, enhanced self-respect, and improved communication in all kinds of relationships.

Sometimes, the process may be energizing, exhausting, or even painful.

Emotional healing may become personally enriching, causing you to face conflict in relationships and learn new coping styles.

We will do everything possible to provide a positive counseling experience for you.

On your first visit, your counselor will ask you many questions to find out what brings you to counseling, what you hope to gain from your visits, and information about your history. The initial session is a chance for you to get a feel for your counselor’s style and to make sure that it is a “good fit” for you.

Traditionally, therapy is offered once a week for 50 minutes. We know that doesn’t work for everyone. Sometimes people need more services, and sometimes they need less.

We will tailor therapy to fit your needs and goals. People often meet weekly until they notice the improvements they want to achieve.

Before your first session, you will fill out some general information. We will send this to you so that you can read some information on our office policies.

During the initial appointment, we will review part of your history and have an opportunity to discuss why you are interested in counseling.

We will focus on your conflicts and the triggers that sometimes keep you two apart and interfere with the feelings of security in the relationship. This will be the beginning of identifying the negative cycle that stops the two of you from feeling close to one another.

Commonly, one partner in a relationship is not ready to do therapy.

If you become healthier, your partner may soften and lean into getting help.

Stop blaming, shaming, and attacking to get them in. Even though you work hard to save the relationship, it does not work. We know this is a very tough place to be and often paralyzing.

Many of our clients start the process themselves and still improve their relationships.

It is a scary and difficult step to come into a stranger’s office and share all your private matters.

Starting therapy and marriage counseling takes a lot of courage. However, you won’t see any changes without taking any steps.

With a brief 15-minute phone consult, you can interview us to determine your comfort level with us and get all your questions answered.

“My partner is afraid you will take my side and get criticized and attacked.”

It is common for a person in couple therapy to have this concern. The reality is this is not how couple therapy and marriage counseling work.

Your friends and families might have already done this, creating more conflict and tension.

Our role is to be the unbiased third party helping you get on the same page as a united front against the problems and the setbacks.

As a team, we help you identify ways to move forward.

As trained marriage counselors and couple therapists, we will work with you to optimize your relationship instead of repeating the same old pattern.

We are open to feedback if you feel we are taking sides.

You can also invite your partner to learn more about us. We welcome your partner to interview us with a free 15-minute phone consult of their own.

We want both of you to feel comfortable.

“I talk to my partner, and he/she just does not want to talk to anyone.”

You can still get help having “Couples Therapy for One.”

You and your partner are part of your relationship system. We know and have seen that it is possible to create positive changes in a relationship with one partner by learning new, clear concrete strategies.

Research shows us that a relationship can often be saved with just one partner’s desire and effort to be the first to make a change.

Marriage counseling and couple therapy can help you change the dynamic, even with you in the office.

As your therapist, we are here to help you sort out your thoughts and feelings so you can make decisions that will make you feel better.

We won’t tell you what to do.

We will help facilitate an environment that brings about open, honest, vulnerable, and safe conversations so you can examine all the information and make the best decision for your goals and desires moving forward.

We will help you understand what is not working and teach you skills to get the relationship or desired outcome you want.

We can help you get from where you are to where you want to be.

Most of the work in any therapeutic relationship will happen between sessions as you put into practice what you have discovered or learned.

You come back and discuss what is working and where struggles remain and continue the process until you have a handle on the issues that initially brought you to therapy.

Sometimes, this involves homework of various kinds.

We meet you where you are and customize your work to fit your personalized goals. There is no cookie-cutter process here.

If you want to see change, it will require work from you. We work with you to make this possible and at a pace you can manage.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Gottman
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
• Sand Tray Therapy
• Discernment Counseling
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Along with many other evidence-based therapies depending on need.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Certified by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health as a Clinical Supervisor.

I have received training and practical application with many evidence-based therapy models.

My clinical style is supportive, warm, approachable, humorous, directive, appropriately challenging, and empowering. I have been married through all the ups and downs and have two children, a boy and a girl (now teens), two cats, a dog, and a few plants still alive and thriving.

I earned my BS in Sociology with Minors in Psychology and Religious Studies and a focus on Family and Human Development Studies through Arizona State University, graduating with honors.

I then obtained my Master of Advanced Studies in Marriage and Family Therapy at Arizona State University, graduating with high marks and being recognized as a leader in my class.

Arizona State University’s Master of Advanced Studies in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAS-MFT) program is rising in notoriety due to excellent instruction by past presidents of the Arizona Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and current members of the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Managers.

Dual Relationships & Public: Our relationship is strictly professional. To preserve the relationship, there must be no relationship outside of the counseling relationship (i.e., social, business, or friendship).

I will not acknowledge you if we run into each other in a public setting, as this would jeopardize confidentiality. If you were to acknowledge me, your confidentiality could be at risk.

Social Media: No friend requests on our personal social media outlets (Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) will be accepted by current or former clients. If you choose to comment on our professional social media pages or posts, you do so at your own risk and may breach your confidentiality. We cannot be held liable if someone identifies you as a client.

Posts and information on social media are meant to be educational and should not replace therapy.

Please do not contact me through any social media site or platform. They are not confidential, nor are they monitored, and may become part of your medical record.

Sessions Outside the Office: From time to time, clients like to meet in an alternate location (i.e., their home, in public, or somewhere more conducive for them). We may be able to accommodate this request; however, this can put your confidentiality at risk.