FAQ

Clients have told me that both offices are very warm, private, and comforting.

My Pearland office is in a restored charming house with “Fixer Upper” style décor.

My Houston office is in a high rise but has a private back office waiting room with beautiful views of Upper Kirby and the Med Center skyline. I love watching storms travel across the horizon from an 8-story window!

Our first session lasts anywhere from 75 – 90 minutes. I have a tendency to not rush people out of my office.

Therapy sessions thereafter are about 50 minutes, but plan on an hour.

I love this question so much. It is tethered to so much tension and anxiety about seeking therapy, and I can relate to that!

Generally, I answer this question with this: “Longer than you want but less than you fear.”

First and foremost: no pressure. I won’t be trying to “sell” you on therapy. Basically, you might hear me complain about the “thin ideal” culture we live in and how much I wish we were all diet-culture dropouts.

But then I will ask about YOU. What made you finally decide that NOW was the time to reach out? What isn’t working for you? What dreams for yourself have you forgotten you once had?

The call will take about 15 minutes, and then you can decide if you want to come in for an appointment.

I have a wait-list, so it would mean a lot to those waiting folks needing help to get in sooner.

So, if you know you won’t be able to make our scheduled appointment, I ask for 24 hours’ notice to avoid a late-cancellation fee.

Of course, emergencies happen, and I do understand that! Everyone is able to miss one appointment without being charged.

Because I don’t believe they have your best interests at heart. To them, you are a premium payment.  That’s a little harsh, but there is some truth to it. I am accountable to YOU and our work may not fit the preordained guidelines someone in an office somewhere has deemed appropriate care. For example, it might not cover our therapy that includes walks outside or eating together using all of your 5 senses.

Additionally, I value your privacy, and often insurance plans require session details in order to make payments. Plus, the administrative burden is excessive and would take my time away from doing what I love… which is helping YOU.

When you arrive, you will check in with the really friendly front staff. They’ll collect your initial paperwork or provide you with the paperwork to work on before I come and get you. They will also collect payment. 

When we sit down in my office, I’ll review your paperwork and together we will start the process of getting to know each other. I’m typically full of questions and love to hear my clients’ stories and concerns that led them to me. I’ll answer all questions you have about the therapy process and together we will establish workable goals that are important to you.

Well, by coming in you are already showing your grit and determination to persevere in uncharted territory.

There is no judgment in my office, and I strive to make our time together your safe place. I really want you to feel that within those four walls you can be real. You can be honest with yourself and with me about all the parts of yourself you have felt you need to keep hidden. 

Honest connection with each other is the foundation toward you being able to re-invent yourself and be better than you were before the eating disorder took hold.

This is a great question and speaks to the larger diet culture judgment we all are subject to! Body size doesn’t tell the whole story, does it? Body image isn’t just about the size of one’s body. 

What we believe and feel about ourselves is what binds us together in this battle to be free from our disordered eating. If you have ever attended an Overeaters Anonymous meeting, you will see obese people, skinny people, “normal sized” people (whatever that means)… older people and younger people sitting around the table.

We’re all in this together and need to support our souls, not our body size. Think about it. What do you love about your best friend? Your parent? Your spouse? I bet you didn’t answer by saying, “I love how much they weigh.”

I’m glad you asked that! Wait, actually I asked that by putting it on this FAQ page. 

Well, truth be told, I was tempted NOT to put this here because of how this topic is sometimes viewed as triggering. So, the quick answer is: “No, I don’t get preachy.” I don’t shove religion on anyone. I don’t go there if my clients don’t want to. 

Personally, my faith has helped me through many trials in life. If my clients are curious about spirituality or the Bible and want to talk about how it relates to their life, I am able to do so and will be very sensitive and appropriate about it. I don’t get on a soapbox, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers. Twelve-step programs often use Higher Power, and that is also fine with me.

I do not have professional training as a Christian counselor, so I want to make that very clear up front. But I do believe in the mind-body-soul connection as fundamental to healing from an eating disorder. So, if you are not comfortable with God, I am comfortable with whatever language that suits you.

Another good question. First of all, we don’t just “wing it.” This is a therapy program that has its roots in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Psychodynamics, and more. 

We address values, identity, body image, nutrition/fitness, coping skills, core issues, holistic self-care, and relapse prevention. I am able to sit with you and hold your space for healing. I’ve been told I’m very laid back with a calming presence. I take that as a pretty nice compliment. 

We also do interesting fun work together (like eating with all 5 senses) – not just “hard hitting” emotional work. We might do walk-and-talk therapy, weather permitting. Treatment is tailored to each client’s unique strengths and personality style. YOU have a voice in the room and in your journey to recovery.

Well, I think it helps to see that I am human, too. I have credentials and experience with treating eating disorders in humans, but, sadly, I have failed at helping my dog battle her own food obsessions. She is a sweetheart, though.

Yes. It really is! What I find odd is that I’ve kept it all these years. It is almost as if I knew at the time it was crazy behavior… and that somewhere down the road it would be useful for others to see and connect with me through it.