FAQ

My office is located at the following address:

208 N 29th St. Suite 214

Billings, MT 59101

There is metered street parking along N 29th and 2nd Ave, both of which have enterances to the building.

You have already taken the first step! (Air high five!)

Reaching out – checking out therapists’ websites – is a significant first step. Congrats to you!

Whatever you’re dealing with, you’re one tiny step toward getting the guidance and support you have been hoping for! *phew* That was a lot.

If checking out my website is all the strength you have in you for today, that’s okay! Even a small step in the right direction is better than a step backward.

However, if you think you still have a little energy left, please click the Contact button to set up an appointment. If not, bookmark this page, make a cup of tea, and celebrate in the knowledge of your win!

My office is – cozy. It’s not expansive, but I try to make it as comfortable as possible.

Also, I occasionally bring my rescue dog, Nugget (a Yorkie/poo mix), but his nickname is Chicken Nugget because he’s scared of people.

He’ll spend the session sleeping and trying not to make eye contact. I like to think he could be a therapy dog, but mostly it’s therapy for him – to learn that not all people are mean scary.

IMO, some of the most challenging therapy clients are those who just stare at me while waiting for me to read their minds and “fix” things. Nugget is one of those clients.

I have a 24-hour cancellation policy.

If you don’t cancel your appointment, you’ll leave me sitting all alone, sad and depressed, wondering if I should call the local ERs to check for your name – or I’ll worry this is your way of breaking up with me. At that point, I will put on sad-break-up 80’s music and pick through our last conversation word-by-word to see if I can find out where it all went wrong.

Either way, if you don’t cancel your appointment and don’t attend at your scheduled time, you will be charged for the full session. (This fee will go toward covering time with my therapist to sort out the feelings I mentioned above.)

Yes! I’m so glad you asked! I offer a free, in-person consultation because our relationship is a crucial element of successful therapy. If that relationship isn’t healthy and comfortable, the rest of our work is even more challenging.

Think of it as a free test drive! You wouldn’t buy a car without test driving it, would you? (Okay, perhaps you would, in this time of Internet-everything – but we’d also then discuss your impulsive choices and where that instinct comes from.)

Yes. To clarify, I am very nice, and I don’t generally make people cry – but people coming to therapy often have big emotions about the situations they are going through. My therapy office is a “safe space” (and if that term causes you to bristle, we can talk about that, too!).

Um. We don’t usually have time for “everything” in a 50-minute session – but you can tell me whatever you need/want to!

And, technically, you don’t have to tell me anything.

If you want to spend the time playing Uno or Mancala, that’s cool with me! (I will however charge you regardless. Don’t judge; it’s just capitalism, man!)

During the initial evaluation or the course of therapy, remembering unpleasant events, feelings, or thoughts may result in your experiencing considerable discomfort, powerful emotions, anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc.

I may challenge some of your assumptions and perceptions – or propose different ways of thinking about or handling situations that may cause you to feel upset, angry, or disappointed.

Attempting to resolve issues that brought you into therapy may cause changes we might not initially have intended. Psychotherapy may cause decisions to change behaviors, employment, substance use, schooling, housing, or relationships. Change can sometimes be quick and easy, but it can often be gradual and even frustrating.

However, the benefits of therapy usually outweigh the negatives. Treatment can bring you a new understanding of yourself and your patterns of behavior. It can guide you to make different, more positive decisions in your life.

If you’re reading this webpage right now, something in your life has probably not gone the way you hoped or working out the way you imagined. Therapy can help you look into those issues in different ways and guide you in resolving them.

Yes! Due to the pandemic, I offer telehealth sessions.

Unfortunately, I am unable to offer phone sessions.

Yes. I believe we all need help at some time or another dealing with the stuff life throws at us.

As much as we love and trust our partners/parents/best friend/hairdresser, it’s sometimes helpful to look at the situation from a different perspective.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Theatre. Then I realized that degree sounds fancy, but it didn’t really mean anything that could help me make a living.

After about a decade of working low-end customer service jobs, I was encouraged by my therapist to go back to school for my master’s degree.

I cannot speak to this issue, as I have not yet perfected mascara that doesn’t make my eyelashes appear clumped together like spider legs.

I suppose, if you prefer to wear makeup, waterproof seems like a viable option – except that we live in Montana, where it rarely rains, so it seems a bit unnecessary.

If you are asking whether I’ll make you cry during the sessions – well, I try not to make anybody cry, but sometimes the emotional issues that brought you to therapy can feel overwhelming – and cause tears.

And that’s totally okay.

Ya know how sometimes you feel better after a good, blubbering cry? That’s called “catharsis” – meaning purification by purging – getting your emotions out.

Tissue preference is a personal choice, and possibly, like money and religion, should not be discussed in public.

Nevertheless, I also realize that raw, sensitive emotions can make our noses feel that way, too. I try to have my office stocked with either Kleenex Ultra Soft or Puffs Plus.