FAQ
I'M NOT A DANCER; DO I HAVE TO DO DANCE THERAPY?
Contrary to how it sounds, dance and movement therapy isn't therapy for trained dancers; it is an expressive psychotherapy modality. Where traditional therapies focus on talking and verbalization, dance therapy uses creative movement to enhance communication and understanding. Dance therapy believes in the body's wisdom and that anybody with a breathing body is a dancer. That said, I am also very person-centered in my approach to therapy so we will go at your pace regarding the inclusion of this modality in our work together. There are lots of ways to incorporate this somatic work!
WHAT DO ALL THE LETTERS AFTER YOUR NAME MEAN?
I am an MA, LMHCA, and R-DMT. That can absolutely look like a mouthful!
MA - this means that I am a master's level clinician with a Master of Arts degree.
LMHCA - this means that I am a licensed associate mental health counselor in Washington State who works under supervision with a licensed approved supervisor.
R-DMT - this means that I am considered a registered dance and movement therapist with the American Dance Therapy Association. The "registered" part acknowledges my graduate-level specialization and training in dance and movement therapy.
HOW DO I PAY FOR THERAPY?
I am primarily a private-pay clinician, meaning that I do not bill insurance in the majority of my work. I take credit and debit cards, as well as HSA and FSA cards. Please see the Payment Information page for more detailed payment information.
If you have insurance that you would like to use, I can connect you with the intake department at Mindful Therapy Group. Please see below for more information.
WHAT'S ALL THIS ABOUT MINDFUL THERAPY AND INSURANCE?
When I started my practice, I felt that being an ethical therapist meant providing the care that clients deserve, and I believed that insurance often gets in the way of providing you that care. For example, to bill insurance, I am required to provide diagnoses and report certain treatment information. I do still feel that these disclosures, while legal, violate a client's right to privacy. And that while diagnoses can be helpful, diagnosis can carry stigma, and I still believe in working through clients' experiences largely without potentially harmful labels.
However, what has changed over time is my understanding of accessibility. And while I still believe what I do about insurance, it also enhances access to necessary services, like therapy. So to that end, I began a partnership with Mindful Therapy Group and started contracting a portion of my availability through them. As a member of their supervised billing program, I can bill to several mainstream insurance companies. The caveat, though, is that if a client would like to be seen and use insurance, then I can only see them either in-person at a Mindful Therapy Group office location, or virtually, which limits my availability for new clients.
If you're interested in using insurance, please let me know during your initial request for a consult or during our consult call so we can discuss my specific availability for your needs and I can walk you through the next steps of contacting their intake department.
HOW DO I SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT?
Please reach out to me to schedule a consultation so that we can determine whether we will be a good therapeutic fit. The consultation is a phone call and will last about 15-30 minutes. If we both feel like we'd like to proceed with an appointment, I will make it with you over the phone following the consultation, or we can follow up via email.
I THINK I'M READY TO GET STARTED! WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
Great! I'm looking forward to working together. Here's a brief overview of next steps.
You schedule and complete a phone consultation. It will last about 15-30 minutes and is helpful in determining whether we are a good therapeutic fit. Fill out the form on the Contact page to do so!
Then you schedule and attend your initial sessions. We will start with 3 sessions so that I can better understand you and so that you can better assess whether you would like to continue working together. At that point, if we mutually agree to continue, we proceed with the deeper work of therapy.
You can expect to feel challenged. I am an active therapist, which means that I may redirect, shift focus, and ask you to be willing to experiment with me in our sessions together as it becomes appropriate.
You may find yourself feeling deep, complex emotions that you don't often experience. You may find that you have fun, too! Dance therapy is inherently child-like and playful and can connect us with joy, but those same characteristics can also activate some old wounds that have not healed. Any and all emotions are valid in the therapeutic space.