I conceptualize therapy as a form of treatment for mental health difficulties and environmental stressors that is evidence-based, collaborative, and individualized. Talking to someone one-on-one who is empathetic and non-judgmental can be helpful to gain insight on stressors, patterns of thought/emotions/behaviors, goals, coping skills, and the influence of early life experiences on present-day functioning. Therapy differs from simply talking to a friend or loved one because there are more boundaries in place – the hour is 100%, entirely, yours. I am not going to interrupt you, and you are not responsible for managing my emotions in any way. This is also an entirely confidential space, and you can rest assured that I will not repeat the information you share with me.

I offer free 15-minute consultation calls via phone or video prior to committing to a first session or ongoing sessions. I welcome any questions about myself, my background, my approach, or my therapy philosophy in general.

My working hours are 10:00am-6:00pm, Monday through Friday. My latest evening spot (5:00pm-6:00pm) fills up the fastest and is typically unavailable all days of the week. I do not work weekends, or evenings after 6:00pm.

I accept Aetna, Cigna, Evernorth, Optum, and United insurances. My self-pay rate starts at $100/session. All of my sliding-scale and pro-bono spots are currently full.

I only see adult clients, 18 years of age and above. I can also only see clients who are physically located in the state of Pennsylvania.

I use a secure, HIPAA-compliant video portal through our electronic health record software, Simple Practice. If there are any issues with this platform, we can use Google Meet, which is also HIPAA-compliant through the Google Workspace suite. I perform all telehealth sessions from private environments, either in my work-from-home office or in my in-person office space. I am responsible for upholding privacy and confidentiality on my end, and I utilize strategies such as a white noise machine and headphones to ensure this. On your end, you are responsible for maintaining privacy and safety during your sessions. This includes, but is not limited to: holding sessions in a private space (non-public, no family or friends around), not driving during sessions, informing of sessions being held in an area other than your home or typical meeting space, etc.

Sessions typically last 53 minutes. If you are running late or need a shorter session, I can also meet for shorter periods of 30-45 minutes. I do not go above 60 minutes except for certain occasions, such as an initial intake, a crisis, or a surgery letter evaluation.

I typically prefer to meet with clients on a weekly basis, but occasionally decide to do biweekly sessions based on my availability and clients’ needs. For surgery letters, it is typically one to two appointments to assess for the presence of gender dysphoria and gather historical/logistical information needed for the letter.

Typically, there is an intake form that is filled out ahead of time that I will pull information from to clarify and discuss further in the first session. Important things that I try to get an idea of are what is bringing you to therapy at this time, what has been helpful/unhelpful in past treatment, your current presenting concerns, a loose idea of your goals, and anything you want me to know about yourself.

Any cancellation within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time will be considered a late cancellation and accrue a fee equivalent to the full cost of session (this varies depending on insurance, but is typically around $100-110). This fee also applies for no-shows. I will consider it a no-show if 15 minutes have passed since the scheduled meeting time and I have not heard from you. Everyone is allotted one free late cancellation or no-show. I also try not to charge for circumstances beyond one’s control (illness, emergency, etc.) but this will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

I am unable to prescribe medications of any kind. If you are looking for medication management, we can discuss psychiatry resources.

I am always accepting appointments for clients in need of surgery letter assessments. Prior to scheduling an assessment, you should ideally have answers to the following:

• How your gender identity has evolved over time

• How you plan to pay for surgery (insurance coverage? savings?)

• Who your desired surgeon is

• Who will take care of you during recovery

• How cost-of-living expenses will be covered during recovery

• How any mental health conditions are currently treated/controlled

You should also know that in order for surgery to be approved, I am required to provide a documented diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria.

I accept clients of all financial statuses, with no one being turned away for lack of funds.

I follow Pennsylvania state guidelines for licensed professional counselors, as well as the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics. For surgery letters, I follow the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s Standards of Care, 8th edition.

I am available by email or phone if something is needed outside of work hours, though there is no guarantee that I will respond immediately. I may take until the next working day to reply to messages. I do also allow clients to text for scheduling emergencies. I am not a crisis service and therefore are not available to provide mental health support 24/7. If you are in mental health crisis, please utilize your county’s local crisis line, the national 988 lifeline, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

You can email me at fai@sensoryandsensibility.com, or call me at 412-339-0755. You can also submit a form through Psychology Today.