Questions people ask before they book

Mostly talking. The intake forms, fee agreement, and privacy paperwork are sent to you ahead of time, so the 55 minutes go to the conversation.

I ask what brought you in and then listen. You set the pace on what you share; nobody is pushed into the hardest material in the first hour. By the end, you will have my read on what is going on and a plan for what to work on next.

For couples, the first session is the two of you together. I want to hear how each of you sees the pattern, in your own words.

No. The relationship is the client, and nobody gets ganged up on.

If I think one of you is feeding a particular pattern, I will say so plainly, and I will say the same about the other person when it is true. You are both paying for a neutral third person who listens carefully and pushes back on both of you when needed. A therapist who agrees with whoever booked the appointment is no use to either of you.

No. Whether to stay together is your decision, and I will not make it for you. My job is to help you see the pattern you are stuck in clearly enough to decide what comes next, whichever direction that is.

As for too late: most couples book therapy years after the trouble started, so arriving late is the normal case. I cannot promise an outcome, and I will not pretend to. I can promise a straight answer about what I see.

It depends on what you are working on, and I will give you an estimate after the first session or two. Some couples come in for one decision or one recurring fight and finish in a couple of months. Others are working through years of resentment, and that takes longer. Weekly sessions are the usual starting rhythm.

As for whether it works: couples therapy tends to help when both people are willing to look at their own part in the pattern. When one person attends so the other can be fixed, progress stalls. I cannot guarantee a result for any couple, and I would be wary of anyone who does.

Yes. Starting on your own is common, and it is often the better first step. You can change your side of a pattern without your partner in the room, and partners who refused at first sometimes join later once they see that nobody is being blamed.

There is also a practical reason individual work sometimes comes first. One person put it well: couples therapy is like pouring water into vessels, and if someone is a pancake right now, they cannot hold water. If one of you is in the middle of a depression, heavy drinking, or a trauma response, a few individual sessions can make the couples work possible.

No. Most people come in wanting to stop repeating the same conversation, or because home has started to feel like walking on eggshells and they want that to change before it gets worse. Wanting to communicate better, or to feel less like roommates, is enough of a reason. Coming in before things break is easier work than coming in after.

Online only, by video. I see clients online across Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. You need to be physically in one of those states during the session, because that is where I am licensed. A private room and a stable connection are the whole setup.

Yes. I practice independently, not as an associate or intern under supervision.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Nevada (license 6182-C), Utah (license 14232258-3501), and Arizona; a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Nevada (certificate 00409-LC); and a Master Addiction Counselor certified by NAADAC. Master of Social Work, UNLV, 2009. 17 years in practice.

Only if you want one. I do not bring a religious framework into therapy on my own. If your faith is part of how you make decisions and you want it in the room, say so and we will work that way. If you would rather keep it out, it stays out.

Yes. Nothing you say in session is released to anyone without your written permission.

Nevada law requires three exceptions: if you are in imminent danger of suicide or homicide, if I suspect child abuse or neglect, or if I suspect elder abuse or neglect. You will receive the full Statement of Confidentiality with your intake paperwork, and the Notice of Privacy Practices (PDF) is posted here.

Yes, as far as a website can be. This site runs no analytics, no advertising pixels, and no tracking scripts, so your visit is not logged by Google, Meta, or anyone else.

The contact form goes through a standard email service and is not a secure medical channel. Keep clinical details out of it and save them for the session, where they are protected under HIPAA.