Ready To Get Started?

Our first step is to set up a free phone or video consultation to help you decide if it’s a good fit. To schedule your free consultation , you can:

Call or text me at (512) 763-7002
Email me at info@shifthapppenstherapy.com
Use the form below

All messages, texts, and voicemails will be returned as soon as possible.

I am in the office Monday through Thursday from 11 AM – 7 PM. Messages outside these hours will be responded to during office hours.

During Your Free Consultation

Your consultation is a time for you to ask questions and get to know more about me and how I work with the issues that are leading you to therapy.

Learn More About Me

How I Work with Different Issues

Rates & Insurance Accepted

At this point, we are not starting treatment. Rather, this is your chance to learn more about you to help you decide if it’s a good fit.

What to Ask During Your Consultation

If there are any conditions that must be met in order for us to be a good fit, please ask those questions first!

Examples of deal-breaker questions:

I need a therapist in network with ____ Insurance. Are you in network with ____? ( I am not in network with most insurance companies, but am happy to help you find a therapist who is. Please email me and include your insurance company information if you would like referrals)
I need a specific time slot. Do you have an opening at (specific time/date)?
I need documentation for (specific situation) or may need you to testify in court. Are you able to provide that?
I am interested in (specific treatment technique or modality). Do you provide this?

Other suggested questions

I am interested in working on (specific issue or challenge). Describe to me how you work with this issue.
What type of experience do you have with my issue?
What are your strengths as a therapist?
How can I get the most out of therapy?
What are your office policies? Cancellation and attendance policy?

You are welcome to ask me any questions that are important to you.

End of Your Free Consultation: Determining the Next Best Step

At the end of your consultation, we will discuss scheduling your initial counseling session.

If, after the consultation, either of us feel I’m not the right fit for you, I will happily give you referrals to other helping professionals who may be better suited to help with your particular challenges.

Before Your First Session

Once we schedule your initial session, I will send you a link to fill out the intake paperwork online beforehand. I ask that you complete this paperwork 24 hours in advance of your first session, so I have time to review it.

Beginning Treatment: Your First Session

Your first session is 55 minutes long. We use this time to go into detail about your challenges and identify a plan for helping. I like to let you share what’s important to you and ask questions to make sure I’m understanding fully. I also ask you what’s most important for you to work on (where you want to start). If there’s anything that feels overwhelming to you right now, we talk about techniques for managing that.

At the end of the first session, we will check in about what feels like the best next step for you to take.

Most of the time, this involves scheduling your next appointment and discussing ways to use what you’re learning in therapy in between sessions. We also collaborate to identify your therapeutic goals and discuss how you will know therapy is working.

Occasionally, either you or I may determine it’s not the best fit for my services, or that you need a different level of care. That is OK! I will be happy to give you referrals to other professionals or programs that may work better for you.

How to Get the Most Out of Therapy

Remember the 80/20 rule – In counseling, 80 percent of the benefits for you depend on what you do outside of session. If you practice the tools we talk about outside of session and take small action steps towards your goals every week, you will notice better results.

Let session time be working time – Arriving on time, completing paperwork beforehand, and keeping your billing/insurance information current will help ensure that we can devote your entire session time to helping you feel better.

Decide what you would like to work on before your session – It’s normal for session topics to evolve or shift. However, having a mental outline or bullet points helps make sure we’re working on what’s most important to you.

Take advantage of the confidential, non-judgmental environment – These are two of the big benefits of counseling! Being open and honest helps me help you.

Give constructive feedback – My policy is to lean into criticism. If there’s something I could be doing better, I hope you’ll let me know.