Individual Therapy
One-on-one, 50-minute sessions for adults working through panic disorder, trauma, and related concerns — at a pace that respects your nervous system and your life.
What does individual therapy look like here?
Individual therapy is the primary format I use — one therapist, one client, sessions built around what you are actually dealing with. There is no group dynamic to navigate, no shared agenda. The pace, the focus, and the approach are calibrated to you specifically.
Sessions are 50 minutes and typically weekly, especially early in treatment when consistency matters most. Frequency can adjust over time as things stabilize and you build more capacity between sessions.
Where sessions take place
Sessions are available via a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform. Telehealth works well for the structured, skills-based work I do — and for many clients, it removes a logistical barrier that would otherwise make getting started harder. I work with adults in California and Colorado.
What does a typical session involve?
That depends on where we are in treatment, but most sessions involve a combination of:
Check-in and tracking
A brief review of what happened since we last met — what was hard, what shifted, what you noticed. This keeps sessions connected to your actual life rather than abstract.
Structured skill work
Depending on where we are: building your understanding of the panic cycle, working through a trauma processing phase, or practicing exposure work in session.
Problem-solving and planning
Looking at specific situations that came up, figuring out what got in the way, and preparing for what's ahead — not just reflecting on the past.
Between-session work
Most meaningful change happens outside the session. We'll discuss what to do between now and next time — not homework for its own sake, but things that will actually move the work forward.
What happens in a first session?
The first session is an intake — a focused conversation to understand your history, what brought you in now, and what you're hoping to change. I'll ask about your experience with panic or trauma, how long it's been going on, what you've tried before, and what matters most to you about getting better.
By the end of the first session, you should have a clearer sense of what we'd be working on and how. I'll share my clinical read on what's going on and what approach I think makes sense. If something doesn't fit or you have questions about direction, that's the right time to raise them.
I don't do an extended assessment phase before any real work begins. If the issue is clear and the fit is good, we start working on it.
How the work is structured over time
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Assessment and orientation
First one to three sessions: getting a clear picture of what's going on, establishing goals, and making sure we're working on the right thing. For panic, this includes a detailed look at the full panic cycle. For trauma, it includes understanding your history and readiness for processing work.
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Active treatment
The core of the work — structured, progressive, and specific to your situation. This might be CBT and exposure work for panic, EMDR processing for trauma, or a combination. Most of the substantive change happens here.
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Stabilization and skill building
As the acute work begins to take hold, we shift toward consolidating what's changed, handling setbacks without catastrophizing them, and building confidence in your own capacity to manage going forward.
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Tapering and closure
Reducing frequency as things stabilize. The goal is to make therapy unnecessary over time — not to maintain a dependent relationship. I'll be direct about when I think we're there.
What areas does individual therapy here focus on?
My practice is focused on three areas. Individual therapy is the delivery format — these are the clinical concerns we work on within it:
Panic Attacks & Panic Disorder →
Recurring panic attacks, fear of future panic, driving anxiety, avoidance, and the narrowing that builds up around it.
Trauma & EMDR →
Unresolved trauma from specific events — accidents, violence, workplace incidents, loss — processed with EMDR or trauma-focused CBT.
Workers’ Comp Counseling →
Behavioral health support for Colorado workers’ compensation cases involving injury, trauma, and return-to-work adjustment.
Who is individual therapy a good fit for?
Individual therapy in this practice works well for adults who:
- Are dealing with panic attacks, panic disorder, or significant anxiety organized around panic
- Have unresolved trauma from specific events and are ready — or getting ready — to process it
- Want structured, practical work rather than indefinite, open-ended therapy
- Prefer working one-on-one rather than in a group setting
- Are based in California or Colorado
I work with adults 25 and older. If you're not sure whether your situation is a good fit, the free consultation call is the right place to find out.
Common questions
Individual therapy FAQ.
How long do sessions last and how often do we meet?
Sessions are 50 minutes. Most clients start with weekly sessions — especially in the early and active phases of treatment when consistency matters most. Frequency can adjust to every other week as things stabilize, and we'll reduce further as we move toward closure. I'll be direct about what frequency I think makes sense for what you're dealing with.
Do you offer in-person sessions?
Sessions are conducted via telehealth using a HIPAA-compliant video platform. For the structured, skills-based work I do — CBT for panic, EMDR for trauma — telehealth is clinically effective, and it removes the commute and scheduling friction that can make getting started harder. If you have questions about how telehealth works for trauma processing in particular, that’s worth discussing in the consultation call.
How long will therapy take?
It depends on what we’re working on and how long it’s been going on. Adults with panic disorder often see meaningful improvement within 12–20 sessions of structured CBT. Trauma work varies more — it depends on the nature of the trauma, whether there are layers that need to be addressed, and how the processing goes. I will give you an honest picture of what I think is realistic after the first few sessions.
What’s the difference between individual therapy and the Panic Recovery Group?
Individual therapy is one-on-one and can be tailored entirely to your specific history, timeline, and clinical presentation. The Panic Recovery Group is a structured, curriculum-based group for adults working through panic disorder — it follows a set curriculum and has a group component that some people find useful. Individual therapy is generally the better fit when there are significant co-occurring issues (like trauma alongside panic), when you need a highly individualized pace, or when you simply prefer working one-on-one.
Do you take insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider. I can provide a superbill after each session, which many clients use to seek partial reimbursement from their insurance plan if they have out-of-network benefits. I’d encourage you to check with your insurance about your out-of-network mental health coverage before we begin.
What states do you work with?
I am licensed as an LCSW in California and Colorado, and sessions are available to adults in both states. Workers’ compensation counseling is available only for Colorado cases.
What if I’m not sure whether my situation is a good fit?
The free 15-minute consultation is the right place to figure that out. You can describe what’s going on, ask questions about how I work, and I’ll give you an honest read on whether this seems like a fit — and if not, I’ll try to point you somewhere useful.
Areas of focus.
These specialty pages go deeper on what we’d actually be working on.
Get started
Ready to start working on this rather than around it?
A free 15-minute consultation is a low-stakes way to talk through what’s going on and whether this seems like the right fit.