Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your office located?
I offer both in-person and telehealth sessions.
For in-person sessions, From the Ashes Counseling is located at the following address:
6209 Oleander DriveSuite 204Wilmington, NC 28403
The office building sits directly between Wrightsville Beach Brewery and Saltworks, directly across Oleander Drive from the New Hanover County Arboretum. To get to my office, there is a door with a small overhang on the right side of the building, facing Saltworks. You can enter there, and the stairs will take you directly to the waiting area.
Alternatively, you may enter through the front of the building through the main doors, but you’ll have to walk all the way back through the building, to the end of the hall, take the stairs to the top, then walk back to the front of the upstairs waiting area. I am in Suite 204.
If we’re meeting online, we can meet in any quiet, private, comfortable space in North Carolina.
Where do I park?
Is your office disability accessible?
What are your office hours?
My office hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 8:30 am – 6:00 pm.
I schedule evening sessions and Monday/Friday appointments on a case-by-case basis. If this is something you require, please reach out so we can discuss it further.
How long is a typical session?
How do I get started?
Do you accept insurance?
Can you help me file my insurance?
How do I make an appointment?
What is your cancellation policy?
I require a 48-hour notice for cancellation. This advanced notice enables me to plan other activities or meet with others in need.
I charge a $75 fee for late cancellations and a full fee for no-shows.
What is the free initial consultation?
A consultation call helps me learn more about you, your problems, and where you want to go. It is time also to learn more about my therapy and communication style to ensure they’re a good fit for you.
The initial consultation call should take only 15 to 20 minutes and can be conducted by phone or telehealth. If telehealth is preferred, I will need your name, phone number, and email address so I can send you a consent form. You should then receive a link sent to your email box that will be used for the initial consultation appointment.
Do you work with people from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions?
What can I expect in the first session?
If we have our initial consultation and we both agree we are a good fit, I will invite you to schedule five follow-up appointments.
That first appointment together typically dives into the reasons why you are seeking therapy (e.g., traumatic experiences, changes in your life, family stressors, career stressors, or how your body has been coping and managing pain).
We will also complete treatment goals and determine the next steps on your therapeutic journey. Some of the next steps could include connecting with a primary care physician, OB/GYN, or medication provider to invite them into your team of support.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma.
EMDR therapy uses a technique called bilateral stimulation to activate opposite sides of the brain. Therapists often use eye movements to facilitate bilateral stimulation. These eye movements mimic the period of sleep referred to as rapid eye movement or REM sleep, and this portion of sleep is frequently considered to be the time when the mind processes the recent events in the person’s life.
I often use the example of a filing cabinet, and the memories and images of the past are the different papers found within the filing cabinet. Before EMDR, the papers within the filing cabinet are everywhere: they are sticking out of the filing cabinet, they are not in the right spot… there are even on the ground or stashed in a “to be filed” folder on your desk.
Like magic, EMDR’s bilateral stimulation stores those papers where they belong in the filing cabinet. Once complete, you might occasionally think about the papers in the filing cabinet, but you won’t have the stress of how disorganized and out-of-place they were before.
I use EMDR to help with:
- Panic attacks
- Complicated Grief
- Pain Disorders
- Stress Reduction
- Sexual or physical abuse
- Pregnancy loss
- Infertility
- Chronic Pain
- Secondary Trauma
I also have special training to assist with recent traumatic events (e.g., school shootings or natural disasters).
Can you tell me more about Sandtray Therapy?
I have been trained in Sandtray Therapy for Perinatal Mental Health through Open Hear Counseling of Austin.
In the profound journey of clinical therapy, I’ve discovered the transformative power of interventions that engage not just the mind but also the body and soul. Among these, Sandtray Therapy stands out as a unique and deeply effective technique for adults.
Yes, that’s right: FOR ADULTS!
This approach transcends traditional talk therapy, inviting clients into a tactile experience that fosters movement, creativity, and introspection. By sculpting their inner world in the sand, individuals can uncover and address deep-seated emotions, conflicts, and obstacles, facilitating a holistic healing process.
I use Sandtray to help process:
- Pregnancy Loss
- Grief and Trauma
- Sexual Assault
- Infertility
- Motherhood/Fatherhood Journey
- Couples Therapy (including infertility) (also mother-daughter, mother-son, father-daughter, and father-son relationships
Have you been in therapy yourself?
Do you prescribe medications?
Are you licensed?
Do you take notes?
Do I have to lie on a couch?
Sure, if you would like. We can also sit on the floor.
Feel free to take your shoes off! Being comfortable is of utmost importance.
Am I allowed to ask personal questions?
Of course. If there is a question that I am unable to answer due to my code of ethics, then I will not answer.
What is therapy like with you?
I am warm, compassionate, and authentic.
As someone who identifies as neurodivergent, you might notice my use of silence and pauses while I fully absorb and process what is being shared with me. Silence and pauses are valuable tools for holding space, particularly in working with trauma, grief, and loss.
Do I have to tell you everything?
Not at all. I will often advise clients to pace themselves at the beginning when we’re getting to know one another and they’re getting used to the therapeutic space.
Let’s first focus on the intake, where we can go through a snapshot of your background and create treatment goals.
In the second and third sessions, we will continue to build rapport so that when it comes time to talk about trauma history, the comfort level will be there. I will follow your pace.
How do you work with clients?
FAQ for Children and Teens
Why would I see a therapist?
To talk about things that are bothering you… like friends, relationships, parents, or school.
A therapist can help you work through a problem that you don’t want to talk with parents or friends about.
Therapy also helps you understand yourself!
What kind of things can I talk about with my therapist?
Whatever!