SYLVAN PSYCHOLOGICAL
Psychotherapy in Ann Arbor, MI 48104
& Online across 41 states
SERVICES
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
I provide individual psychotherapy for adults. Sessions are 45 or 55 minutes and typically occur weekly or every other week.
If you are a new client, I offer a free, 15-minute phone consultation to determine whether I will be a good fit for your needs.
All new clients first attend a 60-minute intake assessment. The purpose of this session is to gather all of the background info that will be helpful for working with you and to figure out some goals to work towards in therapy.
Online Therapy
I also can provide online telehealth (video) sessions using a HIPAA-secure platform in 41 states.*
Online sessions are ideal for those that have a private location where they can attend their sessions, a generally stable internet connection, and either a desktop PC or the browser on their smart phone to access the online sessions.
*Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Colombia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming | See PSYPACT map of participating states
Policies
Insurance
I currently accept: Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO and Blue Care Network plans.
You are responsible for verifying your insurance benefits prior to making an appointment with me. You are responsible for paying any copays, coinsurance, and/or deductibles. If your insurance plan does not cover a particular service, you will be financially responsible for paying my fee. Some questions to ask your insurance company:
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Do I have behavioral health insurance benefits?
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Do I need preauthorization before attending psychotherapy?
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Are CPT codes 90791, 90834, and 90837covered?
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Do I have a deductible or out of pocket (OOP) to meet? If yes, how much?
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Do I have a copay or coinsurance? If yes, how much?
For those with other insurances that I am not in-network with, I also accept people wanting to use their Out of Network benefits. Not all insurance plans offer Out of Network benefits, and you are responsible for confirming your Out of Network benefits prior to working with me so that you can make sure the session cost will be within your budget. I will charge you my full session fee at the time of service and provide you with a superbill receipt, which you are then responsible for submitting to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Private Pay
For private pay, your payment is expected at the end of your session.
Insurance vs. Private Pay
For many, insurance is a more affordable way to cover the costs of therapy. However, there are some advantages to opting for private pay. First, any diagnoses and treatment records are kept off of your insurance record. All proceedings in therapy are kept confidential. Secondly, a diagnosis is required to use insurance benefits. In the situation where no diagnosis is present but therapy is desired, private pay can offer a different option. Finally, when you opt for private pay, there is no insurance to limit sessions or mandate certain treatments. The length of treatment and the implementation of that treatment is left up to my professional discretion as a psychologist.
Appointment Availability
I am available for appointments Mon-Fri, 9AM-3PM EST, by appointment only. Typically people have the same time slot blocked out from week to week, so the availability of new appointments will be dependent on that.
Assessment for Gender-Affirming Medical Care
Are you seeking a psychological evaluation to receive your gender-affirming medical care? The newest World Professional Association for Transgender Health's Standards of Care no longer recommends that medical care providers require letters from therapists. However, if such evaluations and letters are being required by your medical provider or insurance, I will follow the WPATH guidelines to help ensure a smooth process to getting your evaluation letter accepted and the care you need as quickly as possible.
What to expect
1. ) Call me for a free, 15-minute consultation so that I can confirm that I can provide the service you are looking for. You are welcome to ask any questions about me or the process you may have.
2.) Attend a 1-hour session with me that's called a "bio-psycho-social" assessment. I'll be asking you questions about your psychological, physical, and social background and will review your transition process. I know this might sound intimidating and invasive, but it provides important information that I will need in order to write your letter.
3.) I complete letters to support your gender-affirming medical care within a week. To keep the process transparent, I will show you a copy of the letter for your approval before sending it along to its final destination.
4.) Past the assessment, there is no requirement to continue seeing me for therapy. If I think therapy may benefit you or be helpful in your transition process, I may recommend attending therapy. However, there is no requirement to do therapy with me and I'd be happy to provide referrals if you are interested.
Speaking Engagements
I offer psychoeducational talks, customized to fit your group's needs on a variety of topics including managing stress and anxiety, growing your identity as an ally to LGBTQ+ communities, and moving towards an anti-racist identity. If you are interested in a topic not listed here, please don't hesitate to reach out to see if I can help create a custom presentation for you.
Taming Your Anxiety
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Learn what anxiety does for us and how it can become too much.
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Learn skills for reducing difficult anxiety.
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Learn mindfulness skills for calming stress and anxiety.
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Handouts and other materials are provided.
Taming Your Emotions
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Learn about the not-so-secret language of emotions and what your mind is trying to communicate with you.
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Learn skills for understanding and managing tough emotions.
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Learn mindfulness skills for regulating overwhelming emotions.
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Handouts and other materials are provided.
Upgrade Your Relationships! How to Make Better Boundaries and Use Smart Communication
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Gain awareness of common pitfalls we make in our relationships.
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Learn about the three basic asks in relationships and how to prioritize your needs.
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Learn practical skills for setting healthy boundaries
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Gain skills in assertive communication and getting what you want out of your relationships.
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Handouts and other materials are provided.
LGBTQ+ Ally Development
I offer a series of workshop trainings on LGTBQ+ ally development. Several options are available to meet the needs of your group.
An Overview of LGBTQ+ Allyship (3 hours)
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Raises awareness of why allyship is so important and big issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community.
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Provides education about basic terms and concepts important for understanding sexual orientation and gender identity.
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Training of skills needed to be an effective ally.
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Integrates various media into the presentation including videos and memes.
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Includes interactive group activities.
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Handouts and other materials are provided.
Getting Started: A Brief Overview of LGBTQ+ Allyship (1 hour)
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Provides a very brief overview of LGBTQ+ issues and allyship.
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Integrates various media into the presentation including videos and memes.
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Handouts and other materials are provided.
Ally Training to the LGBQ+ Community (2 hours)
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This presentation takes a deeper dive into sexual orientation issues and being a heterosexual ally.
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Raises awareness of why allyship is so important and big issues impacting the LGBQ+ community.
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Provides education about basic terms and concepts important for understanding sexual orientation.
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Exploration of heterosexual privilege and how to work with one's own defensiveness.
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Promotion of skills needed to be an effective ally.
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Integrates various media into the presentation including videos and memes.
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Includes interactive group activities.
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Handouts and other materials are provided.
Ally Training to the Trans Community (2 hours)
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This presentation takes a deeper dive into gender identity issues and being a cisgender ally.
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Raises awareness of why allyship is so important and big issues impacting the trans & gender diverse community.
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Provides education about basic terms and concepts important for understanding gender identity.
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Exploration of cisgender privilege and how to work with one's own defensiveness.
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Promotion of skills needed to be an effective ally.
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Integrates various media into the presentation including videos and memes.
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Includes interactive group activities.
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Handouts and other materials are provided.
CLINICAL SUPERVISION
I provide individual clinical supervision for TLLP's, DLLP's, and LLP's. I take a developmental approach to supervision, meaning that my approach is tailored to where you are developmentally as a clinician. My theoretical orientation is integrative, with foundations in Emotion-Focused Therapy and psychodynamic approaches. I regularly use DBT and CBT in my therapeutic work. I work with the adult population, particularly young adults and college students. Although I have been trained as a generalist, I have the most experience working with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and trauma. Additionally, I also have experience with LD/ADHD testing and career counseling and assessment.
If it sounds like I might be a good fit for your supervisory needs, please contact me for more information.