Your privacy is of my utmost concern. Your identity remains confidential from the time you make that first call, text or email. I keep everything confidential unless I have your written consent for release.

There are 3 exceptions to confidentiality:

• You are a harm to yourself or someone else

• Disclosure of child or elder abuse

• My records are subpoenaed in a court of law

There are people in and out of the building for classes and other services, so most people will not even realize the reason for your visit. Other co-workers recognize the sensitive nature of counseling and uphold your confidentiality should they discover you are coming for counseling. I do not speak with family members or friends about my clients. In the event that I see you in public, I will not approach you or come speak to you in order to protect your privacy. However, you are free to approach or speak to me at any time. Even in this day and age where counseling is more wide-spread and accepted, I respect my clients' wishes and allow them to navigate the situation as they deem appropriate.

A standard session is 45-50 minutes. This time is recommended for adults, adolescents, and children at least 9 years old. First sessions are usually one full hour. I recommend 30 minute sessions for children 5-8 years of age. 90 minutes is the recommendation for first marital counseling sessions.

30 min: $40

45 min: $80

60 min: $90

75 min: $100

90 min: $110

I accept cash, check, and credit card. Insurance is not accepted at this time.

To offset the fact that I do not accept insurance, and because I do not want finances to be a hindrance to counseling, I offer a sliding scale upon request. Reduced rates are offered if your total household annual income is less than $70,000. Depending on the income bracket in which you fall, rates will range from $30-$80 for a standard session.

I seek to make each session & counseling journey unique for each client. I will help you formulate therapeutic goals. I offer tools, exercises, and worksheets to use as an aid, but ultimately, you can decide what works best for you.

• Do you need coping skills for anxiety, depression, behavioral issues or other mental health concerns?

• Could you stand to learn some conflict resolution or communication skills to improve relationships?

• Would parenting information help in connecting with your children?

• Do you need help processing emotions or trauma?

The sky's the limit! I want to be an extra person to add to your support system and help coach & cheer you on in life. If a client is ready, I love exploring the root causes of problematic thoughts and emotions.

I use a holistic approach to counseling. The mind, body & spirit are interwoven & influence each other. I am a Christian and love using faith-based counseling when that aligns to my clients' goals.

During the first session, we will go over completed intake paperwork & get to know each other. My goal for the first session is for you to get acclimated to my office, the counseling process & leave feeling better than when you arrived. I want to get a good grasp on how I can help you & we will start setting therapeutic goals. It's normal to be somewhat nervous during your first session! I seek to make you feel at ease and desire counseling to be a positive experience.

Ultimately, that is up to you! Time and budget can often be realistic constraints. While I offer session lengths ranging from 30 minutes-90 minutes, typically the first session is one hour. Subsequent sessions are 45-50 minutes. Children 8 and under usually only need 30 minute sessions. I recommend that clients come back within 2 weeks of their first session to get the ball rolling. After that point, most clients schedule every week or biweekly sessions. If not in crisis mode, one session every 3-4 weeks works. Some clients need a little help with a short-term issue. In that case, 2-3 sessions are sufficient. Most issues can be addressed in around 6-8 sessions. However, many people find the value in long-term counseling and continue coming long after that point. For one reason or another, if you can't come back in a timely manner, that's ok! There's no shame in coming back months or years later. The original timing may not be right, or you may discover that you are not ready to address matters like you initially thought.

I counsel children 5 years old and older, adolescents, adults, engaged & married couples, and families. I specialize in marriage and family. I love working with diverse clientele. I have experience counseling a broad range of issues including, but not limited to depression and other mood disorders, abuse, anxiety disorders, ADHD and other behavioral disorders, divorce, eating disorders, family conflict, grief, life transitions, women's issues such as pregnancy & postpartum, relationship issues, self-worth, stress, spirituality and trauma.

You and your feelings are welcome in my office. No matter how you feel, just come! Any resistant feelings or preconceived notions about therapy often change after the first couple of sessions. The process will definitely be expedited based on how open, willing & committed to the process one is. However, it is still beneficial for uncommunicative individuals to come. I believe there's something to learn for everyone.

Depending on a child's age and the magnitude of the issue at hand, as a parent I would require their best effort to give it a fair shot. You could make a deal with your child, such as "Give it 3 sessions, and if you don't want to go back, then you don't have to." You can help your child by having them talk to another person who has gone through counseling. Please let children and adolescents know that I incorporate fun games and activities in sessions.

In marital therapy, it's ideal if both parties are willing to be in session. If one person has a hard time talking, the other spouse can be the spokesperson. Giving a spouse or partner an ultimatum or saving counseling as a last resort is not usually the best idea. If a spouse is not willing to come to counseling, there is hope! One partner working on the marriage is still 50% of the marriage. One person can make a huge impact!

I meet with couples in a joint session. We establish goals & main areas of concern within their relationship. I also include games & exercises, so the entire counseling session isn't focused on problems. We can work on communication, active listening, and conflict resolution techniques. At times, I may recommend meeting with each partner separately if each person is agreeable. In that case, we normally split a session in half to meet with each person individually & this is typically a onetime occurrence. For marital and premarital sessions, I recommend using SYMBIS inventory. I am a SYMBIS trained facilitator. It highlights relationship aspects and common areas of conflict such as communication styles, spending habits, etc. I also offer assessments from the world-renowned marital guru, John Gottman from the Gottman Institute. Some of these assessments are an additional fee, while others are at no cost.

Short & sweet is best! You may take & pick from some of the following information.

• A counselor is someone who helps people. They ask questions, listen, and help people understand and learn ways to deal with their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

• Counselors provide a safe space, free of judgement to help people feel seen, heard & feel better. In sessions, you will talk, play games, play with toys, have fun with art therapy & even non-traditional methods (for example, outside throwing a football with parental consent).

• Counselors keep what you say in private unless you plan to hurt yourself or someone else, or someone else has hurt you.

• You are not in trouble when you come. Counselors are for everyone! Everyone can improve their lives in some way. It is not simply for people going through big problems.

Please never tell a child they are coming to counseling because they are "bad or being bad."

I am a counselor that is a Christian. I gave my life to Christ as a child and rededicated my life to Him as an adult. I believe Jesus Christ is God's son. He lived a perfect life & was sent by His Heavenly Father to die in my place to restore relationship to him due to my sin, which separates me from His holy presence. I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ. I have the Holy Spirit within me and will be with Him in heaven after I die. I believe the Bible is God's inspired word. I spend time daily with God in prayer and Bible study. We are involved in a local church. My favorite Bible verses are Lamentations 3:23, Romans 8:37-39, Psalm 40:1-3. My core values and worldview align with what Scripture teaches in the Bible. I view God as the ultimate authority. I do respect others' beliefs and will not impose my beliefs on others. I have counseled clients of different faiths. If it aligns with my client's goals, I enjoy using a faith-based approach in which we can incorporate scripture and end with prayer.

I first felt called to counseling as a student in Jr. High School. My friends often flocked to me for advice & I often became the mediator when friends were having conflict. I loved getting to help people and loved the role of the peace maker. I have a natural ability to easily see both sides of an issue. God nurtured this desire, and I knew when I graduated from high school that I wanted to pursue psychology, with dreams of becoming a counselor one day. After obtaining my undergraduate degree in psychology, I began my graduate studies in counseling psychology. I worked as a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in two separate private practices beginning in 2009. At one of these positions I was a contract worker for the Children's Advocacy Center where I counseled victims of abuse. After staying at home full time for 8 years with my 3 children, I began counseling again.

Bright Hope Counseling was established in 2021. The name comes from my favorite hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness.' One verse says, "Strength for today and BRIGHT HOPE for tomorrow." A client unintentionally created the logo while painting in art therapy. When asked to paint something that makes her feel peaceful, she created this bold, bright, unique sunset that eventually became the logo. Each aspect of the logo is symbolic.

I try to eliminate the likelihood of not being a good fit before you arrive for your first session. I offer a free 15 minute consultation to give you basic information, answer any questions you may have & gather the information I need to ensure I can help meet your needs. Even with these proactive measures in place, there is a possibility along the way that we discover we're not the best fit. That usually happens within the first couple of sessions. In that rare instance, I will help you find another counselor. No hard feelings! I truly want you to get the help needed & want counseling to be a positive experience.

No, I do not accept any insurance at this time. I can provide a superbill that lists session dates for POSSIBLE reimbursement. The client is responsible for checking with their insurance provider and filing all paperwork.

During summer, as interest is warranted, I offer group counseling sessions targeted to children, teens, parents, and adults alike. Topics are based on interest level and need in the community. Each group counseling time period is usually around 8 sessions, at a discounted rate for a flat fee. It's more affordable than individual therapy & offers group support, normalizing common experiences and emotions.

In the initial phone consultation the parent/guardian will explain why they are seeking counseling for their child. During the first session I speak with parents/guardians privately for the first few minutes to hear their concerns & desired outcomes for their child. Then the child, parents/guardians & I are together to discuss confidentiality so we're all on the same page as to what is shared and what is not. In order to provide a safe space to develop trust and rapport, I do not share with parents/guardians what their child says in session. I may give general updates or let the parents/guardians know specific coping skills that were taught. The child can share with their parents/guardians as much or little as they desire. I welcome updates and input from the parents/guardians through emails, voicemails and texts. Additionally, I reserve the first 10-15 minutes at the beginning of each session as optional time for parents/guardians to use if they desire. Then the parents/guardians may wait in the waiting room for the remainder of the session time or parents/guardians are welcome to leave and pick up their child at the end of the session if they prefer. After the first session, parents/guardians are not required to be the ones bringing their child to sessions.

Outside of our session time, I encourage communication via voicemails, emails or texts with my clients. I look forward to hearing updates from my clients. I understand that in special circumstances additional support is needed that sometimes cannot wait until your next scheduled visit, therefore I allow up to 15-minute conversations to current clients at no charge. I'm glad to offer a listening ear or a quick pep talk. However, anything beyond that time constraint will need to be discussed during a scheduled session. Please realize I do have family & other obligations and am not always available after hours on demand. I am willing and glad to help when possible. If there is an emergency, please call 911, visit your nearest emergency room, or call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988.