Yes! I understand that our work together will often contain sensitive and/or difficult information and earning your trust is of utmost importance to me. I take your privacy very seriously because I know that therapy is most helpful when you feel you can be honest and vulnerable in sessions.

Additionally, as a psychologist, I am bound by a Code of Ethics which I also take very seriously. Furthermore, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) created national standards to protect individuals' personal health information, including information about therapy and mental health. With that being said, there are a few limits to confidentiality which are listed in the service consent forms and we will discuss in greater detail when we meet.

Lastly, while your privacy is incredibly important to me, I do have a “No Secrets” policy when it comes to couples therapy. This policy is in place in order to keep the therapy space an open and honest one. For example, if one partner discloses they are having an affair, I would invoke the “No Secrets” policy because withholding this information from the other partner would be detrimental to the treatment process.

I am passionate about empowering my clients to discover ways they can live authentically and intentionally. My approach to therapy is one of warmth and curiosity. I aim to nurture therapeutic relationships that are safe, understanding, and genuine. Additionally, therapy can be tough work which is why I also enjoy using humor and self-compassion techniques in order to honor my clients’ challenges and achievements throughout our time together.

I generally work from a feminist and person-centered lens while flexibly incorporating techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) when appropriate. I prioritize collaboration with my clients in order to identify their goals and to ensure that they are getting what they want out of treatment.

The fact that you’re even reading this tells me that your intuition is telling you that therapy may be helpful for you. I’m of the belief that we all need therapy from time to time… Yes, EVEN YOU who has always handled your own problems! And if it makes you feel any better, even us therapists need our own therapy from time to time, because let’s face it, life is freaking hard! I know many of us come from families and cultures where we were taught to handle our own stuff and not to be a “burden” to others. Please know that you are never a burden and we all need a little extra help sometimes.

There is absolutely no shame in seeking help for yourself. In fact, I view starting therapy as one of the most courageous and compassionate things you can do for yourself.

It’s okay to feel nervous! In fact, it’s totally expected that you would feel anxious about starting therapy for the first time! Or maybe you’ve done therapy before but starting with a new therapist can also be anxiety provoking. I totally get it! Even though it can feel scary, sometimes the best things in life can happen when we take a chance and step out of our comfort zone. I would be honored to take that step with you!

The free 15-minute consultation is designed for us to get to know each other and ensure that we will be a good fit to work together! Additionally, the consultation is your chance to ask me whatever questions you may have. My goal is for everyone to get the therapy they want, need, and deserve and this consultation allows you the opportunity to see if I may be able to provide that for you. If we both decide we are a good fit to work together, we can get you scheduled for an intake session at that time.

This first appointment, also known as an intake session, is a chance for me to get to know you and your hopes for therapy even better. First, I will start the session by sharing more about Compassionate Path Psychology’s services and informed consent. The intake session is typically more structured than follow up sessions as it is a comprehensive assessment where I will be gathering information regarding your current functioning, personal history, individual strengths, and familial background. This session is also an opportunity for us to collaborate on what your therapy goals are and to develop a treatment plan aimed at reaching your goals. Once we have completed the intake session we are able to schedule a follow up session at that time.

Yes! While there are some people who may be better suited for in-person therapy, for many people, virtual therapy can be just as helpful as in-person therapy! Virtual therapy has many benefits as it provides greater accessibility to care, allows clients to feel more comfortable in their own space, provides convenience for mental health care, and reduces mental health stigma. As a psychologist, I follow the Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology to ensure that virtual services are provided in a competent and ethical manner.

Some reasons why virtual therapy may not be suited for you could include if you have a serious psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia, if you’re suicidal and have intent to end your life, if you’re experiencing any kind of mental health crisis, or if you feel that in-person services would be more helpful for you. If you’re unsure whether or not virtual services are appropriate for you, we can chat about it during a free consultation.

I offer a free 15-minute consultation in order for us to get to know one another. This consultation allows you to ask me any questions you may have for us to determine if we are a good fit before you pay anything! Once we have determined we are a good fit for treatment, we will start therapy with an intake session.

For in-network clients (who have Aetna or Optum insurance), we will verify your coverage before the intake session. For individual therapy that is out-of-network or private pay, the initial, 60-minute intake session costs $210. Each follow up session is 45-50 minutes and costs $180 per session.

For couples therapy that is out-of-network, the initial, 75-minute intake session costs $230. For 50-minute follow up sessions, the cost is $200 per session. For 75-minute follow up sessions the cost is $230 per session.

For more information on the cost of therapy with Dr. Gabrielle, please check out the Investment page.

Not at all! This is one of the big myths of couples therapy. I am happy to work with couples at any stage of their relationship from newly dating, to newly engaged, to having been together for years and years. Couples at any stage can have therapy needs from communication challenges to life transitions and everything in between.

Another myth of couples therapy is that a couple needs to be on the brink of breaking up or divorce before seeking therapy together. While this may be when some couples decide to seek therapy, it does not have to be true for every couple. In fact, being proactive with couples therapy in your relationship may help you avoid being on the brink of separation altogether.

To learn more about couples and relationship therapy, check out the Services page.

Let’s face it, most of us didn’t like doing homework when we were in school, so why would now be any different? Even the word “homework” can bring up feelings of worry and dread, causing us to procrastinate and avoid. Instead of viewing these practices as homework, I have lovingly named them “soft challenges.”

Soft challenges are designed to get you thinking about and practicing the things you have learned in therapy in your day-to-day life. Although we can do pretty incredible work during our sessions, we will typically be meeting once a week (sometimes a little more or sometimes less) and there are 168 hours in a week… That’s a lot of time in between our sessions! It is not enough to just learn about mental health and gain insights into ourselves. If it was, you could just read all of the books you wanted and everything would be better. Maybe you’ve even tried this yourself with no success. Instead, we need to take actionable steps towards the changes we are looking for.

Together we will collaborate on what soft challenges may be most helpful for you. They are called “soft” challenges because maybe you forget to do them one week, or you’re coming up against a barrier that won’t allow you to do one. That’s okay! There is no shame in not completing a soft challenge, only room for insight and growth.

Because therapy is such a deeply personal and unique experience, it does not have a set timeline for completion. Therapy can be as long (or as short) as you want and need it to be as long as we have treatment goals we are working towards. How long you are in therapy can depend on many factors including your reason(s) for seeking therapy, what your therapy goals are, and your commitment to the therapeutic process. Some people experience the benefits of engaging in the therapy for only a few sessions, while some find the benefits of staying in therapy for months or even years.

As we continue meeting, we will check in on your therapy goals to ensure that therapy is still feeling helpful for you. Weirdly enough, my goal as your therapist is for you to no longer feel that you need me. I know, I know… it sounds weird, but hear me out! My hope is that through our work together, you will gain the insights and tools needed to feel empowered to navigate your life on your own. I never want you to feel dependent upon me as your therapist. Yes, I have knowledge that can be helpful and we can do great work together AND with that work and time, my hope is that you gain the confidence and skills necessary to meet your own needs! How long this will take can vary and we will continue discussing your therapy wants and needs as we meet.

Check us out on our professional social media pages on Instagram and Facebook! While we welcome anyone to follow us, we will not follow, friend, comment, or respond on social media with our clients. This is solely to protect your confidentiality and privacy. Please note that social media does not equal therapy and is not an avenue to contact us for any reason, especially in the case of an emergency.

Additionally, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on my personal social networking sites (Facebook, Instagram, etc). Adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and your respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship. If you have any further questions, please bring them up to me when we meet!