Let's name the feeling.

It's the familiar, hot anxiety that floods your system when you have to talk about money. It's the voice in your head that whispers, "Don't ask for help you can't afford," a lesson learned from a lifetime of fighting systems that were never designed for you. It's the bone-deep exhaustion of being the one who holds it all together — the warrior mom fighting the school, the provider, the protector — and realizing that the cost of getting help for yourself feels impossibly out of reach.

In what universe are you supposed to do the brave, vulnerable work of healing when the process of paying for it is a direct trigger for a lifetime of financial trauma?

It's almost impossible to do that. When your body is bracing for a financial threat, the vulnerable work of healing fights an uphill battle against your own survival wiring. The lie is that your financial stress is a personal failing. The truth is that it's a sane response to an insane, unjust system.

The Neuroscience of Financial Safety (Why This Isn't a "Policy," It's an Intervention)

This isn't just our philosophy — the research is explicit: emotional safety is a non-negotiable prerequisite for learning and engagement. If your nervous system is in threat mode, the higher-order brain functions therapeutic work depends on — vulnerability, reflection, insight — get harder to access. Your brain is busy keeping you safe, not doing deep emotional work.

Here's a framework I find useful: in Polyvagal Theory, Stephen Porges describes neuroception — the nervous system's largely subconscious read of whether the environment feels safe, dangerous, or threatening, which can shape your autonomic state (the theory's specifics are still debated, but the lived experience is real). For a nervous system that has learned that financial instability is a constant threat to survival, an unexpected bill isn't just a bill — it's a trigger that shifts your entire autonomic state from safe engagement to fight-or-flight.

You cannot be vulnerable and defended at the same time.

A confusing billing process or the fear of a surprise bill are neuroceptive threats. That's why our transparent pricing is not a "policy." It is a clinical tool designed to create an environment of profound safety. Standard "one-size-fits-all" financial models ignore the very real barriers faced by the roughly 15–20% of people who are neurodivergent. For a nervous system conditioned by trauma to expect a fight, financial transparency is the first and most critical signal of safety.

How The Sliding Scale Works: A No-Shame, No-Judgment Conversation

This is my commitment to making care accessible. It is built on a foundation of trust. For a standard 50-minute therapy session, there are four simple tiers: $50, $75, $100, or $125.

That's it. There are no hoops. No demeaning applications. I will never ask you for proof of income. Forcing you to "prove" your struggle is a power play, and I refuse to participate in it. You Are the Expert on Your Life, and that includes your financial reality. During the free Fit Check, we will have a real, human conversation, and you choose the rate that is sustainable.

How Insurance Works: I Do the Fighting for You

Navigating insurance can feel like a soul-crushing, full-time job. I take it off your plate. We are in-network with several major panels, including Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, TRICARE, VA Community Care, and ChampVA. If you want to use your insurance, I will securely collect your information and personally verify your benefits before you ever commit to a paid session. No surprises.

You've done the hard work of surviving a system that failed you. When you're ready to let me handle the rest: Let's talk →

Part of: Cost & Insurance → | Related: We Don't Need Your Pay Stubs · The Superbill Guide