TUCSON SOMATIC PSYCHOTHERAPY FAQ

Individual, 55-minute psychotherapy sessions are $180. I maintain a limited number of reduced fee slots from $120 – $170. Please inquire about availability if you believe you may qualify. Currently, all reduced fee slots under $150 are filled. 

My psychotherapy session fees are comparable to specialist psychotherapists in my areas of expertise and level of training, experience, and education. My fee includes time spent completing required paperwork, trainings, and other tasks essential to service provision.

Somatic Coaching for Leaders is billed in 15-minute increments at a rate of $200/hour. 

Please contact me about my fees for organizations and for therapeutic arts services, as they vary depending on the service.

You may check with your insurance company for their rate of reimbursement for out-patient mental health (sometimes called behavioral health) services with an out-of-network provider. You will pay me at the time of service and I will provide you with a monthly superbill through which you can request partial reimbursement from your company.

Please inform me within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment if you are unable to make the session for any reason. Appointments canceled in less than 24 hours will be charged the standard session fee.

Somatic psychotherapy is provided by trained, licensed mental health professionals who have a masters degree in somatic counseling psychology or who have trained extensively, post-masters degree, in a comprehensive psychotherapeutic model such as Body-Mind Psychotherapy or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, which include the psychological and relational dimensions of trauma. While somatic psychotherapies do include highly specialized trauma modalities such as Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, they also include broader sets of embodied and experiential therapies, such as Body-Mind Psychotherapy and Dance/Movement Therapy that address trauma holistically. Somatic psychotherapy is also great for clients who seek therapy for a variety of reasons — not just extreme nervous system dysfunction.

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a specialized treatment that targets trauma, anxiety, and stress disorders. SE directly targets how your nervous system has stored overwhelming events and helps to reduce chronic nervous system dysregulation. Some Somatic Experiencing Practitioners (SEPs) hold a masters degree in a mental health field and a license to practice mental health; some SEPs, however, are not licensed mental health practitioners and have therefore not undergone coursework, testing, internships and extensive client contact hours supervised by someone trained in psychology or mental health. In Arizona and Colorado, the following credentials are examples of licensed mental health practitioners: LPC, LMFT, LCSW, Psy.D., and an MD/psych. Every state has a Board of Behavioral Health (or the equivalent) that provides a comprehensive list of all currently licensed mental health practitioners.

As awareness about the key role of the body in trauma recovery spreads, numerous workshops and trainings in somatic work and trauma work are being offered to anyone regardless of whether or not the “healer” or “practitioner” has a degree in or license to practice psychology, mental health, or counseling. There is no recognized “Trauma Therapy” or “Somatic Therapy” profession or licensure; therefore, such practitioners are not regulated by an accrediting or licensing body and their work is not backed by agreed upon professional standards of care, codes of ethics, or legal accountability. The term “Somatic Psychotherapist” implies that a person has a masters degree in a somatic counseling psychology and a license to practice mental health. It is advisable to verify such claims. In Arizona and Colorado, the following credentials are examples of licensed mental health practitioners: LPC, LMFT, LCSW, Psy.D., and MD/psych. Every state has a Board of Behavioral Health (or the equivalent) that provides a comprehensive list of all currently licensed mental health practitioners.

Trauma-Informed professionals such as counselors, massage therapists, OBGYNs, nurse practitioners, yoga teachers, and many others have engaged in trauma-informed training to ensure that — as they are practicing within their own disciplines — they are not inadvertently creating more harm or barriers to services for trauma survivors. Trauma-informed care, however, is distinct from somatic psychotherapies that provide trauma reprocessing and resolution.

As a somatic psychotherapist and experiential psychotherapist, it’s usually true that the best service I can provide you is in person. There is an energetic component to healing and to human relationships that can only be felt in person, in “3D.” It’s been my experience that this component is essential for some of my clients’ most profound healing work. Experiential therapies such as choreotherapy and sensorimotor psychotherapy require in person sessions.

I offer a limited amount of telehealth sessions, typically when our work together and relationship have been established. We may use telehealth (including the option for phone) when one or the other of us is out-of-town; when one or the other of us may be contagious with a virus, but feel well enough to meet; or, when you relocate to Colorado, New Mexico (where I am also licensed), or to another area of Arizona.

Somatic coaching is available via telehealth, though I encourage in person sessions whenever possible.