FAQ/Fees
Pain Reprocessing Therapy | Somatic Therapy
Q: Will Mindbody Modalities Really Help Me?
Common Conditions | Most presentations of the following chronic conditions are mindbody generated. And it’s possible to resolve chronic mindbody symptoms, even after years or decades of suffering. (List adapted from Howard Schubiner MD)
✅ Back Pain
✅ Neck Pain
✅ Hip Pain
✅ Shoulder Pain
✅ Knee Pain
✅ Elbow Pain
✅ Pain from Disc Bulges
✅ Pain from Disc Degeneration
✅ Other Musculoskeletal Pain
✅ Sciatica
✅ Neuropathy
✅ Migraine
✅ Irritable Bowel Syndrome
✅ Pelvic Pain
✅ Interstitial Cystitis
✅ Fibromyalgia
✅ Many Eczema and Skin Conditions
✅ Many Arthritic Presentations
✅ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
✅ Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
✅ Long Covid
✅ Depression
✅ Anxiety
✅ Other Medically Unexplained Chronic Pain
There are many mindbody symptoms and conditions. Whether your symptoms are listed or not, please feel free to reach out and ask me about your specific situation. I’ll let you know if I can help.
Q: How Do You Work With Clients in Chronic Pain?
Pain is a danger signal. Chronic pain means a chronic danger signal. So, healing is a process of creating safety in the mindbody system.
For most people, healing chronic pain is an expansive project, a major brain makeover, and a profound life change. Psychotherapy sessions alone typically won’t make this full change for you. You transform your own brain—both inside and outside of session. You’ve probably gotten a solid start with the independent work already. Psychotherapy, however, is an indispensable opportunity to get help with the deeper work. Therapy is an opportunity to get help moving past the defenses you can’t see. It’s an opportunity to start feeling safe with the hard stuff. This is the genuine healing. And that’s why therapy plays a pivotal role in so many sufferers’ recoveries.
There are three parts to healing chronic pain. In therapy, I work with my clients on all three.
1 - The psychological work. Teaching your brain and your nervous system that it's safe to feel physical sensations. We work on understanding, internalizing, and believing the accurate information about pain. There's nothing wrong with you. You can relax inside your body. And you can slowly reengage in activities you thought you had to give up.
2 - The emotional work. Teaching your brain and your nervous system that it's safe to feel your emotions. All of your emotions. Chronic pain is caused by the emotions you don't acknowledge, don't address, don't process, and don't feel. So we're going to feel them—and teach your brain that you can handle it.
3 - Patiently attuning to your true self. Teaching your brain and your nervous system that it's safe to be you. Learn to trust yourself, attune to yourself, align with yourself, and treat yourself with compassion. Feel into the true, unique animal of your body. That is you. Chronic pain is an invitation to learn your deeper truths and to get comfortable with who you really are.
Q: Logistics & Fees
I offer weekly individual psychotherapy. Appointments are scheduled in ongoing slots that repeat each week.
Appointment length: 45-50 minutes
Appointment fee: $250
Location: appointments take place online via telehealth. You can choose any comfortable and private space for your therapy sessions.
Reach out to request a free phone consultation.
Q: How Long Does It Take To Heal Chronic Pain?
We all wish I had a satisfying answer.
In my phone consultations, this is the most frequently asked question. And there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But here’s what I say:
Everyone’s process is different. There’s no clearly predictable timeline. But—give it 3 to 6 months of committed, dedicated, thoughtful work, and we should see a shift. Some people improve significantly in a short time. Others get little glimmers and signs that they’re on the right track.
It may take time, but don’t let that hold you back. I hate to break it to you, but if your chronic pain is TMS, the mindbody connection is the only way forward. Period. The sooner you start, the sooner you recover.
And, you can get your hopes up. Because mindbody medicine works. It’s just a matter of internalizing a sense of safety with 1) the body, 2) the emotions, and 3) the true self.
Q: Can You Fix Me?
Deep breath.
No.
I can’t “fix” you. But you don’t need to be fixed. You need to internalize a sense of safety—or, at least, a sense of “safe enough.” I can help you with that.
I don’t offer a fix. I offer an opportunity. Therapy is an opportunity for you to get in touch with your inner self. Therapy is an opportunity to feel safe exploring and expressing your deeper emotions. Therapy is an opportunity to feel safe getting vulnerable with another person. Therapy is a powerful opportunity to learn to feel safe in this world and to feel safe in your own body. Safety heals the danger signal that causes the chronic pain. That’s why this works.
If you’re ready to walk through this door and take this opportunity, then this is for you. If you’re ready, therapy can be absolutely instrumental in healing your pain.
Q: But I Shouldn’t Spend Money…
Let’s not beat around the bush about the fact that psychotherapy costs money. We can address that head-on. If finances aren’t a concern for you, great. You can skip this section. If spending money triggers anxiety, however, I recommend you read this.
This one’s a two-parter.
Part 1. It’s possible that out-of-pocket therapy is entirely too expensive for you right now. I respect that. That’s okay. You deserve this healing information either way. I, and so many other mindbody practitioners, provide free or very inexpensive educational resources. Listen to my podcast. Check out the Other Resources section at the bottom of this page. There’s so much great content. Feel into it. Find a lower-cost therapist, maybe through your insurance. Synthesize the work you do there with your knowledge of the mindbody connection. All good therapists can help you process your emotions. Whatever happens, you don’t have to be alone. Follow what resonates for you.
And…
Part 2. Your first instinct might be, “I can’t afford this.” But your truth, if we dig deeper, is that you don’t prioritize your inner self. This is very common for TMS patients. You’ll “push” yourself, you’ll “perfect” yourself, you’ll “better” yourself, you’ll certainly make space for others, but you don’t really cater to you. The core of you, the animal of you, your inner child, your deeper needs and desires. I get that, because I used to be like that too. You enter the party through the side door, pull off your rainboots (cuz you walked), avoid the ticketed area (cuz it’s expensive), and side-step your way through life. You wouldn’t allow yourself to be driven up in a comfortable car, walk in through the front door, get the full-price ticket, and just enjoy the party.
And, the funny thing is, you’re actually pretty successful. You have money. Finances aren’t even a serious problem for you. But your money’s in savings or retirement, it’s “diversified” because you’re “good,” and you reach toward the bottom shelf for the cheap deals rather than just allowing yourself to have the things you know you’d really, truly like—right now.
So, what if a part of you, a part deep inside you, needs more?
What if you need to start learning how to treat yourself well… for your own health?
I know it’s hard to believe you deserve to spend good money on you. But that thought process isn’t really about the cost. It’s about you. For me, I never want to be greedy, and I never want to be self-indulgent, but I’ve slowly grown to understand that, yes, I can spend money on some of the things my inner self truly wants. And that feels really good. My body has thanked me for—finally—learning how to honor and take care of myself. It’s been a fundamental part of my pain recovery journey.
So, for you, I’d encourage you to ask yourself, are you worth it? To have a TMS therapist help you? And help you with something that really matters?
And I know. It sucks. Capitalism and *the economy* and worth and the wealth gap and guilt and inequity and “deserving” and… I know.
But you deserve help—for you—when you need it.