Telehealth therapy · Anywhere in Florida
Therapy for Serious Mental Illness
A diagnosis can describe something you experience. It does not get to describe everything you are.
- Florida LCSW, license SW27230
- Secure video sessions
- In network with Aetna, Cigna, Medicare, and more
My background
Who I’ve worked with
A big part of my career has been in community mental health and outpatient settings, working with serious and persistent mental illness.
That means people living with schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder, severe depression, co-occurring substance use, complex trauma, and plenty of people whose experience doesn’t fit one neat label.
People with serious mental illness can end up treated like every appointment is a symptom checklist.
I do not think that is particularly useful.
This is where my clinical social work background becomes particularly important.
Symptoms matter, and so does
- Relationships
- Housing
- Sleep
- Getting your medication
- Work
- Loneliness
- Transportation
- Identity
- Something in your life that makes recovery worth it
Voices and paranoia
Nobody’s here to argue with you about reality
If you hear voices, feel paranoid, or hold beliefs other people call unusual, I’m not going to spend our sessions trying to talk you out of them. I’m more interested in questions like these.
That tends not to build much trust.
Instead, we can look at questions such as:
- What’s it like when it happens?
- How much does it upset you?
- When does it get louder or stronger?
- What changes after a few bad nights of sleep?
- Does stress crank it up?
- What makes the day harder to get through?
- What helps you feel a little safer?
- How is it hitting your relationships, school, work, or regular errands?
- Are there ways to respond that make it get in the way less?
Depending on what you want, therapy can include cognitive and behavioral skills, coping strategies for when voices or fears get loud, learning how your condition works, setting recovery goals, family support, and coordinating with your other providers.
For early psychosis specifically, the research backs coordinated specialty care, a team model that combines psychotherapy, medication management, case management, family support, and help with school or work.
A single therapist working solo isn’t meant to stand in for that whole team.
Bipolar disorder is more than mood swings
Bipolar disorder means episodes of depression and of mania or hypomania that are a clear change from how you usually function, like days of little sleep that somehow feel fine.
In therapy, that gets practical. We learn your patterns, spot the early warning signs, keep routines steady, protect your sleep, manage stress, clean up after an episode, work on relationships, and put together a plan for staying stable.
Medication is often a big part of treating bipolar disorder.
I don’t prescribe. I have spent a lot of my career working next to psychiatric providers, though, and with your authorization I can coordinate with yours when it’s useful.
If the depressive episodes are the hardest part, the depression therapy page covers more.
What recovery means
Recovery does not have to mean “never having symptoms again”
Recovery can mean symptoms going into remission. For plenty of people, it looks more like this:
- Fewer trips to the hospital
- Working again
- Going back to school
- Patching up a relationship
- Living more independently
- Drinking or using less
- Sticking with your medication
- Knowing the signs that show up before a crisis
- Getting through a rough patch without losing what you worked hard to build
We build the plan around the goals you pick.
Working with your team
Coordinating your care
Here’s where my background differs from therapists who have only ever worked in traditional private practice.
With your permission, therapy can link up with the rest of your care, so it isn’t one more appointment floating on its own. My part is the therapy. Medication and prescribing stay with your medical providers.
The full rundown, from community mental health to outpatient settings, is under My Experience.
People I’ve worked side by side with
What outpatient therapy can and can’t cover
When outpatient therapy may not be enough
Outpatient therapy over video isn’t the right level of care for every situation, and it’s better to say so up front.
Someone in an acute psychiatric emergency, unable to take care of their basic needs, severely intoxicated or in withdrawal, or facing an immediate safety risk may need crisis services, hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment, residential care, or another higher level of support.
Recognizing that is not failure.
It is matching care to what is actually happening.
If you are thinking about suicide
You are not alone, and help is available right now. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. This website and my phone line are not monitored around the clock.
Before you book
Common questions
A few questions that come up a lot around serious mental illness. More answers live on the FAQ page.
Do you work with people who hear voices?
Yes, as long as outpatient therapy is the right clinical fit.
What we focus on depends on what you’re experiencing and how much it bothers you, what you want to change, and what other treatment and support you already have.
Can you replace my psychiatrist?
No.
No. Medication management is a separate service, and I only do the therapy side.
If you authorize it, I can coordinate with your psychiatric provider so we’re on the same page.
Can therapy help bipolar disorder?
Yes, as one part of a bigger treatment plan. It’s especially useful for learning your patterns, building coping skills and routines, handling stress, working on relationships, and lowering the odds of relapse.
What if I have been hospitalized before?
A psychiatric hospital stay in your past doesn’t automatically rule out outpatient therapy.
What matters is how things are going now and how much support you need at this point.
Ready when you are
You can book directly on my scheduling page, with insurance or paying privately, and add your insurance as you book. If you’d like to check fit first, call 754.400.0824 or send me a message. The Insurance page lists the plans I accept.
What it costs: your plan’s copay or coinsurance if I am in network, 20% after the deductible with Original Medicare, or the private pay rate. See costs
For the curious
Want to nerd out on the research?
None of this reading is required before a first session. If you want to see where the treatment ideas on this page come from, start with these.
- Schizophrenia (opens in a new tab)National Institute of Mental Health
- Bipolar Disorder (opens in a new tab)National Institute of Mental Health
- Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis (RAISE) (opens in a new tab)National Institute of Mental Health
This website is not for emergencies. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.
