What types of clients do you work with?

I love working with adult clients (18+) of all genders and sexualities. I work with individuals and couples at this time. My ideal client is wanting relief from anxiety, depression, low self esteem, insecurities, shame and guilt, trust issues, sex related concerns or anxieties, or emotionally wounding relationship experiences. I am LGBTQIA+ and Kink friendly. While I specialize in Sex Therapy, you do not need to have any sex related concerns to see me.

In what states are you currently accepting clients?

I am currently accepting clients in Colorado only at this time. Even though I am located in Denver, I am able to work with clients across the whole state of Colorado.

What does a typical session look like?

I start all sessions with a check-in from the past week or two: how has life been impacting your mental health, and how has mental health been impacting your life? Sometimes this takes the whole session since life can be a lot! But for those days when there isn’t much to talk about, we will dive into a “mental health unit” to learn more about yourself and your symptoms, and to learn strategies to support your mental health.

What are “mental health units?”

I really enjoy making therapy an engaging and educational experience for my clients, and so I created “mental health units” which are collections of guided discussions and activities around a variety of mental health topics. We will spend time working through these guided discussions and activities in session together. Some examples of “mental health unit” topics include:

• Attachment + Relationship Health

• Cognitive Distortions/Common Negative Thinking Patterns

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skills and Concepts

• Core Beliefs (and how they impact our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors)

• Self Compassion

• I also have several Sex Therapy specific activities around the topics of the 6 Principles of Sexual Health (consent, non-exploitation, honesty, shared values, sexual safety, and pleasure!)

How are you different from other therapists?

Most therapists have zero professional training in sex or sexuality. My post master’s certificate in Sex Therapy prepared me to be more knowledgeable and more comfortable than most other therapists when it comes to working with sex related concerns, and sexually marginalized populations. While sex related concerns aren’t always a part of why clients come to see me for therapy, sex often comes up in one way or another since sex is a significant part of human life. It’s important that your therapist has updated training in sex and sexuality so they won’t do damage by clinging to outdated sex myths or sex negative pop psychology concepts, projecting their own insecurities or fears onto you, or judging you for your sexual interests/experiences. I am a safe place for people to discuss their sexual experiences or concerns, explore their authentic sexual selves, let go of sex related shame or guilt, or to simply be a person who is part of a sexually stigmatized community who wants to know their therapist is knowledgeable, part of their community, and/or supportive of their identities and experiences.

Also, my “mental health units” that I mentioned above are quite unique, and most clients LOVE the guidance and education those activities and discussions bring to sessions. Plus, these units make it so we are never just sitting in silence waiting for you to come up with something to talk about…we will always have something to do that feels worthwhile.

Another way I’m unique is that I love working later in the day! I make sure to have around half of my sessions occur from 4-8pm in order to accommodate those who need therapy later in the day. Email me to find out my current availability.

Why did you name your practice “Night Light Therapy?”

It started out in a very basic way: I knew I always wanted to offer evening sessions for clients, and so I really wanted to hint at that in my practice name. I thought of “Night Light Therapy” and “Evening Light Therapy,” but I really started resonating with the idea of a ‘night-light.” A night-light is such a compassionate thing: a night-light’s role is to provide light amongst the darkness and comfort the people around it. It also warmly validates the feelings and fears of people who feel safer with a light on, and offers the support and safety required to rest, recharge, and relax. Those concepts really reflect my approach as a therapist, and so I hope that as my client you will consider me your “mental health night-light.”

Also, while I was out photographing some landscapes one night, I realized that there was a cool metaphor that also tied to ‘night light.’ Night photography is all about pointing your camera at something that is dark at first…something that you can’t really see yet because there isn’t enough light to make out the details….but then you take a long exposure to see what is actually there, and the long exposure reveals a moonlit or starlit landscape that is bright, detailed, and full of beauty! I feel like this was a cool parallel/metaphor to therapy: somebody comes to therapy feeling dark, anxious, trapped, hopeless, angry, insecure, etc, and slowly over time we brighten the “landscape” of their mental health: bringing to light the detail of it all, validating and witnessing things that may have been hiding or out of sight, and discovering the beauty behind the darkness.

How Long does a typical client stay in therapy, and how frequently does a client usually meet with you?

Typically I see clients weekly or every-other week. But, if it feels appropriate, I am also open to meeting with clients twice a week or monthly instead. In my experience, clients are typically in therapy for 2-5 years or so, but it really varies greatly depending on the client and their mental health needs- there is no true right or wrong around how long therapy will take!

Does Sex Therapy include physical touch or nudity?

No, Sex Therapy does not include physical touch or nudity. Sex Therapy is a form of talk therapy: using our words to discuss sex related topics. It is unethical for me to touch or engage sexually with a client, even after we stop working together in therapy. While we need to maintain physical boundaries, clients should feel free to talk explicitly, directly, and openly to me about anything sex related- give me the deets, I want to hear them all!

Are There any types of sex therapy clients that feel out of your scope of practice?

Yes. If a client has recently sexual assaulted/abused/r*ped another person, they are out of my scope of practice and would instead benefit from seeing a therapist who specializes in “Out of Control Sexual Behaviors.” Here is a directory with other Sex Therapists, Counselors, and Educators that may be more equipped than I am in this area: https://www.aasect.org/referral-directory

Also, while I do work with clients who have C-PTSD/attachment trauma/unhealthy relationship histories, if a client is coming to therapy to recover from a specific traumatic sexual assault experience, I recommend that they first complete EMDR with an EMDR specialist before coming to see me. Here is a directory with EMDR certified therapists who can better support you before you work with me: https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/

Another population that feels somewhat out of my scope of practice is people who are seeking sex therapy and want to deeply incorporate their religion into their sexuality, or strictly follow their religion’s rules and expectations. While I can support with this in some ways, I don’t have enough knowledge in specific religions to guide clients through this in detail, and so clients may instead benefit from a therapist who has more of a religious background, or even a clergy member who has completed updated sexual health trainings. Here is a directory with other Sex Therapists, Counselors, and Educators that may be more equipped than I am in this area: https://www.aasect.org/referral-directory

Do you do teletherapy only, or do you have an in-person office?

I do teletherapy only. I have found that teletherapy is effective and convenient for both myself and my clients, and so my practice is completely built around teletherapy at this time.

on what days are therapy sessions available, and during what times of the day do you offer sessions?

Night Light Therapy is open Monday-Thursday, with slots available from 11am to 8pm. I’m technically open on Fridays for a few hours mid-day, but I leave that for administrative work and occasional make-up sessions.

What is your cancellation policy?

Clients are required to cancel sessions with me at least 48 hours before the start of session. If you cancel with less than 48 hours notice or if you do not show up for session by 15 minutes after the hour, you will be billed a late cancel fee (which is not covered by insurance). My current late cancel fee is $80 for those who use insurance to cover our sessions. If you are not using insurance to pay for sessions and instead pay for sessions out of pocket, then the late cancel fee is the full rate of the session you missed or had to cancel. If you need to cancel a session with less than 48 hours notice but you are able to reschedule the session to another open slot I have available on another day, then I won’t charge the late cancel fee. And of course, if you are experiencing a medical emergency at the time of session, you will not be billed a late cancel fee.

How CAn I Contact you?

Online scheduling is available on my Contact page. I offer free 15 minute consultations for potential clients, but you can also just book a full intake session if you would like to skip that! If you have any questions for me, feel free to send me an email by filling out the form on my Contact page

Once you are my client, I offer HIPAA compliant texting through the Spruce app, and prefer to communicate that way outside of session. I also offer clients HIPAA compliant portal messaging, and HIPAA compliant email. I do not prefer to talk phone to phone, and will not answer unscheduled phone calls. I also am not on call outside of sessions or available for crisis support, so communication outside of sessions will only be kept to topics such as scheduling, quick questions, and sharing of resources. I don’t offer “text therapy,” but, you can always send my a text to see if I have a last minute opening over the next day or two if you are needing to talk before our next scheduled session.