Missing school is often a common concern and understandably so.

First, I want to note that getting effective treatment from the start is likely to lead to less missed school in the long run. Many schools I have worked with are accepting of missing school for healthcare.

While I often schedule a recurring appointment, we can also alternate appointments so that your child is not missing the same class each week.

Schools may offer space on campus for a virtual appointment or a parent may choose to meet from their car in the school parking lot or bring their child home to help reduce time away from school.

Other options include more intensive sessions/frequency during school breaks or parent-only appointments.

For some families, missing time during the school day ends up working better than navigating around after school activities and siblings schedules.

Such a fair question, and I’ll be the first to admit you have options! There are many well-qualified providers in the greater Indianapolis area and with the expansion of telehealth even national providers you can access virtually.

1. In person appointments. For those who are local to the Indy/Greenwood area, meeting in person can be so valuable, especially for children and adolescents. My office provides ample opportunity for exposure practice in that it is private (including the waiting room and bathroom), walk-able to a park, library, and restaurants (for any community based exposures needed), and also offers the opportunity for being outside and changing environment when it’s a better fit.

2. Experience and Specialization. I began my specialization in 2018, and have years of experience working with youth in various capacities prior to that. Admittedly, I thought I knew a lot early in my specialization journey and I continue to be surprised that there is always so much more to learn. Through my experience working with kids, teens, and adults over the years, I continue to be able to support the unique ways OCD and anxiety may present in any given individual. I’ve learned both what works, what doesn’t work, and the importance of flexibility and relationship with the client to help support gains.

3. Options. I consider myself a specialist in treating OCD and anxiety disorders, which does not limit me to a specific treatment approach. For OCD and many anxiety disorders, we nearly always start with some type of CBT and Exposure/Exposure and Response Prevention as treatment. However, some people have tried that already or are not in a place where they are open to trying it. When it is indicated, we can work on your child’s symptoms through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Inference-Based CBT, or parent-only support. I am also well-versed in understanding the nuances between disgust based and fear based OCD, and can adapt treatment as needed to help support sticky themes.

Finding a therapist who is the right fit for your child and family is a daunting task.

First, if you’re reading through my website, nodding your head, and recognizing these experiences inside your home, you’re probably in the right place. We often use the first couple sessions to confirm I have the experience your child or family needs.

Second, there are some co-occurring conditions that I am not trained to support. For example, if there is active drug/alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation and severe self-harm, an active eating disorder (other than some ARFID presentations), or extensive trauma, I would not be able to offer the support needed to help improve those conditions. Depending on the specific circumstances, I may be able to be part of your treatment team - but would not be appropriate as the only provider.

Not always.

You may have wound up here through a therapist referral - someone you have a great relationship with and is supporting your child or your family in many ways. Perhaps, they just aren’t equipped to treat OCD or a specific phobia. Sometimes you may choose to take a break with that provider while you focus on OCD/anxiety treatment and return to them after things improve. Other times, you may choose to continue seeing that provider so that support stays consistent in other areas. On occasion, your current provider may feel you are best served with a full transition of care.

When working with another provider, I ask that we are allowed to communicate and that we each understand our role and focus of treatment. We can all be on your team, we just don’t want to confuse you!

Some children and families walk through my doors, fully understanding where my specialty lies. It is true, that it is what I do best.

However, being a child and adolescent provider, it is unfair to expect no support in common co-occurring areas like depression, general anxiety, social difficulties, family struggles, emotion regulation, and more. We can make time and room in the process to address other things as needed.

On the flip side to that, because I do specialize, it is rare that I would accept a new patient who does not present with difficulties related to OCD, anxiety, or phobias. There are definitely providers out there who would be better equipped to support you.

Of course.

Sometimes children come to therapy and have never had nor needed any school accommodations. They may be at a point where they need some extra support or flexibility with their attendance or work. I am always glad to provide documentation to the school to support your child’s success in the school environment.

If you’re wondering what this may look like, I often refer parents and schools to this website hosted by the International OCD Foundation. We can always personalize recommendations for your child.

While I cannot make a blanket statement as each child is different, here are some things to consider:

• Are the symptoms beginning to interfere with life? Are they adding stress for your child or family?

• Do you feel confident in what you are seeing and able to utilize resources to support your child?

• Would you or your child do better talking with a professional about their experience and learning about ways to approach it?
  

If you are confused by what you are seeing or feel unable to support mild symptoms at home, seeking professional support can be really useful. OCD and anxiety tend to grow quietly until they are big and disruptive. Sometimes what you see on the surface is mild, but children are struggling internally. When everyone can understand what is happening and know ways to respond to it, I believe we can help prevent it from becoming a more severe situation.

By seeking an appointment, you are not agreeing to any set number of sessions and if it is clear the support is not needed at this time, there is no expectation to return.

While I cannot assure you that I will be able to help, I will outline some key things to consider. And I definitely believe there is hope for you guys.

If your child has never seen a specialist or engaged in more than general talk therapy, outpatient therapy is often your starting point. We can jump in with support and we can discuss more intensive appointments (such as 2-3x per week, or having 1 child and 1 parent appointment per week) to help build some momentum, confidence, and hope.

If your child has engaged in specialist care previously, with little to no success, I may be able to offer a different approach or a different type of support. Getting a second opinion may bring to light some missed factors in the previous treatment plan.

There are times when symptoms are so significant that your child may need a higher level of care. While I can offer some intensive sessions and frequency, I cannot replicate the support of a true intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, or residential treatment program. The tricky thing, for OCD specifically, is that all specialist programs are out-of-state.

Depending on your specific needs, I may be a good fit while you are waiting for higher level of care.

For children whose symptoms came on rapidly and severely, it is often worth getting a medical opinion to rule out a medical cause. Some children’s symptoms come by way of PANS/PANDAS and immune triggers.

Sometimes, symptoms appear big and fast to parents; however, when we slow things down and hear the child’s version of events, they have been simmering below the surface for a long time.

This truly can be difficult to tease out; I’d be glad to have a deeper conversation to help support this understanding.

I am often able to offer support and treatment for symptoms that are not better supported with medical care or while awaiting such care when it is indicated.

Long bathroom visits, extensive compulsions, and more can often complicate getting out the door on time. This does not have to mean there is no treatment accessible for you.

The time we have on the schedule is reserved for you and your child, if you will arrive more than 20 minutes late, we may not be able to have a productive session.

While I have a standard cancellation policy, I try to offer as much flexibility as feasible based on where your child is at.

We can discuss what appointment times we may have the most success, which times I may have flexibility to extend the time should you arrive late, and when a back up session could be available.

We are also able to reserve a virtual appointment as a back-up if you could not get out of the door on time, but would be ready at home. In some situations, we may need to revert the child’s session to a parent only session, or begin with parents.

When we are able to reschedule within the same week, I can waive the no show fee.

The short answer is maybe.

While I specialize in treatment of children and teens, there are some circumstances where I am open to working with an adult. These primarily include when there is difficulty finding a provider with availability better suited to support you. I do have experience working with adults with OCD and anxiety.

My experience with phobias lends well to work with adults - are you experiencing ongoing fear around vomiting, bugs, animals, or another specific trigger? Please feel welcome to reach out.

Have you seen multiple specialists or providers and are having a hard time finding someone with whom you click? Perhaps you are looking for walk and talk, easy access to community-based ERP, digust-based OCD work, or need space to work on self-compassion, self-understanding, and want a fresh start with treating your OCD? Feel free to reach out to discuss further.

Does your child have a developmental disability or other lagging skills and you’ve had difficulty finding a specialist open to working with them? Feel free to reach out.

For adults with complex co-occurring conditions, such as PTSD, bi-polar disorder, severe depression, substance dependence, or similar conditions, I would not be able to provide the care you deserve.

I am an out-of-network provider and most sessions are $200.

I offer a reduced fee option for families who may need it.

Please visit the fees page to learn more.

I am not trained or qualified to prescribe medication. For individuals where medication may be part of the treatment plan, I am happy to connect with a medical provider to support your exploration of medication if needed.

When starting treatment, I do not require medication as part of the treatment plan. In circumstances of more severe symptoms, we may discuss if a medication referral is necessary.

Please feel free to reach out to me using the contact form. Use one of the open fields to jot down your questions, or simply reach out to connect and I’d be glad to chat with you via e-mail or phone to make sure your questions are answered.