Counseling Services

I have very limited availability for individual, family and couple counseling for people of richly diverse backgrounds, especially those with intersectional identities. My work is mostly social justice informed pulling from different theoretical orientations that don't emphasize the dominant cultures.  

People I specialize in work with are:

• AMENA (Arab/ Middle Eastern/ North African) and Muslim minorities
• LGBTQIA+  and people along the expansive gender and sexual spectrum
• Non Euro/ Non Anglo/ immigrants, refugees, and asylees. 
• People experiencing the disenfranchised grief of childlessness

                                   Art by Humans in Bloom

Immigration policies are historically sanctioned racism. 

I provide immigration clinical evaluations for individuals and their attorneys who need to strengthen their case. 

I specialize in working with the LGBTQIA+ immigrant population, human trafficking and  child abuse. I have worked for several years at a Child Advocacy Center providing expert testimony is trafficking and sexual abuse cases and I am trained in the CornerHouse Child forensic interview protocol. 

Evaluations provided are:

• Extreme Hardship Waiver, or cancellation of removal: evaluates the hardship experienced by family members if separated or experience relocation.
• Asylum: evaluation of the psychological impact of trauma experienced that led the individual to flee. 
• VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) cases or Spousal abuse: This applies to people along the whole gender spectrum not only the Female binary. 
• U-Visa: evaluation of psychological effects of serious crime. 
• T-Visa: evaluation of psychological effects of being a victim of human trafficking. 

Assessments can take between 2 to 4 sessions on average. If I am in network with your insurance, you can use your insurance benefits for the interview part of the evaluation. Insurance does not pay for the report writing part. 

Reports are completed and submitted to involved parties within two weeks of evaluation date (subject to full payment)

After over a decade providing clinical services, helping clients navigate the insurance maze and advocating with and for them to address the barriers placed by insurance companies, I went back to school for a doctorate degree in Health Policy. 

There is a misconception that health insurance does not cover mental health, or that such coverage will jeopardize your privacy any differently than how you use your physical health insurance.

The main reason behavioral health providers do not take insurance is because since 2008 Mental Health Parity laws have incrementally improved coverage for consumers, increasing the demand. At the same time reimbursement by insurance has stagnated or decreased. There is also a serious shortage in the country of psychiatrists and therapists.

Thus providers can afford not to take insurance (basic rule of supply and demand). 

Investing an hour or two of your time to pick the right insurance, to understand your benefits, or get assistance with appeals can save you thousands of dollars. 

I believe everyone deserves to live their authentic self and to be fully affirmed in their journey. 

I support the informed consent model of care, but also understand that the healthcare insurance system has its own requirements to cover gender affirming care. 

I have extensive experience navigating the insurance system to decipher and advocate for life saving gender affirming care. I am a member of WPATH and although I have criticisms of the White Anglo masculine of center dominance in the organization, I still follow their latest Standards of Care.  

In conducting the evaluation is not the goal is not meant to be a gatekeeper, but to go through a collaborative process to prepare you physically, emotionally for the procedure. I use the Gender Affirmative Supportive Surgery Evaluation Tool (Gender ASSET), and depending on your research, preparedness, the evaluation takes between 2-4 sessions. 

Face to face evaluations sessions can be covered by your insurance.