Services & Fees
Individual Psychotherapy
My approach to individual therapy is integrative in that it involves a combination of experiential, existential, and cognitive-behavioral techniques.
I have also been trained in EMDR and have a background in treating trauma (from the time I spent in the Veterans Administration’s (VA) hospital substance abuse treatment program in St. Cloud, MN, the VA Hospital medical psychology program in Minneapolis, MN, the intensive care and burn units at Ramsey Hospital in St. Paul, MN, and the VA Hospital in Bay Pines, Florida (specializing in health psychology and PTSD/trauma treatments).
After assessing your unique needs, listening deeply to your concerns, and learning about your story, we will collaboratively create a treatment plan that utilizes your strengths, acknowledges the mind-body connection, and takes advantage of my expertise and knowledge of evidence-based theories. I believe following these steps can help guide our work together and let us know that we are on the right track.
If you are seeking individual therapy, contact me for more information!
Teletherapy
According to researchers, teletherapy or video therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy. Researchers have also found that video therapy can reach more veterans with PTSD than in-person therapy.
Teletherapy can include a variety of virtual options for meeting with a therapist. At this time, I am only conducting video therapy sessions. This is hosted through a secure client portal via an appointment link that is unique to each session. My goal is to ensure that our teletherapy sessions are as safe as possible. I do this by upholding HIPAA standards, and by using secure, confidential, and encrypted software to protect your vital health information.
Note: To partake in teletherapy, you will need access to the internet, a computer that is equipped with a camera and microphone, and a quiet “safe space” where you can talk freely without disruptions.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
What is CBT-I? Let’s talk!
Studies suggest that cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is more effective for the treatment of insomnia than sleeping pills. Researchers have also found that CBT-I is more effective for treating insomnia in people with depression than antidepressants or sleep medications. In fact, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that physicians refer their patients to a CBT-I class before prescribing them sleep medications for them. My CBT-I class utilizes Dr. Gregg Jacobs’ approach to treating insomnia. Dr. Jacobs developed CBT-I while teaching at Harvard Medical School.
So, let’s get to the nitty-gritty!
The goal of CBT-I is to identify and acknowledge negative or distressing thoughts and behaviors that promote healthy and unhealthy sleep habits. Thus, my online insomnia-focused CBT-I therapy class helps you better understand and take control of your sleep quality. More specifically, it allows us to work together to develop a customized treatment plan for you, based on CBT-I research, so you can sleep more soundly at night.
My online CBT-I class also teaches you how to safely and effectively identify what is preventing you from getting sound sleep, strengthen your natural sleep systems, regulate your circadian rhythms (internal time clock), and utilize healthier sleep strategies. During your first visit, we will review your sleep, personal, and medical histories, and start you on a path toward better quality sleep.
Okay, so who is this class designed for?
This class is designed for anyone who is having a hard time falling and staying asleep.
(Hint: No one is immune from having sleep issues).
Listed below are people who are potentially good candidates for my online CBT-I class:
• People who have a hard time falling asleep
(i.e., racing thoughts, stress, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, emotional distress, drug use, etc.)
• People who have a hard time staying asleep
(i.e., frequent middle-of-the-night wakeups)
• People who wake up way too early in the mornings
• People whose sleep medications are losing their effects
• People who cannot use sleep medications because of the side effects
Sounds great! How do I sign-up?
If you have any questions, register below or send me your questions here.
I can’t wait to meet you!
References
- Wagner, B., Horn, A. B., & Maercker, A. (2014). Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 152-154, 113–121. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.032
- Acierno, R., Knapp, R., Tuerk, P., Gilmore, A. K., Lejuez, C., Ruggiero, K., Muzzy, W., Egede, L., Hernandez-Tejada, M. A., & Foa, E. B. (2017). A non-inferiority trial of prolonged exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder: In-person versus home-based telehealth. Behavior Research and Therapy, 89, 57–65. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.11.009
- Rossman J. (2019). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia: An effective and underutilized treatment for insomnia. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 13(6), 544–547. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827619867677
- Carney, C. E., Edinger, J. D., Kuchibhatla, M., Lachowski, A. M., Bogouslavsky, O., Krystal, A. D., & Shapiro, C. M. (2017). Cognitive-behavioral insomnia therapy for those with insomnia and depression: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Sleep, 40(4), zsx019. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsx019
Claudia is a compassionate, empathetic, and experienced therapist who believes in the potential of her clients. She has a wonderful quality of presence that can support you in feeling safe and ready to do the work of counseling. I highly recommend Claudia!