Frequently Asked Questions

Parking is located directly in front of the office.

Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Hours may vary by provider.

A standard session lasts 60 minutes—53 minutes of face-to-face time and 7 minutes reserved for documentation.

Please call 904-385-3113, and we’ll help you get set up in our system for billing and records before scheduling your first appointment.

Rates are based on your insurance provider and their contracted rates. The self-pay rate is $150 per hour.

Payment is completed after each session. The method of payment depends on whether you are using insurance or self-pay.

Yes. We accept several insurance plans, submit out-of-network paperwork when applicable, and also welcome self-pay clients.

Yes. You may cancel an appointment at any time. Cancellations made with at least 3 days’ notice are free of charge. Cancellations within 24–48 hours incur a 50% fee, and those made within 24 hours are charged the full session rate. Exceptions may be made in cases of emergency.

We offer a free 15–30 minute phone or video consultation to help you get started. During this call, you’ll have the opportunity to speak directly with your therapist, discuss your current concerns, and ask any questions you may have about the therapy process. This conversation also helps us determine whether we’re the right fit for your needs and, if so, allows us to schedule your intake appointment to begin your counseling journey.

10 y/o to seniors.

Your first session will be an intake appointment. Before the intake, you’ll complete your legal paperwork, a personal history form, and several screening assessments. During the intake, we’ll discuss your presenting concerns and gather information about your medical, social, and personal history to better understand your background and the factors that may have led you to seek therapy.

This session also begins our rapport-building process, helping you feel comfortable and supported as you start your counseling journey. It’s an important first step toward establishing trust and creating a safe, collaborative space for the work ahead.

Therapy with us is a collaborative process tailored to your unique needs and goals. Our approach integrates Neuropsychotherapy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), allowing us to address both the brain’s biological processes and your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This framework also draws from multiple evidence-based techniques, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Person-Centered Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Yes, it happens often—and it’s completely normal. Your therapy session is a safe space to express emotions freely. Many clients cry or become emotional as they begin to process difficult experiences or feelings. Some clients even feel scared when they first start to truly feel and understand their emotions and recognize the impact those emotions have on them. While this can be uncomfortable or even overwhelming at first, we’ll help guide you through the process and ensure you feel safe and supported every step of the way.

No, you don’t have to share anything you’re not ready or comfortable talking about. This is your therapy, and you set the pace. Over time, as trust builds, you may feel more comfortable opening up—but that choice is always yours. My role is to create a safe, supportive space where you can share at your own comfort level.

Yes, we offer virtual sessions for all clients. This option provides flexibility and convenience, allowing you to continue therapy even on busy days or while traveling within the state of Florida. Virtual sessions help ensure consistency in your care so you don’t have to pause your progress due to scheduling or location changes.

Many clients can tell by the end of the intake session whether they feel a sense of connection and comfort in working with us. It’s also completely normal to feel unsure or guarded at first, especially if therapy is new or you’ve had difficult experiences in the past. We typically encourage clients to commit to about five sessions before making a decision. This gives time to build trust, establish a rhythm, and see if our style and approach feel like a good fit. If you don’t feel that connection after that time, we’ll gladly help you find another provider who better meets your needs.

Not at all. Going to therapy is actually a sign of strength and self-awareness. It takes courage to recognize when you’re struggling and to take active steps toward healing and growth. Whether you’re coping with a difficult situation or managing a mental health concern, choosing to face it head-on reflects resilience, perseverance, and a genuine commitment to your well-being. Therapy doesn’t replace your strength—it helps you build on it.

When you’re in therapy, you’re entering a safe and confidential space to explore your innermost thoughts and emotions without judgment. Unlike friends or family—who care deeply but often have personal opinions or emotional investments—therapists provide an objective perspective. We’re trained to step outside of bias and help you uncover your truth, not what others think is best for you.

While loved ones may mean well, therapy is designed to help you process experiences at a deeper level. As therapists, we use evidence-based techniques to address the mind–body connection, challenge unhelpful thought patterns, and build insight into your behaviors. Our role is to guide you toward growth and self-awareness so you can take ownership of your choices and create meaningful change.

Through therapy, you can also learn how to access your Wise Mind—the balance between logic and emotion—so you can view situations from multiple perspectives and make decisions grounded in both reason and compassion.

When you come to a session, we’ll start with a brief check-in about how things have been since your last appointment. From there, we may follow up on topics from previous sessions, explore any new challenges or experiences you’d like to discuss, or continue working through your treatment plan and the goals you’ve identified for therapy. Each session is collaborative and focused on helping you gain insight, develop new skills, and make meaningful progress toward your personal growth.

While we are not designated Christian counselors, we honor and respect all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. We are fully equipped to integrate a Christian or other faith-based perspective into therapy if that aligns with your personal beliefs and goals. Our approach is always client-centered, ensuring that your values guide the direction of our work together.

Yes. All of our work together is confidential and protected under HIPAA standards. Your privacy is a top priority, and information shared in therapy will not be disclosed without your written consent, except in specific situations required by law, such as concerns of harm to yourself or others, or cases involving abuse or neglect.

Our clinicians are licensed in the State of Florida and bring a wide range of professional experience to their work. Collectively, our team has years of practice across diverse settings, including inpatient hospitals, community-based programs, school systems, and private practice. This breadth of experience allows us to provide well-rounded, individualized care that meets clients where they are in their journey.

We are neuropsychotherapists, which means we integrate an understanding of the brain, nervous system, and behavior into the therapeutic process. By combining neuroscience, research, and data-driven approaches with a compassionate, narrative style of talk therapy, we help clients gain insight, develop effective coping strategies, and create meaningful, lasting change. This balance of science and connection allows us to tailor treatment to each individual’s unique needs for the best possible outcome.

What we love most about being therapists is building meaningful connections with our clients and witnessing their growth. It’s incredibly rewarding to support individuals as they work through challenges, heal from trauma, and discover their own strength and resilience. Seeing clients move from surviving to truly thriving is one of the greatest privileges of this work.

We are master’s-level clinicians who have completed Florida’s rigorous educational and clinical requirements for licensure. This includes graduate coursework in counseling or psychology, extensive supervised clinical experience, and successful completion of the national licensing examination required by the State of Florida.

No. We are not psychiatrists or medical doctors (MDs or DOs). As master’s-level clinicians, we focus on providing therapy and behavioral support but do not prescribe medication. If medication management is appropriate, we can refer you to trusted prescribing providers we collaborate with throughout Florida.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has completed medical school and can prescribe medication. Psychotherapists, on the other hand, are graduates of specialized master’s-level programs and focus on providing talk therapy and behavioral interventions. While psychotherapists do not prescribe medication, at Aspire we maintain collaborative relationships with several prescribers throughout Florida and can connect you with trusted providers upon request.

Yes. All therapists at Aspire Mental Health Counseling are currently licensed in the State of Florida. In the future, we may welcome post-graduate interns who are in the process of earning licensure under close supervision.

Unlike some other states, Florida requires graduates to complete 2–3 years of supervised clinical experience under a Qualified Supervisor, as well as pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) before becoming fully licensed.

You can rest assured that every provider at Aspire is a highly qualified professional dedicated to offering ethical, evidence-based, and compassionate care.

Yes, I do. Taking notes helps me serve you more effectively. It allows me to review our sessions, track progress, and ensure continuity in our work together. Notes help me remember important details so that each session builds seamlessly on the last.