Question 1

What kind of therapy do you offer?

Accepted Answer

Willow Creek Counseling offers several intensive and extended service formats designed to meet your unique needs and support meaningful progress:
Gottman Couples Intensives – Structured relationship programs based on John Gottman’s 7 Principles of Making Marriage Work, designed for couples who want to enhance, enrich, or repair their relationship in a focused, concentrated format.
EMDR Intensives – Focused trauma reprocessing sessions for individuals ready to address trauma, PTSD, anxiety, grief, and other distressing experiences more efficiently than the traditional weekly therapy model.
Extended Sessions – 90-minute or 3-hour sessions available for both EMDR processing and relationship skill-building, ideal for clients who want deeper work within a single appointment.
60-Minute Follow-Up Sessions – In addition to intensives, we offer traditional 60-minute therapy appointments for ongoing support. These are typically available for follow-up care after intensives and for long-standing Willow Creek clients. Limited openings may become available periodically as client schedules change or treatment episodes conclude.

Question 2

What is your commitment to your clients?

Accepted Answer

An effective therapist is informed, and updated on evidence-based psychotherapy research, continuously pursue advanced training and receive ongoing consultation with well-trained Gottman clinicians. I offer a limited number of spots in my practice to ensure that each client gets the attention, care, and responsiveness they deserve.  I engage in continuing education in areas of relationship health to provide the most up-to-date interventions and clinical offerings.

Question 3

Do I need to live in Idaho or Oregon to receive care?

Accepted Answer

Yes, clients must be physically located in the State of Idaho or Oregon for all sessions. If you do not live in Idaho or Oregon, we can arrange for you to travel here for in-person treatment, or make arrangements to meet virtually while you are in the state.

Question 4

EMDR Intensives, How does it look?

Accepted Answer

WHERE AND WHEN WILL WE WORK TOGETHER?
I support clients who are physically in Idaho in 3 ways:
Adjunct intensive therapy in collaboration with your primary talk therapist 
o    We’ve all had those moments in therapy where we feel stuck or loop on issues related to negative life experiences. It can be discouraging for both the client and the therapist. Often times, when the primary therapist and client collaborate with an EMDR therapist, this partnership can help move treatment forward.

o    I partner with primary therapists and their clients to target their clients’ specific memories, body sensations, or limiting beliefs with EMDR. By narrowly targeting specific traumatic memories or intrusive material, brief adjunct EMDR can accelerate progress in traditional therapy, help the client and the primary therapist to resolve stuck points, and enrich their ongoing work.

o    Adjunct therapy does not replace or interrupt ongoing therapy; it is supplemental to the primary therapeutic relationship. With adjunct EMDR therapy, clients continue to receive treatment with their primary therapist. Usually adjunct therapy is short term (4-12 extended sessions) and desensitizes single incident trauma or simple phobias that interfere with the client’s therapeutic gains. Treatment is scheduled in an intensive format. The success of treatment is based on clearly defined goals for the EMDR therapist, defined in collaboration with the primary therapist and client.

Personalized      treatment programs for individuals (Intensives)      
90 minute and 3 hours monthly follow ups are available to maintain your gains.

Question 5

Who is a good candidate for an intensive?

Accepted Answer

ntensives are ideal for individuals who:
Feel stuck in their current therapy or want to make faster progress.
Have limited time for weekly therapy due to busy schedules (busy moms, executives, business owners).
Are dealing with a specific trauma or relationship issue they want to address quickly (e.g., recent traumatic events, grief,  affairs, or phobias).
Want to focus on performance enhancement in areas like business, athletics, or relationships.
Are emotionally exhausted and ready for a significant shift now, rather than over months of weekly sessions.

Question 6

How is intensive therapy different for couples?

Accepted Answer

YOUR INTENSIVE INCLUDES:
·         Pre-consultation interview to assess for candidacy including relational distress with couples experiencing severe relationship distress, escalating conflict, presence of emotional or physical abuse; significant emotional or mental health distress.
·       FOR COUPLES  Personalized treatment plan with the Gottman Relationship Checkup:  This online program consists of 480 questions to assess your relationship before the intensive.  This allows you to work on your treatment goals before, during, and after our intensive sessions.  This can provide valuable information to accelerate the treatment process and create targeted interventions to improve your relationship health.
·         A customized treatment program with targeted treatment goals based on the online assessment. Therapy is done in person often for 3 sessions of 3 hours in person.  During the intensive, couples will work together privately on dynamic exercises to enhance their relationship. Each couple will come away with a binder-full of rich resources and significant relationally altering experiences. Each couple will be provided with a workbook and a copy of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage book in addition to 2 card decks to assist in application of skills outside of the intensive.
·         Post-treatment interview to assess and support your adaption to positive changes from treatment.
·         Follow Ups in 90 minute or 3 hour formats to support your adaption to positive changes from treatment. (Not included in packages.

Question 7

What are your fees and Program Packages?

Accepted Answer

Personalized EMDR  treatment (called intensives) are half-day to multi-day programs that include a customized client workbook specific to your goals. Fees are based on your needs and program design, and are communicated ahead of time in accordance with the No Surprises Act.  The fees are listed on the main site and you can also look here for program rates.  All services are quoted in advance and a deposit of 50% is due at the time of scheduling the intensive.

I DO offer FREE 15 minute phone consultations to discuss if we are a good fit for each other and establish rapport.

See the fees and pricing options here

Question 8

Can I use my insurance to pay for therapy?

Accepted Answer

Please know that all intensive work is non-billable and is considered an out of network, specialty service.  By signing this you acknowledge we cannot bill insurance for this specialty out-of-network service and will not work with your insurance plan.  All payments are out-of-pocket and to be paid at the time of service, unless otherwise specified between the provider and the client.  All services for intensive work is non-refundable.  It's best to determine the exact details of your policy ahead of time, including what benefits are available regarding out-of-network providers.  Any cash payments for services are unable to be refunded.

You may be provided a superbill, but this does not mean we agree to audit the records of the program.

Question 9

Are we a good fit?

Accepted Answer

Let's find out. It's important that you feel safe with your therapist. Therapy is your space to do your work. The patients in my practice have this experience with me, and continue to receive treatment as a resource.  Please know that with intensive work, we do need to build rapport and therapeutic alliance, and this is valuable to engage in treatment.   Let's schedule a free consultation to discuss it!

Question 10

What happens after an EMDR Intensive?

Accepted Answer

Aftercare is a critical component of the healing process following EMDR intensives. It helps clients integrate the work done during sessions, maintain progress, and continue their journey toward emotional well-being. Below are specific aftercare plans tailored for clients engaging in 90-minute monthly sessions and 3-hour monthly sessions.   This allows time to continue the therapeutic relationship, with a desire for a longer-term relationship and support from a therapist.

We don't want to waste neuroplasticity and we want to continue to address any past, current or future concerns with these follow ups.  These will be less intense, and and continue to continue integration into daily life.

Frequent questions