Are you someone who does life differently – and wants a therapist who does things differently, too? Mana Therapy Services was made for you.

My practice provides online individual and group therapy that affirms neurodiversity (ADHD and Autism), LGBTQIA2S+ identity, polyamory, kink, sex work, fat body liberation, and chronic illness/disability advocacy. I know that I would personally like to know what I can expect from treatment before I even reach out to a provider.

A brown-skinned Black person with short curly hair smiles toward the camera, holding up two-finger peace signs with both hands. They are wearing a colorful sleeveless sweater, featuring icons like flowers and hearts on alternating blocks of color.
A dark-skinned, young Black person sits in a wheelchair, smiling toward the camera. They are wearing a puffy-sleeved, oversized purple blazer dress with white boots, and they have long, dark curly hair.

So you’re ready to start therapy together but wondering. . . now what?

First and foremost, you must be located in Florida, Maine, Texas, or Washington to see me as your therapist, even though we’ll meet virtually.

If you live in one of those four states, here’s what happens next!

A dark-skinned Black person sits at a kitchen table, using a laptop with a pride flag design across the back. They are wearing glasses, a septum ring, and a green turtleneck. A mug with the equality symbol sits next to them on the table.

Step 1: The (FREE!) Consult

A consultation is entirely free and takes about 10-15 minutes. We can do this over email, phone, or video. This first step gives you a chance to tell me what you want help with and what your schedule is like, so we can see if we might be a good fit for each other. If we aren’t, no worries! I might be able to help you find a therapist you’d fit with better.

If you’re ready to schedule your free consultation, click here! I am only able to offer the first consult for free; if you miss it for any reason, in order to reschedule, I will need to charge you $25 to reduce my unpaid labor.

Step 2: The Paperwork

If you choose to work with me, I’ll send you a link to my Electronic Health Record (EHR) and you’ll fill out a bunch of consent forms. Then, we’ll get your intake appointment set up. This step typically takes folx about 5 to 15 minutes and it is required for treatment. You are always encouraged to ask any questions you have about these documents. I believe in transparency, clear communication, and not engaging in a guessing game. You deserve to understand what you are signing.

A white person with a red wolf cut sits on a couch, looking down at the laptop in their lap. They are wearing glasses and a denim jacket and are framed by throw pillows and a brightly-lit window in the background.

Step 3: The Intake (Your First Session!)

Your very first official appointment is called an intake because we use it to get to know each other before really starting the therapy process. It is awkward to meet a new therapist, and hopefully the consultation helped you feel comfortable about working with me. At the start of the intake appointment, we will go over the consent documents that you signed, the limits to confidentiality, my no-show/late cancel policies, and communication boundaries, and you will be encouraged to ask any questions that you have.

Prior to your intake session, I will send you a psychosocial history form. It’s long (I made as many checklists as possible), so you can tell me your history without a 45 minute time limit, and in your own words. During the intake, we will go over what you’ve written, and I’ll ask clarifying questions. I do it this way, because it reduces the amount of typing I need to do in this pivotal first appointment, allowing me to focus on you, and ask clarifying questions in a way that feels a lot less like an interrogation. If we have time, we will also start working on your treatment plan, where you are in control of what we talk about. Your goals are the only goals that matter.

It is rare, but sometimes, during or after the intake appointment, I, or the both of us, realize that I am not the best therapist for you (either because my education and skills are not aligned with what you are seeking, you need a higher level of support than I am able to provide, or a conflict becomes evident, or other reasons). If this happens, I will be upfront and honest with you about the need to refer you to a different therapist, and I will work with you, to find a therapist who is aligned with your unique needs.

Please know that if you are using health insurance, a formal diagnosis is necessary in order to meet their medical necessity requirements. You can learn more about this requirement on my FAQs page.

Step 4: Treatment and Beyond!

We will meet online either weekly, every other week, or monthly (or even less frequently) depending on how often you want to meet and what we are working on. I am able to offer sessions via video (health insurance requirement), phone, and even live chat to support a variety of communication needs. Phone and chat are not covered by any health insurance, so those must be self-pay only. With live chat, the video must be on to be compliant with State regulations. I offer live chat on an as-needed basis for individuals who are unable to communicate verbally for any reason. I do believe in accessibility and am firmly committed to offering the ability to chat as needed and am a fierce advocate for removing the verbal speaking barrier so more folx can actively engage in therapy. You will also have access to a client portal which includes secure messaging, so you can reach out between sessions as needed. If you require a reply that can’t wait until our next scheduled session, a nominal fee may be assessed to minimize my unpaid labor.

We address issues at your speed. You are the Captain of our journey together, and I’m your Navigator.

Since we’ll be meeting virtually, I like to share a little bit about what you can expect during these regular sessions! I live in the panhandle of Florida with my beautiful huskies, and cats. While I try to keep my pets quiet and off screen, lucky clients may get glimpses of them on camera or be treated to a conversation, as my huskies love to talk at times. I am active in the animal rescue world.

You'll find that I have vivid, wild colored hair and am okay with my weirdness. I am a geek at heart and love to game and read. I bring my authentic self to session and hope you feel safe to do the same.

Two white, fluffy huskies lie on a colorful blanket, looking toward the camera.
A long-hair, brown and black cat with green eyes sits on a red blanket, looking toward the camera. A hand reaches out to pet their head.
This images shows a colorful portrait of Cora's two huskies. Both are painted with bright colors, patterns, and textures, and a small red heart is painted between them. The painting is hung against a white wall.
A short-haired, black-and-white cat with green eyes lies on a fluffy white pillow, looking toward the camera.

Step 5: Discharge or Referral Out

When we reach the end of our journey together, whether because you feel like you’ve met your goals, want to just take a break from therapy, or because you might benefit from a different perspective, we will either discharge you from treatment, or I’ll work with you to find your next therapist!

Does it sound like we might be a good fit? Let’s get started with your free consultation!

Are you looking for a little more info about what makes Mana Therapy Services unique? I value transparency, and I’m happy to share more details about the way I approach my work as a therapist.

  • My sessions follow more of a conversational style, with a flow back and forth. We go where you want to go. Sometimes, we plan what we want to address in our next session – then at the next session, we need to address something else that is more pressing. I love looking for commonalities between our challenges, so even when we are addressing the present moment stressors, we will be learning how this connects to our past. A benefit of being AuDHD means that I can make really weird and unexpected connections and also follow rapidly changing conversation!

  • I encourage clients to reach out between sessions as needed. As someone who engages in therapy myself, I understand what it’s like to get to the therapy session and realize, “Yeah, I have no idea what I wanted to talk about. I know I had something…” If you experience something you want to talk about in therapy, you are absolutely allowed and encouraged to send me a message in the HIPAA secured client portal , and I will make a note. Some reasons clients use messaging include: setting their session agenda (e.g. a situation you experienced that you want to make sure is brought up in your next session), reflections on a recent session, insights you’ve gained, and wins throughout the week.

    If your messages to me require a more substantive reply that takes more than a few minutes for me to compose and that cannot wait until our next scheduled session, we will discuss a reasonable fee for your additional support needs, and that is okay! This will not be paid for or reimbursed by your insurance company, and I will NEVER charge you for this additional support without your full knowledge and consent.

    Messaging cannot be substituted for sessions; they are adjunct support and for non-crisis only.

    Please remember that email cannot be guaranteed to be confidential, and you are encouraged to use the client portal at all times.

    Texting me is allowed, for brief scheduling needs only, such as needing to reschedule or cancel an appointment. I will NOT conduct therapy through text message as it is NOT secure. I will respond to any messages that require a therapeutic response with a message to please resend through the client portal, so your confidentiality is protected.

  • In the most AuDHD way possible, I’m on top of my paperwork. Clients can expect a response within a reasonable amount of time. If you reach out prior to 5PM Central, Monday through Friday, I will often respond the same day. I try not to respond on evenings or weekends because rest is important, too. Occasionally, my working hours vary (or I’m sick, for instance), so I do not guarantee a same day response. If I know that I may be delayed in responding in the way you deserve, I will let you know when you can expect a more thorough reply.

  • Clients are given ample notice when I have a planned absence. However, as someone with chronic illness and being AuDHD, sometimes I’ll need to cancel a session scheduled for later that day. I actively work to model understanding and acknowledging our limits, and that includes understanding and acknowledging my own limits and making adjustments to my day as needed.

    Also yes, about once every few years, I will oversleep. Who has not overslept and missed the beginning of work? This is my job, and I’m not really any different than you.

    I admit my fuck-ups, my mistakes, and my human-ness. If something happens, and I miss a session or I’m late, I will certainly be contacting you and taking accountability.

    In the same way, I assume positive intent regarding my clients and their scheduling changes, too. Because we are all human, we cannot accurately foresee how our day is going to go.

    I work to ensure that my no-show/late cancelation fee policy is equitable. Emergencies can and do happen, and you don’t deserve to be charged for that. If you miss frequently, for whatever reason, I understand. In these instances, my fee for missed appointments is $50, versus full fee, and I consider this a “retention fee” that balances my need to survive in this capitalistic world (and the fact that I showed up to work as expected), while preventing you from being discharged. I will always try to work with you to minimize any barriers that keep you from attending sessions on a regular basis.

  • While I am a therapist, unfortunately I am not a crisis provider. If you are in crisis, I will direct you to utilize the crisis resources within your community. I cannot guarantee that I will be able to respond swiftly enough for your crisis needs.

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