FAQ
Where are you located?
I offer telehealth sessions for clients living in the state of New York and Florida.
What are your hours?
How long are sessions?
Do you take insurance?
Yes, I am in-network with United Healthcare, Oxford, Aetna, and Oscar.
For all other insurance plans, I am an out-of-network provider. Please contact your insurance provider to verify your benefits directly. We will provide a “Superbill” for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
To find out about your benefits, you may find the following questions helpful:
Does my plan include out-of-network benefits for mental health services, and, if so, what is the coverage amount per session?
What is my deductible and has it been met?
How many sessions does my insurance cover in a year?
Do I need approval from my primary care physician?
How do I set up an initial appointment?
Contacting me is easy!
You can fill out the Contact form, email me at petra@abundancecounselingcenter.com, or call me at (914) 888-6413.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you need to cancel or reschedule your session, you need to do so with at least 24 hours’ notice. Otherwise, you may be charged the full session fee.
If you need to miss a session due to an emergency (death of a loved one, for instance), we will work it out on an individual basis.
With what age range do you work?
I work with adults, ages 18-65.
With whom do you work?
I see individuals, and most of my clients are female.
But, please, don’t be shy: I welcome everyone in my practice regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or cultural background.
What do you actually do with clients in sessions?
The first couple of sessions are called “intake” sessions. These are primarily focused on getting to know you better, understanding what brings you to therapy, and setting goals for our work together.
After that, the sessions are all about digging in deeper, learning new skills, working toward your goals, and providing support.
Do your clients receive assignments between sessions?
It depends on the goals we set up and the nature of your symptoms/issues.
When it comes to learning better ways to manage anxiety or recovering from an eating disorder/disordered eating, I often assign homework.
Meeting for 45 minutes each week is a short amount of time. To make progress, you’ll need to work toward your goals outside of therapy sessions as well. Homework is a great tool to help guide you between our sessions.
With that said, it is always up to you how much time and effort you put into it. I definitely won’t bite your head off if you don’t do it.
What modalities do you use in your work?
I have done most of my training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
I believe that each client is unique, so approaches that may work well for one client may not do anything for another. So, I tailor my approach to the individual, and I’ll use the approach that works best for you.
Remember: You are the expert on you! We are a team collaborating on helping you reach your goals, reduce symptoms, and increase your fulfillment and happiness in life.
What is your professional training and experience?
I am a licensed mental health counselor, and I’ve been treating clients in various outpatient and private practice settings since 2013.
I did my graduate studies at Pace University. I have completed significant post-graduate training programs, including CBT for Eating Disorders, DBT training, and a 10-month fertility counseling training program.
What else do I need to know to make the most of working with you?
For therapy to be truly effective, I believe we have to be willing to be honest and vulnerable. Change and growth are hard work, and it takes courage to face the things we want to change.
My therapeutic style is very active, direct, and honest… with a healthy dose of humor and lots of warmth and support sprinkled in. So, if you are someone who appreciates those qualities, we will work really well together!
Can you fully recover from an eating disorder?
Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible, and it is the ultimate goal of treatment.
However, recovery includes both restored physical health and the elimination of disordered behaviors. To truly recover, you will have to find new ways to navigate life and manage difficult emotions and situations.
What we will figure out together is how you can create such a full and exciting life for yourself without needing to turn to disordered behaviors to support you.
Do you incorporate intuitive eating or “Health at Every Size”?
Yes, I use both in my approach.
Many of my clients don’t look like the “typical” person with an eating disorder (e.g., thin, white, and privileged). True recovery is not possible without accepting our genetic profile and working within our body’s natural healthy weight range.
In my approach, the emphasis is on building lifelong, sustainable, healthy habits around eating, body image, exercise, and general well-being. It is those habits that will help your body settle at its healthy weight. Sometimes that means weight gain; other times, that means weight loss or maintenance.
Can you connect me with other providers?
I have collaborated with a lot of different providers in the area (e.g., psychiatrists, medical doctors, nutritionists, and treatment centers). I can refer you to them for a higher level of care if it’s needed.
Who would NOT be a good fit to work with you?
Dogs or cats?
Both! I know… I am one of those annoying people who can’t decide. But hear me out.
I grew up with dogs and naturally thought they were the best. They are! But then I got married, and my husband wanted to adopt a cat. We were living in a small city apartment, so having a dog would have been much harder.
We adopted a white Persian cat named Sophie, and, within weeks, I was in love. She was the cuddliest, sweetest, loudest cat ever, and I miss her every day. Anyway, that is my long-winded way of saying I love both!
Favorite music?
What do you know about infertility?
I have struggled with infertility (both primary and secondary) and have done fertility treatments for years. I saw and experienced how isolating infertility can be, even though so many of us are going through it.
For me, the emotional toll was way worse than any medical interventions, fertility drugs, or needles. All the pain I felt prompted me to complete specific training in fertility counseling. That way, I could help clients facing these issues to cope better; have support; and process the trauma, shame, and pain.