What is the best way to contact my therapist?

Email! For established clients, communicating via Simple Practice is strongly preferred.

How long has Emily been a therapist?

She started as an intern in January 2019, graduated in December 2019, and has been working in private practice ever since.

Does Emily accept insurance?

Yes! Blue Cross Blue Shield (Anthem), Aetna, Cigna, and United Healthcare. She also accepts self-pay clients and is happy to provide you with a superbill.

Does Emily only work with individuals with OCD and anxiety?

No! There are few providers in Augusta that specialize in OCD, so she finds it to be important to market to this population as there is an unmet need in the community. However, Emily works with a variety of concerns such as relational issues, depression, grief, body image issues, self-doubt, perfectionism and more.

What exactly is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)?

It is a behavioral therapy that is the gold-standard of treatment for OCD. Exposure is exactly what it sounds like in that you will expose yourself to the feeling of anxiety intentionally. Response Prevention is an incredibly key part of OCD treatment- this is about preventing rituals/compulsions. The anxiety isn’t actually the problem with OCD- it is a natural human emotion that we all experience. The resulting behaviors are the issue with OCD such as avoidance, reassurance seeking, and checking behaviors.

Exposure sounds really scary- what exactly does this entail?

There are a lot of misconceptions about exposure. Often people think exposure is about acclimating to a trigger. At it’s core, exposure is about coexisting with the feeling of anxiety. Often for individuals with OCD, there is an intolerance of the presence of anxiety and in an attempt to make it go away, they do a compulsion. The relief from compulsions may not occur at all and if it does, it does not tend to last…and that’s the OCD cycle. I have three “rules” for exposure 1) I would not have you do anything actually dangerous or illegal; 2) I would not have you do anything I wouldn’t do myself; and 3) it is all consent-based. Exposure is supposed to be anxiety-provoking, but manageable- we work our way up. If I suggest an idea for exposure and you are not on board, tell me! There are so many options and the most effective exposure is one you are actually willing to do.