Intake Process
Except under specific circumstances, I do not offer brief initial consultations, and instead request that you schedule a full first session. The reason I structure my intake process in this way is so that (1) we can get started on the therapy as soon as possible if it is a good fit, (2) we can be sure to have enough time to talk about all the things that go into therapy for you, and (3) I am fairly compensated for the work of consultation. Thank you for your understanding. I encourage you to review my website and other materials to determine if you feel I might be a good fit for you. After you request an appointment and we meet, if you decide not to continue with me as your therapist, I will discount your initial session by 50%. If you have any additional questions about my approach or background, I encourage you to reach out to me via email at kitt@defianttherapy.com.
Thank you for your interest in setting up an appointment!
Please review the information below to learn more about the process of scheduling with me.
For Gender-Affirming Medical Care Letters of Support: please email me rather than setting up an appointment through the portal.
The first step is to go to my client portal and click the button “I’m a New Client.” Choose what kind of appointment (see below) you are interested in scheduling, then select Video Office for virtual appointments or Bmore Liberated for an in-person appointment at my office in Baltimore. If you are scheduling for ongoing therapy, please choose an appointment time that you think you will likely be able to attend for at least 6 weeks. The appointment time you choose is a time I have open for ongoing therapeutic work, not just for the intake session.
Within 24 to 72 hours after you schedule an appointment, I will send you an email tentatively confirming your appointment. This email will include a link to sign into the client portal and review several intake forms. (You can also view my intake documents at this link.) These forms must be completed at least 24 hours before your initial appointment. If you find you are not able to do so, your appointment will be rescheduled. The intake forms include important information for you about the nature of therapy, and will ask you more about why you are seeking therapy. It is important that they be completed with enough time for me to review them before we meet.
Available appointments:
60-minute individual sessions for adult clients: Please choose this option for weekly or biweekly talk therapy for adult clients.
75-minute individual sessions for adult clients: Please choose this option for weekly or biweekly talk therapy if you are looking to participate in EMDR therapy or you otherwise believe that extended sessions would be most supportive to you.
60-minute sessions for relationship therapy: Please choose this option for relationships consisting of two people. It is HIGHLY recommended that relationship therapy be scheduled for in-person appointments.
75-minute sessions for relationship therapy: Please choose this option for relationships with more than two people, or if you believe that extended sessions would otherwise be most supportive to your relationship. It is HIGHLY recommended that relationship therapy be scheduled for in-person appointments.
60-minute family therapy: Please choose this option for family therapy with two or more members of a family or household. It is required that family therapy be scheduled for in-person appointments, except in significantly extenuating circumstances.
45-minute individual sessions for adolescent clients: Please choose this option for adolescent clients, or young adults who are still under the care of their parents or guardians. Adolescents are only seen in 45-minute intervals as I have determined this is the most appropriate length for this developmental age group. Your intake appointment will likely be closer to 60 or 75 minutes to include time to speak with parents or guardians, but please still choose the 45-minute option in the scheduling portal.
Some additional information to note:
I am only able to meet with clients virtually if you are in the state of Maryland at the time of our appointments. This is because I am only licensed to practice therapy within the state of Maryland.
I do not accept insurance directly but can work with you to be reimbursed for sessions if you have out-of-network insurance benefits. Please see my fees page for more information.
You do NOT need to include your “legal” first name, even though it is a required field in the appointment request form – you can just put the name that you would like me to use. The only time I will need your legal first name is if you plan to submit for out-of-network insurance reimbursement for our appointments. Please include your legal last name in all appointment requests.
Appointments are scheduled so that I have adequate time in between sessions to rest and prepare for the next. This means that appointments are sometimes on the :15 or :45 minute of the hour.
If you do not see an appointment time that works for you, or if the appointment that works for you is in the next three days and you are unable to choose it in the portal, please email me!
You have the right to receive a good faith estimate of the cost of services. You can view a copy of this good faith estimate in my practice drive. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
Because of the more intensive nature of relationship work, my intake process for couples and polycules includes two initial sessions. The first is charged the full fee, and if after the second appointment we decide it is not a good fit, I do not charge for the second appointment (a 50% discount). In addition, if the second appointment is scheduled and then cancelled or unattended, the full fee for the first appointment will remain as charged and not discounted 50%.
Have other questions? Find answers in the FAQ!