FAQ

Do my concerns warrant treatment?

For Individuals
This is a very common question—especially among high-functioning, driven individuals who are used to managing things on their own. If you’ve internalized messages about self-reliance, emotional control, or pushing through, seeking help can feel disorienting or even like a personal failure. But in reality, reaching out is a sign of strength and self-awareness. Emotional struggles aren’t a weakness—they’re signals that something important needs attention. Therapy helps you listen to those signals and respond with care.

Evidence also strongly supports the effectiveness of therapy. Across a wide range of concerns, therapy is not only helpful—it’s more effective than many of our most strongly-supported medical treatments (e.g. beta-blockers in cardiology, calcium for osteoporosis, corticosteroids for asthma) and as effective as pharmacological treatments and often more enduring in impact. Whether you are navigating anxiety, burnout, relationship stress, or something harder to name, therapy offers a space to better understand yourself and move forward with clarity.

For Couples
Couples often wonder if things are “bad enough” to justify starting therapy. The truth is, you don’t need to be at the brink of separation or divorce for couple therapy to be worthwhile. In fact, the earlier you begin, the more room there is to create change before patterns become deeply entrenched. Many couples wait longer than they need to, hoping to ride things out or fix issues on their own. But patterns of emotional distance and recurring conflict often don’t resolve without help.

All relationships can benefit from couple therapy—including strong, loving ones. Being in therapy doesn’t mean something is wrong with your relationship. It means you care about it, and you’re investing in its health. Therapy creates space to better understand one another, deepen emotional connection, and repair the moments that create distance or pain.

Is telehealth as effective as in-person therapy?

Other than ensuring patients understand the unique risks and benefits of telepsychology (e.g. confidentiality and connectivity issues), telepsychology is nearly identical to traditional in-person treatment. In fact, meta-analytic reviews (which combine the results of numerous studies to look at larger patterns) find that telepsychology is as effective as face-to-face therapy for anxiety, panic, phobias, depression, and behavioral changes like weight loss (Anderson et al., 2014; Barak et al., 2008; Richards & Richardson, 2012'; Wantland et al., 2004), with online therapy being potentially even more effective in the treatment of anxiety and PTSD than face-to-face services (Barak et al., 2008). The same holds true for treatment of couples, with studies on couple therapy delivered by telehealth showing that couples report strong emotional connection, relationship improvements, and satisfaction with therapy—comparable to those meeting face-to-face (Perle et al., 2013; Wrape & McGinn, 2019).

What will our meetings look like?

Our first session will be focused on getting to know you—what’s bringing you in, what’s been painful or stuck, and what you’re hoping for. We’ll begin to map out the patterns you’re caught in and how they’re affecting your emotional world or your relationship. For couples, the first session is joint, followed by one session with each of you individually, and then we continue meeting together from there.

You don’t need to come prepared with an agenda—just come as you are, whether you are feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, tense, or like you don’t even know what you’re feeling. Sessions are warm, conversational, and focused on what’s happening right here in the moment. This work is not about giving you advice or homework—it’s about creating new emotional experiences that shift how you relate to yourself and to others. We’ll guide you toward the emotions under the surface, help you notice what’s happening in your body, and slow things down so more choice becomes possible.

In couples work, we’re especially active in session—stepping in to interrupt negative patterns as they happen live in session. We won’t just listen and nod—we’ll step in as things unfold to help you notice, in real time, what’s happening inside as you move into protective patterns. That might mean pausing mid-conversation to track a shift in tone, tension in your body, or a moment when you go quiet or lash out. We’ll slow those moments down and help you find the emotions underneath—so instead of reacting from frustration or shutdown, you can begin to share the fear, hurt, or longing that’s harder to show. Our role is to hold your experience with care while also guiding you toward risk—to express yourself more vulnerably and in a way that invites your partner closer.

How long can I expect to be in therapy?

The honest (but maybe unsatisfying) answer is: it depends. We approach therapy with focus and clarity, but the length of the work varies depending on what brings you in. If the distress is more recent or the emotional territory is already somewhat accessible, meaningful shifts can happen in a shorter timeframe. When the pain runs deeper—due to long-standing patterns, trauma, or attachment injuries—therapy often requires more time and care.

Progress also depends on how ready and able each person is to engage emotionally. In both individual and couples work, we’re often working with protective strategies that have developed for good reason. The process of softening those defenses and reaching for each other—or for yourself—in a new way can’t be rushed. So while some clients may feel substantial change in just a few months, others may find that a longer engagement better supports deeper transformation.

Therapy isn’t indefinite, but the length of the work depends on your unique context. We’ll regularly check in about how things are going and whether the work continues to feel helpful and aligned with your goals.

Do you treat substance use disorders?

We are not an addiction treatment program, but we work with individuals and couples navigating substance use—especially when it has led to disconnection within the self or the relationship. Our approach isn’t about judgment or shame. We focus on creating enough safety to have honest, meaningful conversations about how substance use is impacting you and your connection with others.

Our work may be a good fit if you are in recovery, involved in a 12-step or similar program, or struggling with patterns of use that haven’t reached a severe or medically urgent level. If substance use is active and significantly affecting health or functioning, we may recommend additional support such as medical care or more intensive treatment programs, or in couples work, adjunctive individual treatment to support the relationship process.

If you’re unsure whether we’re the right fit, we’re happy to offer a free consultation to talk it through and help you find the support you need.

What is your cancellation/no-show policy?

We ask that you provide at least 24 hours’ (firm) notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. For example, if your appointment is at 4pm on a Tuesday, you’ll need to cancel no later than 4pm on Monday. This allows us to adjust our schedules and offer the time to another client.

We offer one “freebie” late cancellation or no-show per calendar year as a courtesy. After that, any late cancellations (less than 24 hours’ notice) or no-shows will incur a fee: $100 for Dr. Tucker and $175 for Dr. Ko. We’ll send a reminder after the first occurrence so that you’re not caught off guard by any future fees.

Any other questions?

If you have any other questions at all, please don’t hesitate to take that first step to set up a free, 15-minute consultation with one of us. It's a great, zero-pressure way to get a sense of us as clinicians and how we can serve you best. It would be our absolute pleasure to meet you!