Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your office located?
Ragamuffin Counseling Services offers both in-person and online therapy sessions.
If we’re meeting in person, here’s the address:
8360 West Farringdon Lane
Kirkland, AZ 86332
If we’re meeting online, you can be anywhere you want (as long as you’re in Arizona or California)!
Should I do in-person or online sessions?
I encourage clients with attention deficit or serious behavioral issues to consider in-person services. However, many clients prefer the flexibility and convenience of telehealth.
Honestly, there is no wrong decision.
What are your hours?
I like to offer flexible appointment times (within reason, of course), so hours of operation vary depending on our availability.
With that in mind, we try to make our appointments on weekdays (we have families, too).
Will I be charged for canceling sessions?
If I said “yes,” would you be more likely to keep your appointments? If so, then YES!
If you must cancel, I ask that you provide us at least 24 hours’ notice. If you cancel with less notice or do not show up for your appointment, you’ll be billed a $75 fee.
I understand that life happens, so the fee might be waived, depending on the circumstances. Really, though… with cell phones, email, and text messaging, there’s no excuse for not reaching out unless the situation is dire. Please don’t take advantage of our good nature.
How do I make an appointment?
There are many ways – all of them easy and painless.
You can call (928)-968-3219, email support@ragamuffincounselingservice.com, connect through Facebook, or fill out the form at the bottom of our site.
When leaving a message, please provide your name and preferred days/times for sessions. I’ll be in touch within 24 hours of receiving your contact information.
At this time, I’m unable to respond to wishful thinking, wishing on a star, telling yourself you need to talk to someone, or telling your pet. I NEED YOU TO TELL ME.
Do you take insurance?
I do take some insurance plans.
In California, I accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of California, Optum, United Health, and Aetna.
In Arizona, I accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Optum, Cigna, United Health, and Aetna.
You specialize in children, but do you work with adults, too?
In a word: Yes.
In several words: I work with adults, teens, tweens, kids, toddlers, adults that act like kids, children who act like adults, mature adults, immature adults, individuals, couples, single parents, divorced parents, divorced and co-parenting parents, adoptive parents, life partners, families, and extended families.
I’m doing pretty good… do I still need therapy?
Therapy helps you become the person you want to be.
If you’ve read this far, I imagine you have questions about yourself, others, and the world and want answers.
Give me a call. Let’s chat. Maybe there IS something we can tackle together that’s too daunting to address alone.
What do you actually DO in therapy?
Heal. We’ll do whatever we need to help you become the person you have always wanted to be.
Whether we laugh, cry, yell, paint, draw, talk, or just sit together in the quietness of deep healing… we’ll do it together.
Neuroscience teaches the power of co-regulation: the brain (and heart, mind, spirit, and soul) heals best in the presence of a calm, regulated “other.” That’s me. I’m your “other.”
We may challenge negative thinking, integrate broken or hyperactive “parts,” or weep over lost childhood. It’s all part of the healing journey.
I can’t tell you ALL “tricks.” If I did, you wouldn’t come to see me, would you??
What is your professional training and experience?
I am an independently licensed marriage and family therapist with over seven years of clinical experience working with children, teens, adults, couples, and families.
I have certifications in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) with a neurorelational emphasis (ask me about this, it’s really cool), and I’m trained in Gottman Level II for couples therapy.
I use Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) when I have to, Seeking Safety (PTSD treatment), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma, sensorimotor psychotherapy, art therapy, sand tray therapy, puppets… and I play a mean air guitar!
I have worked as an embedded therapist in public and private school settings, collaborating with multidisciplinary educational teams, special education, and occupational therapists.
I have also worked in the community mental health field, providing services to low-income, high-risk children and teens.
Other professional experience includes working with 12-step communities, recovery communities, and faith-based recovery communities.
I now integrate this rich and diverse experience into Ragamuffin Counseling Services, Inc. to provide quality mental health services to my community.
How did you become a therapist?
Ahhh… the $120,000 question. I didn’t set out to become a therapist. I did everything I could to avoid becoming one. I went to grad school kicking and screaming.
But life gets messy when you try to run away from your calling. When I finally accepted that I was MADE to be a therapist – specifically, a trauma-informed therapist – life became AMAZING. I’ve never regretted the decision.
What do you like best about the work you do?
Everything… there’s just something about watching people grow.
I love working with a new client who is stuck in the pit because I know how things are going to turn out. I’ve seen it time and time again. I’ve watched people POUR OUT their darkness, doubt, fears, anxiety, self-loathing, resentment, and pain… and TAKE IN hope, purpose, forgiveness, compassion, joy, and love.
I’ve been privileged to watch families reunite, couples reconcile, mute children speak “I love you” to their adoptive parents, and suicidal clients find purpose.
I love every tear cried in session… every jagged wound that becomes a scar… every scar that becomes a message of hope.
Yeah, I love my job.