Veterans and First Responders
Therapy for Veterans and First Responders
You have seen and carried things that do not fit into ordinary conversation. Therapy here offers trauma-informed care that respects what you have seen, goes at your pace and your ability to talk about it, and helps you find a new integrated normal back home.
Respect for what you have seen
You may have trained yourself to stay steady in moments that would freeze anyone else. That skill mattered, and it may still matter on the job. The cost can show up later, sometimes at home and sometimes only when things finally go quiet. None of that means you are weak or broken. It means your body learned to stay ready and has not yet learned that it is allowed to stand down. Trauma and PTSD are the primary specialty of my practice, and the page on trauma therapy explains how I approach them.
- Scanning exits and faces in ordinary places
- A temper that flares at the people closest to you
- Sleep that does not come, or does not rest you
- Feeling more at ease on duty than off it
- Reaching for a drink to switch off
Your pace and your ability to talk about it
You do not have to tell me about the worst call or the worst day. Trauma work does not depend on retelling everything, and I do not push into material you are not ready for. We start with what is happening in your life now: sleep, a body that stays on alert, the moments at home that go sideways. You can say no to a topic and nothing bad happens. That is not a test. It is how the work stays safe enough to do.
If and when you decide to go further, Trauma-Focused CBT gives us a structured, paced way to work with difficult memories, and I hold a certification in TF-CBT. It builds coping skills first, then connects thoughts, feelings and the body before going anywhere harder. There is no pressure to start there, and nothing about the order is decided without you.
Finding a new integrated normal back home
Coming home, whether from a deployment or from a long shift, is its own transition. Roles in a family shift while you are gone or worn out. The people at home may have learned to work around you, and you may feel like a visitor in your own house. As a marriage and family therapist, I pay attention to the whole household, not only to you. That wider lens can help a marriage or a family find its footing again.
When it would help, a partner can join the work through couples therapy, and family sessions are available too. If you are leaving the military or a career that shaped who you are, that change can bring grief as well as relief, and there is room for both. Who you are without the uniform, the radio or the role is a real question, and it deserves real attention.
Built around shift work and changing schedules
Rotating shifts, on-call weeks and overtime can make a standing weekly appointment hard to keep. Online therapy by secure video works anywhere in Texas, in English or Spanish, as long as you are located in Texas during the session. In-person sessions are at my Southwest Austin office on Fridays and some select other times and days as schedules allow. When a weekly rhythm is simply not sustainable, a trauma healing intensive offers concentrated time over one to three days instead.
If you think better on your feet
Sitting across from someone and being looked at while you talk can feel like being under a spotlight. A walk-and-talk session is a full session held outdoors, side by side on a quiet route. Moving and looking ahead can make the harder things easier to reach. We will discuss in detail limits of confidentiality before we do our first walk'n'talk, and we agree in advance what to do if we pass someone you know. Weather, mobility and privacy all factor in, and you can move back indoors or online any week.
Self-pay, superbills and your privacy
This is a self-pay practice, and payment is due at the time of service. I provide monthly superbills you can submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Staying out of network means no diagnosis is filed with an insurer unless you submit a superbill yourself, and no plan reviewer decides how many sessions you get. The initial assessment is $275 for 80 minutes. Individual sessions are $190 for 50 minutes or $275 for 80 minutes, and a limited sliding scale between $90 and $190 is available. The guide to superbills and out-of-network benefits lists the questions to ask your plan.
Common Questions
Do I have to talk about specific incidents?
No. You decide what you share and when. Trauma work does not depend on retelling everything, and we start with what is happening in your life now.
Can sessions work around a rotating shift schedule?
Telehealth by secure video is available anywhere in Texas, as long as you are located in Texas during the session. In-person sessions are on Fridays and some select other times and days as schedules allow, and you can mix formats from week to week.
How does payment work?
This is a self-pay practice, and payment is due at the time of service. I provide monthly superbills you can submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement. A limited sliding scale between $90 and $190 is available.
Can my partner or family be part of this?
Yes, if that would help. Couples and family sessions are available, and the free 15-minute consultation is a good place to talk through who should be in the room.
The consultation is free and there is no obligation on either side.
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