Frequently Asked Questions

Therapy Basics

Trauma Therapy Terms & Education

Therapeutic Strategies

Fees

Beginning Together

Scheduling

Therapy Basics Trauma Therapy Terms & Education Therapeutic Strategies Fees Beginning Together Scheduling

F.A.Q.

Therapy Basics

  • Therapy looks a little different for everyone, depending on what’s brought into the space!

    My role is to ask thoughtful questions, help us better understand what may be contributing to current challenges, and work collaboratively with you to identify approaches, tools, and strategies that support your goals and needs.

  • Each therapy session is 60 minutes in length, with 50 minutes spent together directly in session. Time outside of the session is used for documentation, preparation, and supporting the ongoing direction of therapy.

  • This is one of the most frequent questions asked.

    The short answer - Ultimately, how long you are in therapy is up to you, and when you decide you have met your goals.

    The long answer - This depends on each individual, and the pace we go will be customized to your needs and comfort.

    Forming quality relationships often takes time; the therapeutic relationship is no exception. Some folks find that trust evolves over a few sessions, whereas for others, really feeling safe to open up may take months. - and that is ok! -

    Some people may know immediately what they want to change, and have a strong idea of the form of support needed for it to happen.

    Other times, it may take longer for a person to carefully explore and recognize what their core needs are, and try on different methods of achieving the lasting changes they seek.

    My aim as your therapist is to ask you key questions that stimulate close self-reflection and to provide options for new tools to assist you in uncovering your own solutions to the presented problems.

    Through this process, you will be building tolerance to navigate currently uncomfortable or overwhelming thoughts with an intentional plan forward and direction for your healing.

    My commitment is to work with you, as fast as possible, without compromising the quality of care, to help you achieve your goals.

  • You can reach me anytime via the following options:

    Contact Page Link

    Email: embodytherapy@sophieconklin.com

    Voicemail: 202-503-9306

    Please leave your name, number, email, and a brief overview of your interest in services, and I will return contact within 48 business hours.

    For mental health emergencies, please contact 911 or 988.

  • Please reach out, I’m happy to help. Send me an email, or leave a voicemail with any outlying questions!

    We can also find a time to do a 15-minute consultation call to ensure any extra questions are answered.

    Options for Contact:

    Contact Page Link

    Email: embodytherapy@sophieconklin.com

    Voicemail: 202-503-9306

    Please leave your name, number, email, and a brief overview of your interest in services or questions. I will return contact within 48 business hours.

    For mental health emergencies, please contact 911 or 988.

F.A.Q.

Trauma Therapy Education

  • Trauma therapy is a form of therapy that supports individuals in processing overwhelming or distressing experiences and the ways those experiences may continue to affect emotions, relationships, the nervous system, and everyday life.

    Trauma therapy focuses on building safety, understanding patterns, strengthening regulation for long-term stability, shifting away from unhealthy coping methods, and supporting healing at a pace that feels manageable for each person.

  • PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is a response that can develop after experiencing or witnessing overwhelming, frightening, or distressing events.

    It can affect the way someone feels emotionally, physically, and mentally, sometimes long after the experience has ended.

    PTSD may involve symptoms such as anxiety, hypervigilance, flashbacks, nightmares, emotional numbness, difficulty feeling safe, avoidance of people/places/things that are reminiscent of event(s), or feeling constantly on edge or guarded. These responses are often connected to the nervous system’s attempt to protect itself after trauma.

    *hypervigilance - consistent and excessive watchfulness of others and the environment, scanning for danger.

    *flashbacks - being mentally transported back into the event as though it were occurring in real time.

    This can look like sudden changes in the nervous system (sweating, tightness of the chest, intense feeling of dread, intense feeling to flee)

    Flashbacks can also look like recurrent unwanted imagery, intrusive graphic thoughts related to the event(s), replaying the content of the event(s)

  • C-PTSD, (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) can develop after ongoing or repeated experiences of trauma, particularly in situations where a person may have felt neglected, isolated, trapped, unsafe, unsupported, or unable to escape the experience repeatedly over time.

    In addition to symptoms commonly associated with PTSD, C-PTSD may also impact self-worth, emotional regulation, relationships, trust, identity, and the ability to feel safe or connected with others.

    People experiencing C-PTSD may notice patterns such as emotional overwhelm, shutdown, dissociation, chronic anxiety, difficulty trusting themselves or others, or feeling disconnected from their emotions or body.

    These responses are often adaptive ways the nervous system learned to cope with prolonged stress or adversity.

  • Sexual trauma refers to the emotional, physical, and psychological impact that can result from unwanted, coercive, abusive, or violating sexual experiences.

    These experiences can affect people in many different ways and may influence emotions, relationships, trust, sense of safety, self-worth, and connection with the body.

  • Your nervous system is the system within your body that helps regulate how you respond to stress, emotions, relationships, safety, and the world around you.

    It plays a role in functions such as breathing, heart rate, energy levels, emotional responses, and your body’s sense of safety or danger.

    Have you ever noticed a pit in your stomach? Or the feeling of butterflies? Tightness in your chest? Deep tranquility? These things are caused by your nervous system. We often respond to ourselves and the environment around us according to how our nervous system makes us feel.

  • Often, before engaging in therapeutic work that helps us to attune more closely to ourselves, we are typically unaware of our nervous system’s strong presence in day-to-day life.

    When someone experiences ongoing stress or trauma, the nervous system can become more sensitive or reactive, sometimes leading to responses such as anxiety, hypervigilance, shutdown, dissociation, emotional overwhelm, or difficulty relaxing and feeling safe.

    These responses can sometimes additionally lead to undesired behaviors that keep us far from our goals or forming closeness with others.

    Therapy can help increase awareness of these patterns while supporting the development of long-term, sustainable emotional regulation.

  • Great question! That is for the two of us to figure out together.

    In the first few sessions, we will get to know one another and build a plan that is unique to your particular goals for healing.

    We will continue to check in on the impact of tools and solutions provided throughout your progress in therapy to ensure your needs are being met. We will plan to adapt supports as needed during your time of change and growth to meet you where you are.

  • Whether you're just getting started exploring your thoughts and experiences or are embarking on a deeper and more hands-on approach to trauma resolution, your sessions will be tailored to help you move forward with growth.

    Tools, Modalities, and Strategies:

    EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing)

    Trauma-informed care

    Motivational Interviewing

    Role Play and Practice

    Guided Imagery

    Mindfulness

    Grounding Techniques

    Psychoeducation

    Gestalt Therapy

    Sex-Positive Therapy

    Boundary Setting and Self-Advocacy

    Communication Skill Building

    Positive Psychology

    Parts Work IFS (internal family systems)

    LGBTQIA2S+ Support

    CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)

    DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy)

    Inner Child Work

    **You are also encouraged and welcome to bring in your own tools, practices, culture, religion, beliefs, and methods of healing as well!

  • EMDR, (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-focused therapy approach designed to help individuals process distressing experiences and reduce the level of undesired impact on daily life connected to traumatic memories.

    Utilizing EMDR does not get rid of memories, but it can significantly lower the reactivity level that accompanies reminders of traumatic experiences, giving you more control back over how you respond to your environment.

    EMDR works to help the brain and nervous system process traumatic events in a more comprehensive and less overwhelming way than typical talk therapy.

    EMDR therapy can support individuals navigating trauma, PTSD, anxiety, negative self-beliefs, emotional reactivity, and other lingering effects of adverse experiences.

  • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a therapeutic approach that focuses on the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. CBT helps individuals identify patterns that may be contributing to distress and develop healthier ways of responding to challenges, emotions, and situations.

    CBT may support concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, negative self-talk, avoidance, and emotional overwhelm.CBT can also be paired with other modalities to strengthen the therapeutic approach and impact.

  • DBT, (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is a skill-building-based therapeutic approach that focuses on honing tools to use outside of session for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT can help individuals better understand and manage intense emotions while fluidly navigating relationships and stressful situations more effectively.

    DBT is often helpful for individuals experiencing emotional overwhelm, impulsive reactions, difficulty regulating emotions, or chronic stress.

  • Parts work (IFS, Internal Family Systems Therapy) is a therapeutic modality that explores the different “parts”, ages, versions, or experiences within ourselves that can develop over time, especially in response to stress, trauma, or difficult life experiences.

    Some “parts” may hold fear, self-criticism, protectiveness, avoidance, or emotional pain, while other parts may help us cope, connect, or move forward.

    Parts work focuses on increasing understanding, compassion, love, and connection within ourselves rather than judging or fighting against these experiences.

    This approach can support greater emotional awareness, healing, and self-understanding over time.

  • Polyvagal Theory is a framework for understanding how the nervous system responds to experiences of safety, stress, and danger. It suggests that our bodies are constantly scanning the environment for cues of safety or threat, often outside of our conscious awareness.

    When we feel safe, we are more able to connect with others, think clearly, and engage in daily life. When we experience stress or danger, our nervous system may shift into protective responses such as fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown. These responses are natural survival mechanisms, especially for people who have experienced trauma.

    In therapy, understanding the nervous system can help explain emotional and physical reactions, reduce self-judgment, and support the development of tools that promote greater regulation, safety, and connection.

F.A.Q.

Therapeutic Strategies

F.A.Q.

Attending Services

  • Yes! I provide telehealth therapy for anyone attending sessions within the state of Virginia.

  • I use a HIPAA-compliant email and secure HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform, Simple Practice, to host all virtual sessions for those attending from Virginia.

  • Not currently, but that is something that I aspire to provide in the future.

  • I do not take insurance directly; however, you may still use your insurance to cover the cost of our sessions.

    How? - Receiving reimbursements.

    If this is a new process for you, I am happy to set aside time to help you navigate it.

    Uninsured and self-pay clients are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) as stated by the No Surprises Act.

  • I will send you a monthly document called a superbill, which is a receipt for our sessions.

    If you desire to receive coverage from your insurance company to assist with the cost of sessions, you may submit the superbill online to your insurance, once per month, to receive money back (reimbursement) to cover the cost of sessions.

    All insurances are different depending on their reimbursement policies, and the best way to know how much you will be reimbursed is by calling them directly to ask.

    Most people’s insurance plans reimburse the majority of the cost per session for out-of-network therapy services.

  • All insurance providers are different depending on their reimbursement policies, and the best way to know how much you will be reimbursed is by calling them directly to ask.

    Usually, most insurance plans provide out-of-network reimbursements of around 60-90% of the cost.

    Here is a script for you to follow:

    “Hi, I want to see an out-of-network therapist, and I want to know, according to my benefits, what percent of my sessions will be reimbursed when I provide a monthly receipt for services.”

  • The fee for each therapy session is $200. Payment information and additional questions can be discussed during the consultation process.

  • Sessions require a minimum of 48 hours’ notice for cancellations or rescheduling.

    Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice are subject to the full session fee. Whenever possible, the late-cancellation fee will be waived if the session is rescheduled to another mutually available time and attended within the same calendar week.

F.A.Q.

Beginning Together

  • A consultation call is a free 15-20-minute ‘get-to-know-you’ conversation where we can discuss your needs, goals, and any questions you may have about therapy, and whether therapy together feels like a good fit. On this call, I am also happy to provide any additional resources that may support you.

  • If this is where you're leaning, thank you for your trust and willingness to share your journey with me. Please reach out to me via email, embodytherapy@sophieconklin.com, and let me know that you would like to start.

    From there, I will email you consent and intake forms to sign, and we can collaborate to find a recurring time that works well for us to meet.

  • I often lead a first session by asking thoughtful questions and holding space for you to speak more in-depth about why you have decided to come to therapy, goals or directions you aspire to go in, likes, dislikes, and to get an overview of your current supports in life.

    If this does not sound like a good plan to you, please let me know! I want to be sure your needs are being met and that your comfort is respected.

  • Typically, when beginning therapy, most people start with one ‘standing session’ per week and go from there depending on current needs and comfort.

    Standing Session: a session that is on a cycle. It occurs on the same day and time, on a weekly, biweekly, or every 4-week basis.

    We can also reschedule and adjust the meeting time, day, or frequency as needed to best support you.

  • If you would like session reminders, then yes!

    If not, then no reminders will be sent.

    Two automated reminders will be sent per session to assist you with maintaining scheduling.

Embody Therapy

Here to help however I can, and when you feel ready

Contact Sophie