Have questions? You're not alone.

Very involved. You're the expert on your child, and this is a collaborative process from start to finish. I provide assessment, information, and guidance, but you make all final decisions about your child's care. I see my role as helping you become a more informed, confident decision-maker—not making decisions for you. This is your journey; I'm just here to walk alongside you.

No. While many families come to me during crisis moments, I also work with families who are proactively seeking additional support before things escalate, students transitioning between levels of care, and families needing guidance on school placement or educational planning without therapeutic program placement. There's no "wrong time" to seek consultation.

It varies depending on your family's situation and timeline. Initial assessment and program identification typically takes 2-4 weeks. The full process from assessment through placement can take 4-8 weeks, depending on program availability and urgency. For families seeking ongoing support or educational consulting without placement, we work together on a timeline that makes sense for your specific needs.

Yes. While I'm based in Iowa, I work with families nationally. The right program for your child may be in a different state, and I travel regularly to visit programs nationwide. All family consultations are conducted via secure video conferencing, so distance is no barrier to working together effectively. 

I primarily work with families of adolescents and young adults (ages 13-21+) who are facing mental health challenges, behavioral concerns, learning differences, or a combination of these issues. My school psychology background is particularly valuable for this developmental stage when mental health and academic pressures often intersect. 

This is very common and completely understandable. Most teens are resistant to the idea of therapeutic placement, especially initially. Part of my role is helping families navigate the emotional complexity of these decisions, including your child's resistance. I can provide guidance on how to talk with your child about treatment, what to expect during the transition, and how to approach difficult conversations in ways that preserve your relationship while prioritizing their safety and well-being.

Three key differences: First, my school psychology background means I assess both mental health and learning needs together—not separately. This integrated approach often reveals factors others miss. Second, I personally visit programs before suggesting them to families, and I never receive payments from programs, so my guidance remains completely objective. Third, I stay involved throughout treatment and transition home, not just through placement. You get a long-term partner, not a one-time consultant. 

I provide guidance on a range of therapeutic programs including residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness therapy programs, specialized schools for learning differences, and intensive outpatient programs. The right program depends entirely on your child's unique needs—mental health profile, learning style, family dynamics, previous treatment history, and long-term goals. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, which is why personalized assessment is so important. 

I maintain active membership in professional organizations including the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) and participate in professional events such as those sponsored by School Connections. I regularly visit programs in person, maintain ongoing relationships with clinical directors and admissions teams, participate in professional conferences, and track outcomes for the families I work with. This commitment to professional learning ensures my guidance is based on current, firsthand knowledge—not outdated information or relying only on what programs claim on their websites. 

Yes. I only suggest programs I have personally visited and thoroughly vetted. I tour facilities, meet clinical staff, observe the environment, understand their treatment philosophy, and assess whether their approach matches what they advertise. I also maintain ongoing relationships with program staff to stay current on any changes. This firsthand knowledge is essential to providing families with honest, accurate guidance.

Absolutely. I provide educational consulting services including learning assessment interpretation, school placement guidance, IEP/504 consultation, academic planning for students with learning differences, and college transition planning—all without therapeutic program placement. Families can choose to work with me solely on educational planning and advocacy.

I work for families, not programs. You pay me directly for my consultation services, which ensures my guidance is based solely on your child's needs—not on financial incentives. I never receive payments for placement, commissions, or referral fees from any programs. This is a core ethical principle that keeps my work objective and focused entirely on what's best for your family.

I'm happy to discuss fees during our initial consultation, as they vary depending on the scope of services your family needs. Some families need comprehensive therapeutic consultation and placement support, while others need shorter-term educational consulting. I want to ensure my services are a good fit for your situation before discussing specific costs.

Therapeutic consulting services are typically not covered by insurance, though some families successfully use HSA/FSA funds for my fees. However, the programs I help you identify may be covered by insurance, depending on your plan. I can help you navigate insurance questions related to program coverage and provide documentation you may need for reimbursement purposes. 

This is actually more common than you might think, and it's often because there wasn't a good match between your child's needs and the program's strengths—or because underlying learning issues weren't identified and addressed. My integrated assessment approach, which considers mental health and learning needs together, often reveals factors that were missed in previous placements. I can help you understand what didn't work and identify better-matched options moving forward.

This is a reality we often navigate together. I maintain relationships with multiple programs and understand their typical admission timelines. If your first-choice program has a waitlist, I help you evaluate other strong options, discuss whether waiting makes sense for your situation, and sometimes can facilitate conversations with admissions teams about your child's specific needs. In urgent situations, I focus on programs with quicker admission processes while ensuring they're still appropriate matches.

Unlike many consultants, I don't disappear after placement. I provide ongoing support including regular family check-ins, consultation on challenges that arise during treatment, communication with treatment teams when helpful, progress monitoring, and planning for successful transition home. The goal isn't just getting your child into a program—it's supporting your family through the complete journey toward healing and long-term success.

Yes. Transition planning is a critical part of my services. I help families prepare for their child's return home, coordinate with schools on reintegration plans, provide guidance on IEPs or 504 plans if needed, connect families with local therapists and resources, and offer ongoing consultation during the adjustment period. Coming home successfully requires just as much planning as the initial placement.

I'm here to help you navigate challenges during treatment. Sometimes adjustments need to be made within the current program, sometimes family therapy or communication strategies can help, and occasionally a program truly isn't the right fit and we need to evaluate other options. I help you assess the situation objectively, communicate effectively with the treatment team, and make informed decisions about next steps.

Absolutely. Many families maintain ongoing relationships with me for months or even years after their child completes treatment. I'm available for consultation as new challenges arise, questions about school or college planning come up, or you simply need reassurance from someone who knows your child's history. I genuinely care about long-term outcomes, not just crisis intervention.