Frequently Asked Questions

Where do you meet clients? Do you offer virtual sessions?

Currently, I'm meeting with all clients virtually.

Does online counseling really work?

Most of us probably imagine counseling sessions taking place in an office with a couch and a chair. But HIPPA compliant video platforms offer the privacy, comfort, and convenience of having sessions from your home or other chosen location. For couples especially, the convenience of not having to travel to an office, the anonymity of not having to sit in a waiting room, and the privacy and ease of being in a familiar environment as you talk about deeply personal and painful topics can make online sessions preferable to in-office sessions. Virtual sessions also allow clients to choose the best professional for them, not just the best one whose office is geographically accessible. For more information about how I conduct online sessions, check out my online sessions service page.

Do you offer a free consultation? What are your fees?

I offer an initial free twenty-minute phone consultation to answer questions and determine if I would be a good fit to work with you. You can book this session directly here or visit my contact page, and I will email you to find a mutually convenient time to talk. Once I start working with clients, my fee is $300 for a standard ninety-minute session.

Does RLT work for gay couples, unmarried couples, or other less traditional relationships?

Absolutely. Relationality is the key to all human connection. The issues that challenge relationships are fundamentally the same regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.

My practice is LGBTIQA+ affirming.

Is Savvy Strategies Relational Life Therapy an inclusive and anti-racist practice? How does anti-racism relate to Relational Life Therapy?

I have a strong, personal, life-long commitment to inclusion and anti-racism. My own ongoing anti-racist education is something that I believe is critical to my personal and professional development. I believe that in order to improve the ecosystem of our relationships, we must first examine our own experiences, traumas, assumptions, self-perceptions, and beliefs. I also believe that in order to improve the ecosystem of our society, that we must go through the same sort of examination. For white people in our culture, this means seeking out an anti-racist education for themselves by listening to the experiences and wisdom of black and brown people.

Do you work with single people?

Relational Life Therapy is about relationality, and there is no more fundamental relationship than each of our own relationships with ourselves. If you would like to work on the core elements of relationality: self-esteem, healthy boundary, and limit setting, experiencing emotions and expressing them appropriately, standing up for yourself with loving firmness, and dealing with conflict, then RLT Therapeutic Coaching can help.

What if I'm interested in RLT Therapeutic Coaching but my partner won't come.
Can RLT help?

Relational Life Therapy is most efficient and effective when couples participate together. Still, if you are seeking to improve your relationship and your partner refuses to engage in the process, I can work with you to help you to work on your part of the relationship and how your relationship to yourself is impacting your relationship with your partner.

Do you accept insurance?

Our work is completely private and confidential. I do not work with insurance companies, so there are no diagnosis codes, forms, or medical records of our work to impede your comfort in sharing even your most private and difficult struggles.

Are there people for whom RLT doesn't work?

No therapy works for everyone. Relational Life Therapy is most effective when couples are motivated to change. Some couples start RLT Therapeutic Coaching with one motivated partner and another more ambivalent partner. RLT can be highly effective in helping ambivalent partners move into clarity. With that said, certain preconditions must be resolved before we can start RLT Therapeutic Coaching. If one or both partners suffer from an untreated serious psychiatric condition, active substance abuse, or if either partner is currently acting out physically (violence) or sexually (ongoing infidelity), RLT Therapeutic Coaching cannot commence until these issues are addressed.

How can I learn more about Relational Life Therapy and Terry Real?

If you’ve reviewed the information about Terry Real and how RLT Therapeutic Coaching works and you would like more in-depth information about Relational Life Therapy before starting work with me, you may want to check out this one-hour podcast interview with Terry Real where he gives a fantastic introduction to Relational Life Therapy. For a more in-depth exploration, check out Terry Real’s books or his Essential Skills online course for couples.