FAQ

Where are you located?

All sessions are conducted virtually. Teletherapy is available to anyone within Texas.

What are your hours?

I will be available for client sessions from 9 to 6 on weekdays and select Saturdays for clinical check-ins and marathon sessions.

How do I set up an initial appointment?

All sessions, including FREE 15-minute initial consultations and 90-minute intake sessions, can be scheduled online through the client portal. You will request a date and time, and I will confirm it with an email!

You are also welcome to email me directly at kayleigh@emotional-algebra.com or call (830) 390-2566, and I will schedule the session for you.

What is your cancellation policy?

I ask that sessions be canceled 24 hours in advance to avoid paying the full session fee. I understand that life comes up, so if you and I can rebook your session for the following day, you will not be charged for a late cancellation.

How long are the sessions?

Your first session (intake) will be slightly longer (90 minutes) than a typical session because we have much to discuss! All sessions after that will be 50 minutes.

Do you take insurance?

Sessions are private pay only. I will provide a detailed superbill you may submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. I understand therapy is a financial commitment, so I have designed some discounted session bundles and many free resources that may offer support!

Do you only work with men?

I specialize in providing therapy for men, but my work has a broad reach. I love working with women from all walks of life! I’m a mom of three, an oldest daughter, a recovering perfectionist, and a devotee of the great Brené Brown, so I welcome the opportunity to support women!

I’m also a 13-year veteran couples therapist. Relationship work is my passion, and I find seeing couples exhilarating. Whether we’re navigating conflict, clarifying relational needs, or learning how to load the dishwasher, I’m here for it!

Are you a religious counselor?

My counseling methods do not involve or center on religious teachings. I am committed to meeting my clients where they are, which means always respecting diverse religious, societal, and political points of view.

Do I have to be married?

Absolutely not! I love working with all relationship dynamics! “Marriage counseling” is a bit of an archaic misnomer, used only in my Texas License as a “Marriage and Family Therapist” (LMFT).

What does a virtual therapy session look like?

I’ll be honest: I was a teletherapy skeptic – for a LONG time! I was convinced that you couldn’t make a good connection or see progress in the same way that in-person therapy could. But I was wrong.

Virtual sessions skip the traffic and minimize missed work, lost family time, needed babysitting, and the stress of getting yourself together to “see someone.” You can be comfortable in your own space, and I pop into your world – not the other way around.

Sessions usually start with a short recap of your week, including any triumphs or challenges, times when you tried new things, or when you “heard my voice” (always a compliment, by the way). The pace is never forced. I don’t come to our sessions with a lesson plan that I teach you; I follow your lead. I offer insight and compassion, but my listening skills mean that when I know you are on a roll, I let you keep going!

Do you give homework assignments between sessions?

The great therapist, Carl Rogers, once said, “It seems to me that anything that can be taught to another is relatively inconsequential and has little or no significant influence on behavior.” I am not a teacher giving assignments. You and I meet to create experiences and feel through things together. I have also been doing this long enough to know that most sessions begin with the words, ,“…so I didn’t do the homework.”

And that’s okay! I DO want things to stick with you between sessions, and we will find a way to make that happen!

What is your counseling style?

I draw from various modalities (Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Narrative), but the central tenant of work with me is the restorative therapeutic relationship. Experiential therapy is based on the belief that we create meaningful growth through having new experiences. At Emotional Algebra, therapy becomes a sandbox for unlearning outdated stories, trying new ways of being, and building trust.

What is your professional training?

M.A. Counseling, St. Edward’s University – Austin, TX
B.A. Psychology, St. Edward’s University – Austin, TX
Texas Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
Additional Certifications in Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Parent Educator

How can I get the most out of working with you?

Set the intention to come to therapy consistently. Weekly, bi-weekly, whatever fits best for you – but be consistent. Even when you think, “I don’t have anything to discuss this week,” show up! Not for me because I’m trying to make a million bucks off you, but because those are sometimes the sessions where we learn the most. When you aren’t overwhelmed or stressed and there aren’t crises and dramas, you can relax and think, maybe even dream a little!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever given to a client?

Okay, this one is on the house, guys. The golden rule of therapy is that when in doubt, always respond to your partner with, “It makes sense to me that you feel that way and have that need because…”

Thank me later!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten from a client?

“Don’t talk to me like a therapist. Just talk to me like a person who loves me.” You got it!

If you weren’t a therapist, what would you be?

I would have been an architect – definitely. The younger me would have crushed the math and dominated engineering. The older me is a poet, though. Maybe it’s all these years of holding the beautiful stories I have heard from people.

What’s your favorite season?

I’m out in the Hill Country, so I’d have to say it’s an all-seasons-in-one TEXAS DAY. Wake to a breezy 60 degrees; it warms to a blazing 101 summer by noon; you can lunch on a patio, calm and cool with a thunderstorm at about 3 pm; and you have a clear, starry night sky! You can’t beat it.