I specialize in treating the following issues:
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Fear and anxiety disorders
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Generalized anxiety
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Social anxiety
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
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Panic attacks and panic disorder
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Agoraphobia
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Specific fears and phobias
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma
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Mood Disorders and Grief
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Depression
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Grief and traumatic loss
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Relationship and marital issues
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I do NOT offer couples therapy at this time
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Stress
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General stress management
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Difficulties adjusting to major life stressors
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Health psychology
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Coping with chronic illness
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I am an expert in issues related to cancer– coping with the diagnosis, treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, etc.), and survivorship like fears of recurrence. I have worked with patients with a variety of different types of cancer, but I have extensive experience working with women with breast and gynecological cancers, and people dealing with metastatic or stage IV cancer diagnoses.
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Women’s behavioral health
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Infertility
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Failed IVF
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Pregnancy loss and miscarriages
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Post-partum depression and anxiety
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To schedule an initial appointment with me, the first step is to complete the Appointment Request Form here. This is a pre-screening questionnaire that asks questions about what you are seeking care for, your mental health history, your insurance, etc. The purpose of this form is for me to determine if working with me in therapy seems like a good match/fit or not. It's also to verify that I accept your insurance (unless you are paying out of pocket). This form should only take 5-10 minutes to complete and helps our intake assessment be more efficient.
Once you complete the intake form, I will review your information and contact you to schedule an appointment, if I think we may be a good fit to work together.
Since my practice is new and opening in the fall of 2026, I am currently accepting new patients with no wait-list.
Historically, my caseload fills up very fast and I usually have a long wait list to see new patients. So if you are interested in working with me, I would recommend completing the Appointment Request Form as soon as possible to schedule an appointment.
I specialize in evidence-based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBT), which examine the links between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. My work includes CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for trauma, and mindfulness-based interventions. These approaches are considered the gold standard in mental health care because they are strongly supported by scientific research showing they actually help people improve their mental health. Using these therapies, I focus on practical, structured techniques that help you quickly make meaningful, long-lasting changes in your life.
Our first meeting is a comprehensive clinical assessment to understand your unique mental health concerns. I will ask about your current struggles, history, mental health, and physical well-being to gain a complete perspective. At the end of this session, I share my clinical feedback, helping you "connect the dots" of your experience to see the bigger picture. We then work collaboratively to design a tailored treatment plan based on your specific goals. This intake process is designed to be enlightening and transparent, ensuring you feel heard, understood, and motivated to begin our work together as a dedicated team.
Our sessions focus on active change rather than just "talk therapy." We begin by building awareness of how your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors impact your life, identifying what serves you and what does not. From there, we immediately move into developing a practical toolbox of coping strategies and life skills to manage difficult thoughts and emotions in real-time. By clarifying your core values, we collaborate to implement tangible behavior changes that align with the meaningful life you want to lead. This is a goal-oriented process designed to help you move beyond insight into lasting improvement.
Research shows the therapist plays a really small role in whether therapy helps you or not. So it's not really about liking your therapist or finding the "right" therapist that is a "perfect match" for you. Rather, it’s more about how much work you put in and how committed you are to the process of working on yourself and improving your life. I always tell patients, "the therapy works if you work."
I can’t put a specific number of sessions on it since everyone is a bit different. Some people only need a short course of therapy (4-8 sessions). A typical course of CBT is about 12-24 sessions (3-6 months of weekly therapy). Some people do want or need longer-term therapy based on their unique needs.
I tell all of my patients that I don’t want you to be in therapy with me for years on end. That's not in your best interest at all. I want to empower you. I want to train you to become your own therapist. I want to teach you the skills you need to overcome whatever you are struggling with and to build the life you want. I want you to get to a point where you say, “I got this, Dr. Plate. Thanks for the help. Therapy was incredibly valuable, but I can do this own my own now.”
I offer both in-person and virtual appointments.
I do give preference to patients who are willing to meet in person as I feel like a lot can be missed in virtual appointments (e.g., if you are just on your cellphone). I am flexible though as I know how hard it can be to squeeze in an appointment during a busy schedule.
For virtual appointments, I use SimplePractice - an easy to use telehealth platform that is HIPAA-Compliant.
In my experience, a lot of patients come to me struggling with the same issues they've dealt with for a long time or they had a negative experience with therapy in the past because they just did "talk therapy." They talk with a therapist about their problems, and maybe that feels good or they really like the therapist, but they don't actually learn concrete skills to cope with what they are struggling with. I don't just do "talk therapy" and research shows this isn't helpful. I provide Cognitive Behavior Therapies (CBT) which is the "gold standard" approach to therapy because scientific research shows it works. I pride myself on teaching patients coping skills so you feel confident to work through whatever difficulties and challenges you are facing. I want to empower you to become your own therapist so you get to a point where you don't need to be in therapy with me anymore.