Crisp Counseling & Consulting - Client FAQ

Considering therapy is a big step, and it's normal to have questions before you begin. Below are some of the things people most often ask about working with me and about AEDP specifically. If you don't see your question here, reach out — I'm happy to talk it through before you commit to anything.

Q: What is AEDP, and how is it different from other kinds of therapy?

A: Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) is an attachment-based, relational, and experiential model of psychotherapy developed by Diana Fosha. It integrates attachment theory, affective neuroscience, and body-focused work, and emphasizes active therapeutic engagement, in-the-moment tracking of affect, and use of the therapeutic relationship itself as a corrective emotional experience. Repeated, embodied engagement with previously avoided affect is also understood to support neuroplastic change, and treatment outcomes often extend beyond symptom reduction into identity-level meaning-making — patients frequently describe a shifted sense of who they are, not just relief from what brought them in. It's often grouped with other experiential/somatic trauma therapies (e.g., EMDR, Somatic Experiencing), but is distinguished by its explicit focus on transformance — the patient's innate drive toward growth and healing — and on dyadic affect regulation.

Q: How do I know if AEDP is the right fit for me?

A: AEDP tends to be a strong fit for people who are ready to go a bit deeper than “just talking it through” — who want to understand not only what they think, but what they feel, and why certain patterns keep repeating. It's often especially helpful if you've done therapy before and left sessions feeling like you understood yourself intellectually but nothing actually shifted. If you're willing to be curious about your emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, you already have what this work needs.

Q: What actually happens in a session?

A: We slow down. Rather than rushing through the events of your week, I'll ask you to notice what's happening for you right now — in your body, in your emotions, in the space between us — as you tell me what's going on. My job is to stay grounded in my own core self, so I can be a genuine, true other with you — really here, able to help you co-regulate through the big feelings as they come up, offering compassion rather than judgment. Over time, that shared experience helps you build your capacity to actually take in and process what you're feeling, rather than moving past it or managing it alone.

Q: I’ve been in therapy before and felt stuck. Why would this be different?        

A: Many of the people I work with have already done good work before — sometimes including EMDR, which I'm also trained in and use often. EMDR is excellent at reprocessing distressing memories, but a lot of that processing happens inside your own nervous system, on your own, even with me in the room. AEDP is built for a different gap: it's less about analyzing your patterns from the outside, or processing them solo, and more about experiencing, in real time, what it feels like to not do this alone. I bring my own nervous system and my own felt sense of your core emotions into the room with you, so you have a true other actually with you while it happens — undoing what can often feel like unbearable aloneness. That's often where the real shift happens.

Q: Is AEDP only for trauma, or can it help with anxiety, depression, and everyday struggles too?

A: AEDP grew out of trauma treatment, and it's very effective there, but it's not limited to it. I use it with anxiety, depression, grief, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and the more diffuse sense of feeling disconnected from your own core self. If a pattern keeps showing up in your life and talking about it hasn't been enough to change it, AEDP is worth considering.

Q: What if talking about my feelings makes me uncomfortable, or I tend to shut down?

A: That's common, and it's not a barrier to this work — it's often the starting point. Part of my role is to track your pace closely and go only as fast as is actually safe for you. We build capacity gradually, drop by drop, rather than pushing you into anything before you're ready. Feeling flooded or feeling numb are both things we can work with directly.

Q: What about medication vs. AEDP therapy?

A: Medication can be an important part of treatment for some people, particularly alongside therapy rather than instead of it. Medication tends to address symptoms, while AEDP works with the underlying emotional patterns driving those symptoms. Many clients find the two work well together, and I'm glad to coordinate with a prescriber as part of your care.

Q: Do you take insurance, and how does that work?

A: I'm out-of-network with most PPO plans. Session fees are $200 for a 55-minute session; $300 for a 90 minute session. Most clients find 10–16 sessions to be meaningful, though the actual course of treatment depends on what you're working on. I provide a superbill you can submit to your insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement.

Q: How many sessions will I need?

A: It varies. AEDP is sometimes described as "accelerated" because the depth of the work can create meaningful change more quickly than some other approaches, but there's no fixed timeline. We'll check in regularly about what's shifting and what more time might offer. Some clients like to do what we call a "chapter of work," and then take a break to apply what they've processed. Sometimes they come back to do another chapter of work, and sometimes they feel "complete."

Q: Does what we talk about stay confidential?

A: Yes. Confidentiality is a legal and ethical foundation of this work, and I won't share anything you tell me without your written permission. The exceptions are the ones required by law: if I have reason to believe a child, elder, or dependent adult is being abused or neglected, or if I believe you're at serious risk of harming yourself or someone else.

If you have a question that isn't answered here, I'd rather you ask than wonder. Reach out through the contact form and I'll get back to you directly.