The questions I actually get asked.

Yes — I accept most major insurance plans, including United, Oxford, Optum, Oscar, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Cigna. I do not accept Medicaid or Medicare. If you want to confirm whether I take your specific plan, you can check my Headway profile or contact me directly: https://care.headway.co/providers/angela-degiaimo

Initial evaluations are $200. Ongoing individual sessions are $160 for 50 minutes.

I offer a limited number of reduced-rate spots through OpenPathCollective.org for clients who qualify.

I offer a limited number of reduced-rate spots through OpenPathCollective.org for clients who qualify.

First sessions are weird. I get it.

Here’s what actually happens. We get on video, I ask what brought you in, and we talk. That’s most of it. I’m not evaluating you. I’m listening for fit — whether my approach matches what you’re looking for, whether you feel comfortable with how I talk, whether what’s bringing you in is something I can actually help with.

There’s no couch. There’s no “tell me about your mother.” There’s no worksheet. You don’t have to prepare anything. You don’t have to have it figured out before you show up — if you did, you wouldn’t need therapy. People show up not knowing what they want to say. That’s normal. I’ll ask questions that help.

You might cry. You might not. Both are fine. A lot of people do cry in the first session, and a lot of people apologize for crying — which is usually the thing worth talking about.

By the end of the first session, most people know whether they want to come back. That’s the only thing we’re trying to figure out together. If it’s not a fit, I’ll tell you, and I’ll help you find someone it is.

Probably nobody “needs” therapy in the way they need food or sleep. But if something’s hurting enough that you’re reading a therapy FAQ, that’s the answer.

You don’t have to hit rock bottom to deserve support. You don’t need a dramatic origin story. “Other people have it worse” isn’t a reason to keep carrying something alone. If it hurts, it hurts.

That’s fine. That happens.

A lot of people cry in the first session. Some people cry every session for months. Some people don’t cry at all. None of it is a signal about how well therapy is working. If crying feels embarrassing, we can talk about that too. Often the thing people are most afraid of revealing is the exact thing worth looking at.

It depends on what you’re working on and how deep you want to go. Some people come in for a specific thing — a transition, a decision, a pattern — and finish in a few months. Other people work with me for a year or more because there’s a lot of layers. You’re in charge. We check in regularly about whether it’s still useful.

I’m not going to keep you longer than you need me. That’s not how I work.

Then we’re not a fit, and I’ll tell you that directly in the consult or after the first session. It’s not awkward. It’s actually one of the most useful things I can do for you. I have a network of other therapists I trust, and I’ll help you find someone who works better for what you’re dealing with.

Therapy only works when the fit is right. A bad-fit therapist isn’t a stepping stone — it’s a reason to give up on the whole thing. I take the fit question seriously.

A lot of my clients come to me after a previous round of therapy that didn’t move the needle. Sometimes it was a fit problem. Sometimes the therapist was well-meaning but not equipped for what the client was actually dealing with. Sometimes the client wasn’t ready, and now they are.

“Therapy didn’t work for me” is almost never the full story. Let’s talk about what you tried, what helped, what didn’t, and what you actually need now. That’s a good starting place.

Yes. A large portion of my practice is LGBTQIA+ adults, and I have specific experience with identity exploration, coming-out processes, gender and sexuality questions, chosen family dynamics, and the particular kind of family-of-origin work that tends to come up when your identity wasn’t welcomed growing up. You don’t need to educate me.

The honest answer: you mostly don’t know until we talk. Reading my website helps — if my voice sounds like someone you could actually open up to, that’s a good signal. If it doesn’t, that’s also useful information.

The consult is the real test. 15 minutes, free, no commitment. You’ll know after the call whether you want to book a first session or not. Trust that.