Hi, I’m Akilah (they/she).

I am a licensed therapist who is Body Trust® Certified, EMDR-trained, and committed to inclusive, effective, & anti-oppressive practice. As a queer, Black therapist, I aim to reshape therapy into an affirming space for those who have felt misunderstood, pathologized, marginalized, or excluded from therapy spaces. As a person of multiple marginalized identities, it is important to me that BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent, fat, and LGBTQ+ communities are met with care, respect, and affirmation of our full complexity. Outside of private practice I enjoy cooking, reading fiction, being in nature, reality tv, low pressure socializing, and spending time with my cat, Nina.

Offerings

  • Free Phone Consultation

    Ask questions, assess fit.

  • 3 Session Introductory Package

    Try it out by bundling 3 sessions at a 20% discount.

  • Individual Therapy

    An exploratory process tailored to your needs.

  • EMDR

    Use the mind-body connection to facilitate healing.

Book A Free Consultation

We may be a good fit if…

  • You’re ready to invest in weekly or biweekly (every other week) therapy.

  • You want therapy that is collaborative, not hierarchical.

  • You’re looking for someone who can challenge your patterns, but honor your pace, wisdom, agency, and humanity.

  • You want a therapist that understands the impact of systemic oppression on mental health.

  • You’re interested in one or more of the following approaches: IFS, ACT, DBT, EMDR, Narrative Therapy.

We may not be a good fit if…

  • You want a highly structured, short-term, or manualized therapy approach (other than EMDR).

  • You’re looking for a therapist to help you with a goal of intentional weight loss or dieting.

  • You expect therapy to be a quick fix, rather than a process of deep and sustainable change.

  • You prefer to schedule therapy as needed versus commit to a number of sessions per month.

What are out-of-network benefits?

Out-of-network benefits let you get reimbursed for seeing a therapist who isn’t in your plan’s network (like me). Here’s how it works: you pay for sessions upfront, then submit a claim to your insurance for reimbursement. If that sounds like a hassle, Thrizer can make it stress free by handling the claims for you, or even fronting your session fee and waiting for reimbursement on your behalf.

Check your out-of-network insurance benefits here:

You can use out-of-network benefits to save money on therapy. Click here to enter your insurance information and see if you qualify for reimbursement for my services.

Need Help Covering the Cost of Therapy?

Through the Loveland Foundation Therapy Fund, Black women and nonbinary people can apply for vouchers that reduce the cost of therapy by $120 per session for up to 12 sessions.

Apply Here

FAQs

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FAQs *

  • My fee is $200 per session. For those coming to therapy with me for the first time, I offer a bundle of 3 sessions at a 20% discount. Before your first session, you will receive a Good Faith Estimate for the estimated cost of one year of therapy. Use out the benefits checker above to see if insurance can help you pay for therapy via out-of-network benefits.

  • I hold 30% of spots in my practice for sliding scale work. My sliding scale spots are currently full, but I will update this page when I have sliding scale availability again.

  • You can use out-of-network benefits, HSAs, and FSAs to offset the cost of therapy. If you are not sure if you have out-of-network benefits, you can use the Mentaya benefits checker to understand your out-of-network benefits. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions about this.

  • Under the law, health care providers need to give clients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance for reimbursement an estimate of the bill for services.  You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. For psychotherapists this means the cost per session.  Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.  If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
    For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

  • Each session is 50 minutes long.

  • I am available for appointments Monday-Friday. My earliest appointment is 10am and my latest is 6pm.

  • All services are offered remotely by video or phone. By law, you must be physically located in New York, Connecticut, or New Jersey at the time of our appointment. Please be aware that if using out-of-network benefits, it is important to clarify with your insurance company that they will reimburse you for telehealth services. Most insurance companies that cover telehealth allow for video, but not phone sessions. Please inquire for more information.

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a type of therapy, originally developed to help people heal from trauma, and now recognized to help treat depression, anxiety, chronic pain, phobias, and more. Often we have insight into the origins of our pain and problems, but still struggle with the ways in which our past can wreak havoc on our present. EMDR can help. Read more about EMDR at: https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/