What happens before your first session.
No mystery, no surprises. Here is the whole process from first call to first session, and exactly what you will be asked to fill out.
The consultation
Fifteen minutes by phone or video, at no cost. What is going on, how she works, and whether it fits. If it does not, she will point you somewhere better.
Paperwork
A secure link arrives by email. Each partner completes their own forms, on a phone or a laptop, before the first session.
First session
Fifty-five minutes. The story, the history, the pattern, and what each of you wants. You leave with a plan rather than a diagnosis of who is at fault.
Finding a rhythm
Weekly to start, usually at the same time each week. You will review together how it is going, out loud, every few weeks.
What you will be asked to complete
Everything arrives through a HIPAA-compliant client portal. Nothing clinical is ever collected through this website, by email, or by text.
- Client information
Names, contact details, emergency contact, and your address, which telehealth rules require. - Informed consent for treatment
How therapy works here, confidentiality and its limits, fees, and the cancellation policy. - Telehealth consent
For online sessions: privacy on your end, what happens if the connection drops, and confirming which state you are in. - Practice policies
Communication between sessions, records, social media, and how couples work handles individual information. - Notice of Privacy Practices
Your rights over your health information. You sign that you received it. - Credit card authorization
Stored securely in the portal and charged after each session. - Brief intake questionnaire
History, current concerns, and what you want out of therapy. Each partner completes their own.
Practice policies, up front
Cancellations
24 hours notice or the full fee applies. Insurance does not reimburse missed sessions. Real emergencies are treated as such.
Confidentiality
What you say stays between you, with narrow legal exceptions for safety and court orders. All of it is spelled out in the consent forms and the privacy notice.
Where you are sitting
For online sessions you need to be physically in New York or Florida, since a license only covers the state you are in. Tell her in advance if you will be traveling.
Between sessions
Portal messages for logistics. She is not a crisis service and does not monitor messages around the clock. In an emergency, call or text 988 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Individual information in couples work
The policy on what happens if one partner shares something privately is explained in writing before you start, so nobody is guessing.
Records
You can request a copy of your record at any time. In couples and family work, releasing shared records generally requires every adult to agree.
New client questions
How long does the paperwork take?
About fifteen to twenty minutes. It arrives by email as a secure portal link, and you can complete it on a phone. Each partner fills out their own copy so both perspectives are on record before session one.
Do we both have to fill out forms?
Yes, in couples and family work each adult completes their own intake. It is the first place Annalis gets to hear each of you separately.
What should we bring or prepare?
Nothing formal. If it helps, each of you can jot down what you hope is different in six months. If you are using insurance, have your card handy for the portal.
What if we are running late or need to cancel?
Message through the portal as early as you can. Cancellations with at least 24 hours notice are not charged; later than that, the full fee applies because the time was held for you.
Can we bring our kids?
For family sessions, yes, when they are part of the work. For couples sessions, it is better to arrange care so you can both be fully present. Adolescents 13 and up are seen in family and individual work.
What happens between sessions?
Usually a small experiment rather than homework: one conversation to try, one pattern to notice. Brief portal messages for scheduling are fine. Therapy itself happens in session.
Ready to take the first step?
A short call, at no cost, is all it takes to find out whether this is the right room for you.
In person in New York City · Online across New York & Florida · English y español