SPT is an excellent modality for a wide variety of presenting concerns, including lack of experience, trauma history, anxiety, and difficulties with physical function. SPT is really for anyone who is struggling with intimate relationships, is unpartnered, and is interested in the tandem approach of experiential learning alongside their talk therapy. During an initial meet and greet, we will talk through concerns and goals, and will also consider other somatic approaches that may be a fit. I am personally only taking on clients who are LGBTQIA+.

My current fee is an hourly rate of $200 per face to face hour. The documentation and collaboration that I do with your clinician between sessions is covered in that fee. If there is local travel involved, I also charge $50 per hour for travel.

At this time, there are no insurance providers who cover SPT. I have had clients successfully pay with their FSA, though I would not depend on that, as it has the potential to be rejected if the provider does not consider it a qualifying service. Because cost is prohibitive for some individuals who want this work, I do offer a sliding scale rate for a small number of clients.

Each person is different, not only different in where they are at the start, but also in what their goals are. Other factors will also impact duration of service, including how long sessions are and whether or not they’ve worked with somatic practitioners before. In my work as a surrogate partner, duration of services has ranged from 18 sessions to 45 sessions.

There is an initial screening virtually, as well as a triadic meeting in the clinician’s office at the very start of the work. The vast majority of sessions after that are held in a private setting, such as the home of the client or surrogate. Occasionally, sessions are held in the community to support generalizing certain skills or overcoming specific anxieties.

Surrogate Partner Therapy in its traditional sense is a weekly therapy, with sessions of 1.5-3 hours once per week with the surrogate as well as weekly outpatient sessions with the collaborating clinician. For folks who don't live near the closest available surrogate, or for whom weekly sessions won't work, alternatives are available, including intensives or mini-intensives. An intensive entails meeting for two 2-3 hour sessions per day for 10-14 days. Mini-intensives are often a series of sessions in a weekend, one weekend per quarter.

Boundaries are a very important part of the structured, safe container that SPT provides. I limit contact between sessions to logistics, such as changes to schedule. This helps to maintain appropriate expectations and also leaves space for your organic relationships and activities to meet some needs. For similar reasons, I maintain a minimum of 2 years of no contact with clients after they complete the work, unless they are returning to continue the work or have ‘booster sessions.’

No. Surrogate Partner Therapy is a triadic model where work is done with a client, a surrogate, and a collaborating clInician. In my role as a surrogate partner, my primary job is to model and coach healthy relationship skills in direct, experiential practice with each client. The collaborating clinician is integral in their ability to process our experiences with you in a separate space and time. The clinician and surrogate each rely on the observations of the other to shape a holistic approach that will work for you. If you need support finding a local clinician to work with, I can recommend quite a number with experience in SPT.

There are a variety of ways that SPT can come to a close. Often a client will meet their goals or will feel confident in next steps and ready to take those on ‘in the wild.’ It is also fairly common that as your anxiety decreases and confidence builds, you may start to partner organically. If you start seeing a committed partner partway through the work, I will work with your clinician to ensure that they are able to continue skill building with you within your partnership.