Office Location:
1420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
I see clients in person on Mondays through Thursdays
Teletherapy Requirements: Good wifi, a computer, iPad, or phone connected to the internet, a headset for improved sound quality, privacy for your session. Please close all other browser tabs during our sessions.
Populations & Issues
Psychotherapy for individuals and couples. Consultation and Groups for those learning IFS. Mentoring for students and new social workers. Coaching for those shifting into private practice/new business lines.
Most of my clients identify as Highly Sensitive People. They’ve often been told they are “too sensitive” or their feelings are “too much.”
I often care for other therapists, healers, artists, activists, grad students, and those contemplating a big life change. If you’re an exhausted anxious perfectionist, I would love to work with you. If you’ve always been “good” while gritting your teeth, let’s talk.
I do a lot of grief and trauma work which helps people experience more lightness, clarity, and joy. If you’ve been in trauma recovery but your progress has stalled, or you feel ready for deeper, lasting healing, Internal Family Systems (IFS) can be a great modality.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a great approach for you to explore your inner world, befriend it, and learn to live with wisdom and courage. I resonated with IFS because it was a respectful, consensual way to help people heal.
Each system is unique, as each person is unique, so your experience of your inner world through IFS may surprise you.
I am committed to welcoming those who haven’t felt welcomed or comfortable in therapeutic settings: the global majority, those with LGBTQIA+ identities, immigrants, and men (or those masc of center).
Check out my profile on Psychology Today.
Modalities/Therapeutic Approach
I am a Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist and have completed IFS Level 3 training. I work relationally. I like to incorporate mindfulness, body awareness, and your personal interests and creativity into my practice. I pay attention to your attachment style, and what narratives you use to think through who you are and your life’s purpose. I’m increasingly using body- and brain-based strategies, like Somatic IFS and drawing from Somatic Abolitionism. I use some CBT strategies for short-term symptom relief, doing experiments, and offering homework if desired. I am a feminist therapist, meaning I try to reduce the power differential, and emphasize respect, consent, and honoring your boundaries. I also incorporate your body’s wisdom and help you reconnect to your intuition.
We’ll work together to understand your strengths and which aspects of you need more nurturing, support, or recognition.
Languages
I’m bilingual in French and English.
Services
Individual and Couples Therapy: For the first session, I only charge $100 to encourage you to meet with me at least once. Thereafter, my fee is $200 per session, but I am able to slide to $170. (My low fee spots are currently taken.)
IFS Intensives: My fee is $400 per two-hour session. The goal of intensives is to make progress and do deeper work at a faster rate. Intensives can be helpful when you want to invest time and increase the energy to fuel new choices and new behaviors. Intensives can be helpful in Internal Family Systems Therapy if you are making progress with managers, but need more time to access your exiles and unburden them. Also, if you feel like you’re on the verge of tackling an important piece of work, making more time to go deeper can be very helpful. It can also increase how much support you receive when you need more. These need to be scheduled ahead of time, especially if you want to do more than one in a week. It is important to be clear about what work you want to tackle in these sessions. Please note that you may not receive more than your standard rate of reimbursement from insurance for an intensive session.
Walk & Talk Therapy for individuals NoLibs, Old Kensington, Old City, and Fishtown. Fee is $200 per session. If you would be interested in having walk and talk therapy sessions, where we meet and walk through Philadelphia together exploring your needs, please reach out to me. Some clients prefer walking side by side, and the bilateral stimulation of walking can relax the body and make harder topics easier to tackle.
IFS Case Consultation & Triad Practice: Available for individual consultation on IFS cases (consultation will not count toward IFS certification) and for Triad Practice Sessions. My fee is $130 per session.
Mentoring for New Social Workers: I want to support new social workers in their professional development and am happy to meet with you informally and answer any questions you might have as you undertake the next step in your journey. Please see my Advice for New Social Workers. I am a mentor for PSCSW.
Fees/Payment
I only accept credit cards or HSA payment for therapy sessions. Payment is made at the beginning of the session.
If you find yourself feeling triggered between sessions, I’m happy to have a free 15-minute call to review coping skills.
Licensing & Telehealth
I am licensed in PA and NJ, so I can see clients who are in either state. I have telehealth license that allow me to do telehealth therapy in DE, FL, SC, VT. WV coming soon!
Insurance
I am an out-of-network provider for psychotherapy, meaning you will have to pay out of pocket. I will provide you with a monthly receipt (superbill), and you will submit it for reimbursement to your insurance company under your out-of-network benefits. It is very important that you call and find out your out-of-network behavioral health benefits before starting therapy (use the number on the back of your insurance card). Most PPO health care plans offer out-of-network benefits. Most HMO plans do not.
For Teletherapy in PA or NJ: Please find out whether your insurance will cover teletherapy, and if they require a specific teletherapy platform. I use Simple Practice. If teletherapy isn’t covered, you will need to be comfortable paying out of pocket without reimbursement. If I provide a specific modality that is not widely available where you live (such as IFS) you can appeal your insurance to ask them to cover our work.
No Surprises Act and Good Faith Estimate of Services
As my client, you have the right to request and receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.
* Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
* You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services I might provide you as your therapist over the next year. Outside our agreed-upon per session fee, this includes related costs of preparing documentation for you (hourly fee of $200), or of copying your records for you using PA HHS department per page cost guidelines. My fee for testifying in a trial is $400 per hour.
* If you do not have or are planning not to use insurance, I am required to give a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your first 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.
* Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. You should receive one at least yearly.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 800-985-3059.
Bathrooms
There are two-stall gendered bathrooms in the hall across from the office. There is a wheelchair-accessible all-gender bathroom on the 15th floor, door code: 1420. The elevators are quick, thankfully. My landlord has denied my request to change one of the bathrooms on my floor to all gender.
Commitment to Community
Twenty percent of my caseload is free or very low fee therapy. I provide free therapy through Asylum Pride House, and treat other marginalized folks dealing with trauma. I also serve on the PSCSW Legislative Committee to impact legislation in PA that pertains to mental health or impacts the wellbeing of Pennsylvanians. I am a mentor for new social workers for the PSCSW and Delaware Community College students. Please see my Advice for New Social Workers.
Social Media
Facebook Page, Therapy with Sylvie
PsychologyToday Profile