All FAQs (Helpie FAQ)

Sexual confidence, sexual self-esteem; ability to trust yourself and decide when to trust others; addressing inhibitions, fears, and general discomfort with sexuality; ability to clarify wants and needs and set boundaries effectively; ‘coming out’ by telling the truth in spaces where the truth can be told; communication problems; affair recovery; sexual conflicts; problems with extended family or children; issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity; history of traumatic experiences, sexual or otherwise; learning to be more emotionally expressive; body image…cooperating with our bodies, honoring the wisdom of the body, grieving / accepting changes that come from age, injury, or illness; re-igniting the spark in long term relationships

Mental health concerns: Performance Anxiety…realizing that sex is about relating, being flexible improv, and success is defined by showing up, being present / kind to self and partner; feeling calm and confident

Low or absent sexual desire; wanting more, less, or different from what your partner wants; having troubling turn-ons; coming to terms with being kinky, having a fetish, or being interested / oriented toward some sort of ‘alternative lifestyle’ sexually or relationally; feeling compulsive or out of control sexually; co-creating a sex life with a partner that works beautifully for both of you.

Erection problems in men; lubrication problems in women.

Painful intercourse; pelvic pain; adjusting to new physical realities due to illness, injury, or the normal course of aging.

Never had an orgasm; not experiencing pleasure with orgasm; finding orgasm difficult to experience; rapid ejaculation

Repression, unholy trinity of guilt/shame/fear to control sexuality

Yes. While there are always exceptions, the general answer is that KAP has shown to be an excellent therapeutic approach for people suffering from the effects of trauma, whether that trauma was experienced recently or if it’s a part of their history.

We take good care of all of our clients, of course. It’s also fair to say that we pay special attention to making sure that our clients with trauma are able to experience treatment with us as restorative and respectful of their needs. It’s our goal that our clients feel safe and supported during KAP, so we might do a little extra preparation and integration work to assist with emotional regulation and grounding. We allow some flexibility for contact between sessions so that clients can access extra support if needed.

Ketamine works fast with low risk of side effects and the positive effects can be long-lasting – that’s a great combination! Studies have shown that 60-80% of patients have a positive response to the medicine, which is higher than other antidepressants. The risk of negative side effects is minimal when compared to other medications. Perhaps most importantly, ketamine can help people feel better in hours to days instead of weeks to months, which can make a huge difference when people are suffering with debilitating depression, anxiety, or suicidality.

Unlike traditional antidepressants that primarily target neurotransmitter levels, ketamine works by affecting the default mode network in the brain and creating a non-ordinary state of consciousness that can increase neuroplasticity, which allows people the opportunity to form new connections in the brain. Treatment with ketamine can lead to rapid and often long-lasting improvements in mood, thought patterns, and behavior, changes which help with long-term mental health and wellbeing.

One of the beautiful things about ketamine is that it has several different types of administration that are safe and useful in different circumstances. The main four types are IV (in the vein using a needle), IM (in the muscle using a shot), IN (nasal spray), or SL (sublingual, allowing a tablet to dissolve under the tongue).

Regardless of the route of administration, ketamine is always prescribed by a qualified medical professional after an assessment to determine its safety and appropriateness. SPARK has a list of recommended prescribers. Please ask if you’d like to get that list from us.

Yes, absolutely!

During the Discovery process, we will discuss the financial aspects of KAP at great length. Each financial agreement is custom-made based on a person’s individual needs, so feel certain that you’ll have informed consent about costs long before you’re starting KAP. The initial Discovery session is free. After that, individual or couples KAP Preparation, Medicine, and Integration sessions will cost roughly $175 per hour. Group sessions are less expensive. The cost for the medical evaluation with a physician or other prescriber costs $250-$500, depending on who you choose to see. The medicine itself is very affordable, usually costing less than $10 per dose.

At this time, ketamine is still considered an out-of-network expense for most insurance companies. With that in mind, some insurance companies may pay for part or all of the Preparation and Integration sessions the same way they would cover other out-of-network outpatient psychotherapy sessions. SPARK can provide receipts if you want to pursue reimbursement from your insurance company.

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of therapy and we think it’s particularly important in sex therapy. We take confidentiality very seriously and yes, what you share is protected by laws about confidentiality in healthcare. There are some exceptions to those rules when dealing with things like child abuse, elder abuse, or the intent to harm people. We will go over the limits to confidentiality before your therapy begins so you’re fully informed about how that works.

Yes. Privacy is a special concern for anyone in sex therapy, but perhaps because of their role in the community or what they’re coming to therapy to address, sometimes our clients have special reasons to need additional privacy in their treatment. If that’s the case, let’s talk about it. We’ve accommodated such needs successfully in the past.

SPARK is a general sex therapy practice, meaning we treat a broad spectrum of sexuality-related concerns. In particular, at SPARK we have special interest and training in erection anxiety / erectile dysfunction, sexual pain disorders, reclaiming sexuality after trauma, exploring kink and creative sexual expression, using sexuality for personal and spiritual growth, navigating ethical non-monogamy, affair recovery / healing from intimate betrayal, and working with sexual secrets / non-integrated aspects of sexuality.

No, you don’t need to be in a relationship to see a sex therapist. Some of the best sex therapy can happen when clients aren’t in a relationship – it’s like training in the off-season!

It’s like regular therapy, only we talk more specifically and directly about sex than most people do in regular therapy. No sexual touch happens in sex therapy sessions. Sex therapists are licensed mental health professionals who know how to do general counseling and intensive psychotherapy with clients, and in addition to that, we’ve got extensive training in sexuality. This extra training makes us useful for people who want to make changes in how they experience their sexuality. We tend to be sex nerds – people who have a deep intellectual curiosity and emotional spaciousness about all things sexual – which works out well for our clients!

Our standard hourly rate is $250 for all clinical services. We offer group therapy and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy services at a lower rate. Details about fees can be discussed during an initial consultation.

No, we don’t accept insurance. We understand that many people need or want to use insurance benefits for therapy, but at this time we aren’t able to offer that. Of course we can provide documentation as requested for out of network reimbursement or for HSA/FSA plans.

We recognize that therapy is expensive and that many people do not have money available for it, even when they really need help. To help with this, we offer reduced fee arrangements or payment plans for a large number of our clients. We can discuss those possibilities during our initial consultation, which is offered at no charge. If we aren’t able to accommodate your financial needs, we can make recommendations of other therapists who might be available at a lower rate.

This varies from person to person and depends greatly on what you want to accomplish. If you are interested in brief, solution-focused therapy, you’re in the right place. Sometimes a problem really can be solved in a session or two. In most cases, by two or three sessions we will have a good idea of what might be ahead for us. You have a right to be treated as efficiently and quickly as possible. If you’re interested in staying a while and doing longer term work, you’re in the right place for that, too. Therapy is definitely not one-size-fits-all at SPARK.

We specialize in sex therapy and psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and groups. We also offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, as well as training and support for other mental health professionals.

It’s worth asking! If we aren’t taking new clients or for some reason we aren’t the right fit, we’d love to offer suggestions about who else you might want to contact. Atlanta is fortunate to have a lot of good therapists and we always love helping people land on the right sofa, virtually or in real life.

Our main hours are 9 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday, with some evening and weekend options as needed. Ask for what you need and we’ll see if we can make it happen. SPARK is a practice that aims to be available to our clients when we’re needed. To help accomplish that, we avoid overscheduling our calendars so we can keep space for emergencies or to add new clients in quickly. We know that by the time people reach out for help from a therapist, they’re usually interested in starting as soon as possible, so we try to make that possible.

Yes, we are pleased to offer both virtual and in-person sessions. Our office is in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood of Atlanta on a quiet, mostly residential street just off the Beltline between Piedmont Park and Ponce City Market. You may already know which option works better for you or we might figure that out together.

If you need help and you think we might be a good fit, email us and let’s talk. We might be able to help, at the very least by directing you to colleagues who would be able to work with you.

Our standard hourly rate is $250 for all clinical services. We offer group therapy and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy services at a lower rate. Details about fees can be discussed during an initial consultation.

No, we don’t. We understand that many people need or want to use insurance benefits for therapy, but at this time we aren’t able to offer that. Of course we can provide documentation as requested for out of network reimbursement or for HSA/FSA plans.

We recognize that therapy is expensive and that many people do not have money available for it, even when they really need help. To help with this, we offer reduced fee arrangements or payment plans for a large number of our clients. We can discuss those possibilities during our initial consultation, which is offered at no charge. If we aren’t able to accommodate your financial needs, we can make recommendations of other therapists who might be available at a lower rate.

This varies from person to person and depends greatly on what you want to accomplish. If you are interested in brief, solution-focused therapy, you’re in the right place. Sometimes a problem really can be solved in a session or two. In most cases, by two or three sessions we will have a good idea of what might be ahead for us. You have a right to be treated as efficiently and quickly as possible. If you’re interested in staying a while and doing longer term work, you’re in the right place for that, too. Therapy is definitely not one-size-fits-all at SPARK.