Licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and accepts 42 insurances. Specializes in Health/Medical Issues, Mood Disorders, Trauma and PTSD and 9 more.
(she/her)
Clients say this provider is
Hi, I’m Erica, a therapist in the Philadelphia area who believes healing is rarely neat, linear, or Instagram-perfect. My approach blends evidence-based tools with an honest appreciation for how complicated, funny, painful, and beautiful being human can be. My approach combines evidence based tools with curiosity, compassion, humor, and a genuine interest in understanding what makes you, well, you. I work with people who want to understand themselves better, break patterns that are no longer serving them, work through difficult experiences, or simply feel a little more comfortable in their own lives. I want therapy to feel like a place where you can be honest. You don’t have to have the right words, know exactly what you need, or come in with everything figured out. You can show up messy, overwhelmed, frustrated, guarded, or completely unsure of where to start. We can figure it out together. As someone who lives with a disability, I also know that resilience is a word that gets thrown around pretty casually. I understand what it means to build a life around limitations you didn’t choose while still wanting a life that feels full, meaningful, and genuinely yours. I bring that lived experience into my work, not because I think it means I understand everyone’s experience, but because I know what it feels like to keep going when things are heavy. At the end of the day, I’m a therapist, but I’m also a real person. I won’t pretend to have all the answers or expect you to have yours. My job is to meet you where you are, help you understand what’s happening underneath the surface, and give you some tools to make things feel a little more manageable.
Starting therapy with someone new can feel a little strange. You’re essentially meeting a stranger and being asked to talk about parts of your life that you may not even fully understand yourself yet. So I don’t expect you to walk in with a perfectly organized explanation of what’s wrong or a list of everything you want to fix. Our first session is really about getting to know each other and figuring out whether I’m the right person to help you. We’ll talk about what brought you to therapy, what has been going on lately, and what you would like to be different. We might talk about relationships, work, family, past experiences, patterns you’ve noticed, or things that just don’t seem to be working anymore. You can tell me as much or as little as you’re comfortable sharing. There is no expectation that you have to unpack your entire life in one session. I’ll also spend some time getting to know you beyond whatever brought you into therapy. What matters to you? What makes you laugh? What have you already tried? What do you wish people understood about you? Sometimes those things tell us just as much as the things that are causing you pain. I’ll explain how I work and what you can expect from me, including how we’ll approach treatment, communicate between sessions, and decide together what we want to focus on. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to ask questions, tell me what you need, or let me know if something doesn’t feel right. And yes, we’re also figuring out whether we’re a good fit. I don’t believe therapy works particularly well when you feel like you have to impress your therapist, tell them what they want to hear, or quietly agree with everything they say. You should feel comfortable being honest with me, including telling me when you disagree with something I say or when an approach isn’t working for you. This is your therapy. You get a voice in how we do it. You also don’t have to know exactly what you need before you start. A lot of people come to therapy knowing only that something feels off, they’re exhausted from handling everything on their own, or they keep finding themselves in the same situations and don’t know how to get out of them. That’s enough of a starting point. We’ll take it from there. My goal for our first session isn’t to fix you. It’s to help you feel heard, understood, and a little more comfortable than you did when you logged on. From there, we can start figuring out what healing and change might actually look like for you.
I Get That Life Is Complicated I know what it’s like to have to figure things out when life doesn’t go according to plan. Living with a disability has given me a firsthand understanding of navigating limitations, uncertainty, frustration, and the expectation to somehow keep moving forward anyway. That experience has shaped how I work with people. I’m not interested in offering empty encouragement or telling you to “just be resilient.” I understand that sometimes you’re doing the best you can and it still feels really hard. I’ll meet you there with empathy, honesty, and no pity. You’re Still in Charge I don’t believe therapy is about fixing you. You aren’t a broken thing that needs to be repaired. You know yourself better than anyone, and I respect that. My role is to help you understand yourself, notice patterns, explore what’s underneath them, and develop tools that actually make sense for your life. We’ll work together to figure out what you want to change and what you want to keep. That also means respecting your boundaries and your pace. I’m not going to force you to talk about something before you’re ready, and I’m not going to assume that my way is automatically the right way. I’m Curious About You I genuinely like learning about people. I don’t believe there is one formula for healing or one approach that works for everyone. I’m continually learning and growing as a therapist, both through ongoing education and through the people I have the privilege of working with. I bring evidence based skills and current knowledge to our work, but I also stay curious about what makes sense for you specifically. If something isn’t working, we can talk about it. If you need something different, we can adjust. Therapy should be useful in your actual life, not just sound good in a textbook. Most importantly, I’m not here to tell you who you are. I’m here to help you get to know yourself a little better.
I’m especially well-suited to support people navigating: • Complex trauma and CPTSD • Disability or chronic illness • Medical trauma • Addiction and recovery • Identity shifts and major life transitions • Feeling misunderstood, “too much,” or overlooked in other therapy spaces I also welcome folks from marginalized communities who want a therapist who sees all of who they are: your identity, humor, pain, resilience, and humanity. My style is collaborative, direct, and deeply grounded in empathy. You don’t need to show up polished, you just need to show up.
Cash - $110 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Amerihealth
Amerihealth Administrators
Arlo
AvMed
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross Blue Shield - Medicare
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Evernorth
Geisinger - Commercial
Golden Rule
GTEB
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Highmark
Highmark - Medicare
Independence Administrators
Independence Blue Cross
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
Tufts Health/Cigna
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
UPMC Health Plan
Together, we'll frame our conversations in a positive light. I'm here to actively listen to your experiences, highlighting moments of resilience, coping, and personal strengths. This positive framing aims to instill a sense of empowerment and hope right from the start. - I believe in collaboration, and that includes setting goals together. Your input is crucial in identifying and articulating your aspirations. By involving you in this process, we ensure that our objectives align with your values, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment. - Let's explore and acknowledge the personal resources and coping strategies you've used in the past. Recognizing these strengths is key, as it reinforces the idea that you have internal tools ready for positive change. - Our journey involves self-reflection and increased self-awareness. Together, we'll delve into your strengths and abilities, fostering a deeper understanding of how these qualities can be harnessed to overcome challenges and achieve personal growth. - I want to highlight your resilience and potential for growth. By exploring past instances of overcoming adversity, we'll work on instilling confidence in your ability to navigate current challenges and build a more positive future.
In DBT, we start by establishing mindfulness as a foundation. Together, we'll explore techniques to increase awareness of the present moment, fostering a non-judgmental and accepting attitude toward your experiences. - We'll delve into understanding and regulating emotions. Through DBT, you'll gain insights into your emotional experiences and learn practical skills to manage intense feelings, promoting a healthier emotional balance. - Life throws challenges our way, and DBT provides effective strategies for tolerating distress. We'll work on developing skills to navigate crises, endure difficult situations, and avoid impulsive reactions. - Relationships play a significant role in our well-being. DBT focuses on enhancing interpersonal skills, helping you communicate more effectively, set boundaries, and navigate conflicts in a way that aligns with your values. - DBT encourages finding the "middle path" between acceptance and change. We'll explore balancing acceptance of yourself and your current situation with the commitment to making positive changes, fostering a sense of control and agency.
As a therapist, describing myself as eclectic is reflective of the personalized and flexible nature of my approach. Just as each client is unique, their needs vary, and employing a diverse range of therapeutic techniques allows me to tailor interventions to best meet individual requirements. This eclectic approach enables me to draw from various modalities, ensuring that our therapeutic journey is dynamic, responsive, and finely tuned to the specific challenges and goals of each client. It's about crafting a therapeutic experience that is as unique as each person seeking support.
12 ratings with written reviews
June 2, 2026
I felt like she really listened and understood my situation and gave realistic solutions and ways to move forward.
May 5, 2026
Erica was warm and open-minded. I left the session feeling like I could work through what I needed to with her.
April 20, 2026
I really like Erica's style and empowering support. I plan on continuing treatment with her.