Your first session
Reaching out is the hardest step. Here is every step after it, so none of them are a mystery.
Nothing below requires preparation, a diagnosis, or knowing what to say. Those are my job, not yours.
Pick a time
Schedule through my Headway page. No phone tag, no waiting on a callback. If you're using insurance, Headway shows your estimated cost per session before you book anything.
The consultation call
A short, free call of about fifteen minutes, in English o en español. You tell me what's bringing you in, as much or as little as you want. I tell you how I'd work with it and answer whatever you want to know about me.
The call is also a fit check in both directions. If I'm not the right therapist for what you need, I'll say so and name someone who is. You should leave the call with a next step either way.
Your first full session
Slower and more human than the word "intake" suggests. I'll ask a lot of questions, because I want to understand the bigger picture, not just your symptoms: what's bringing you in, the experiences that have shaped you, and how things like sleep, relationships, stress, movement, nutrition, and your daily routines may be influencing your mental health. By telehealth from anywhere in Colorado, or walking in a Denver park if that suits you better.
You don't need to arrive with a tidy story. Start anywhere; I'll help with the order. Cry, or don't; both are normal. Together we'll identify your goals and shape a treatment plan that's personalized, collaborative, and aligned with what matters most to you.
Finding a rhythm
Most clients start weekly, because early momentum matters, and adjust from there. We check in openly about what's working (the pace, the format, the direction) rather than assuming. Therapy you can't be honest about isn't doing its job.
Before-you-start questions
What if I don't know what to say? expand_more
Then you're like most people in a first session. "I don't know where to start" is a perfectly good opening line, and guiding the conversation from there is what I'm for.
What does it cost? expand_more
The consultation call is free. Sessions are billed through Headway, which works with many major insurance plans; Headway shows your estimated cost before you book. If your plan is out of network, you might be able to get reimbursed. There's a benefits checker on the insurance FAQ.
English or Spanish? expand_more
Either, and you don't have to choose permanently. I'm a native Spanish speaker; sessions run in English, en español, or in the mix that feels most like you, switching mid-sentence included.
Where do sessions happen? expand_more
Secure video from anywhere in Colorado, or walking in a Denver park. There's no office and no waiting room. All you need for telehealth is a private-enough spot and a phone or laptop.
What if it turns out you're not my person? expand_more
Then I help you find your person. Fit matters more than loyalty in this work, and you can say it to me directly without managing my feelings. I'd rather refer you well than keep you halfheartedly.
Step one takes about two minutes.
Pick a consultation time on Headway and the rest follows from there.
Mariana Vivas, LCSW · Licensed in Colorado · Page reviewed August 2026