Questions about working together?
Here are the ones I hear most often, answered honestly.

Yes. The front door to this practice is an IFS Intensive. To begin, send an email to kiara@kjhartwell.com with a little about what brings you here and what you're hoping to work on. I'll follow up to schedule your 90-minute pre-intensive call.

I no longer offer a free consultation. My website is designed to give you everything you need to know to decide whether this work is right for you. If something here resonated, the next step is simply reaching out. The pre-intensive call is where we formally begin.

The 90-minute pre-intensive call ($325, credited toward your intensive) is where our work together formally begins. This isn't a sales call or a logistics check-in; it's a thorough clinical intake. We take a detailed history, explore your parts landscape, identify what's most alive and ready to move, and determine which intensive format is right for you. You'll leave the call with a clear sense of what we're working on and what to expect.

Not at all. Many people come to this work with a general sense that something isn't moving like a heaviness, a pattern they can name but can't stop, or a feeling that understanding themselves hasn't been enough to change anything. You don't need a crisis or a diagnosis. You need to be ready to go deeper than insight alone.

Every intensive begins with a 90 minute pre-intensive call where we take a thorough history and set the container. The intensive itself is either a half-day (3 hours) or full-day (6 hours) of uninterrupted IFS work. There is no clock pressure, no picking up where we left off next week. After your intensive we debrief together and discuss what ongoing support, if any, makes sense from there.

After your intensive we discuss next steps together. Some clients move into ongoing weekly or biweekly IFS therapy as a continuation of the work. Some return for another intensive. Some simply take space to integrate what moved. There's no pressure toward any particular path because we figure out what's right for you based on where you land.

Yes, as a continuation of intensive work. Weekly or biweekly IFS therapy is available for clients who have completed a pre-intensive call and want ongoing support following their half-day, full day, or multi-day intensive. It is not offered as a standalone entry point. The intensive is where we begin.

Absolutely. Many clients do an intensive, integrate the work, and don't continue into weekly therapy, and that's completely appropriate. The intensive is designed to be complete in itself. Ongoing support is available if it feels right, not because it's expected.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapy model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz. It's based on the understanding that the mind is naturally made up of multiple parts, each with its own perspective, feelings, and role,  and that beneath all of these parts is a core Self that is calm, curious, compassionate, and capable of leading.
IFS doesn't treat your patterns as problems to eliminate. It gets curious about them, understanding what they've been protecting, what they've been carrying, and what they need in order to finally rest. It's particularly effective for people who understand their patterns intellectually but haven't been able to change them through insight alone.

IFS is listed on SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.

No. While IFS is highly effective for trauma, it applies to anyone ready to understand their inner world more deeply. It's especially powerful for highly self-aware adults who recognize their patterns of the people-pleasing, the over-functioning, the perfectionism,  and want to go beneath the insight that hasn't been enough to create real change.

Most therapy stays at the surface by helping you understand your patterns, develop coping strategies, and manage symptoms. IFS goes underneath that. We work directly with the parts driving your patterns, understanding what they've been protecting and giving them permission to rest. Many clients who felt stuck in previous therapy find that IFS reaches something that insight and talk therapy couldn't.

The 90-minute pre-intensive call is $325 and is credited toward your intensive selection.
IFS Intensive pricing:

Half-Day · 3 hours · $1,800

2 Half-Days · 6 hours · $3,600

Full-Day · 6 hours · $3,600

2 Full Days · 12 hours · $7,200

3 Full Days · 18 hours · $10,800

Ongoing individual therapy sessions (for existing intensive clients) are $325 per 55-minute session.

A Good Faith Estimate is provided to all clients before services begin, in accordance with the No Surprises Act.

Intensives are private pay only and are not covered by insurance. This is intentional and the container works because both of us are fully committed to the work.

For ongoing weekly therapy sessions after the intensive, I am in-network with BCBS and an out-of-network provider with all other insurers. I do not bill other insurance companies directly, but I can provide a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement. I recommend calling your insurance provider before we begin to ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits.

Sliding scale availability for ongoing weekly therapy, after the intensive, is considered on a case-by-case basis. Please mention this when you reach out and we can discuss whether there's availability.

I ask for at least 48 hours notice for cancellations or rescheduling. Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours notice will incur a late cancellation fee equal to the full session rate. For intensive sessions, the cancellation policy is outlined in your contract and is more stringent given the length of time reserved. The full policy is outlined in your intake paperwork.

All sessions,  including the pre-intensive call, intensives, and ongoing therapy, are conducted virtually via a secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform. I work with clients throughout Maryland and Virginia. In person intensive options may be available at my Catonsville, Maryland location. Please reach out to inquire.

I am licensed as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Maryland and as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Virginia. I can only see therapy clients who are physically located in Maryland or Virginia at the time of our sessions.
If you're located outside Maryland or Virginia, coaching services are available worldwide through Thoughtfully Elevating at thoughtfullyelevating.com.

You'll need a device with a camera and microphone; a smartphone, tablet, or computer all work well. Sessions are conducted through a HIPAA compliant platform and you'll receive a link before each session. A private, quiet space where you won't be interrupted is important, especially for intensive work.