Alex Cashman-Rolls, PLLC

Who do you work with?

I currently offer telehealth sessions in Colorado & Washington to assess and treat individual adults and adolescents 12+ of all neurotypes, identities, sexes, genders, races, ethnicities, cultures, ideologies, politics, and beliefs. I’m frequently told that I have a safe, calming presence. I care deeply for the people I serve and I work well with clients who struggle in traditional talk therapy.

When do you see clients?

In Colorado & Washington I see clients on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday every week. My first appointment of the day is at 8am and my last appointment is at 6pm (patient’s local time).

Do you accept insurance?

If you’re a Washington resident and want your insurance to pay me, book me via Mindful Therapy Group at (425) 970-8347. I am in network in Washington (only) with Aetna, Cigna, Cigna EAP, Kaiser Permanente, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Regence, United Healthcare, & United Healthcare EAP.

If you’re in Colorado and want insurance to pay me, ask me if I’m able to get reimbursement for you from your insurance company (I’m not in network with any insurance companies in CO). I will verify with your insurance company whether they will reimburse you for my services. If yes, we will do the work to obtain the reimbursement for you – no superbills & no follow up for you to do with your insurance company. If not, I will offer to use my resources to find available therapists that meet your needs and accept your insurance.

What is your rate? Do you have sliding scale payment?

The rate for the scope of treatment I provide is $155 per 60 minute psychotherapy session. I do not offer a sliding scale. Instead I work 2 days per week in a community mental health clinic, and 3 days per week here in my private telehealth practice where I sustain my business by filling the remaining appointments at my full rate.

The rate includes:

• 60 minute psychotherapy session
• thorough ongoing assessment
• personalized treatment plan
• procurement and administration of ongoing measurement tools
• coordination with your other care providers
• making myself available to you outside of sessions when important to do so

How do you accept payment?

I accept Venmo and all major debit or credit cards.

I will ask for a 50% deposit at the time of booking each session. This ensures that you’ll show up, I’ll show up, and we’ll work on your healing. When we first speak I can describe how this deposit can be refunded.

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy done well is an effective approach to treating mental health issues by talking with a highly trained mental health professional. It is an evidence-based treatment that is grounded in research, theory, and skill-based dialogue guided by the psychotherapist. It helps people to change harmful or distressful thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors. Psychotherapy is built on a foundation of confidentiality, unconditional acceptance, and patience. Psychotherapy has changed countless lives and you’ll receive the most effective methods available for your needs.

What is neuropsychotherapy?

Neuropsychotherapy refers to a group of methods & tools that produce sustainable brain change by altering neural pathways & networks in ways that alleviate difficulties like trauma, anxiety, depression, anger, and addiction. It produces better results faster than traditional talk therapy.

What are the benefits of psychotherapy & neuropsychotherapy?

• Renewed daily, steady, undiluted joy and happiness
• Increased emotional regulation
• Increased capacity to set and reach the goals you choose
• New perspectives that will promote your long-term wellbeing
• Improved relationships with your partner, family, and friends
• Increased self-awareness
• Increased personal power
• Increased insight into your vulnerabilities, but more importantly your strengths and abilities
• The rewards and satisfaction of self-direction
• Dissolving the need to self-medicate in unhealthy ways
• Elimination of guilt, shame, and passive aggressive behaviors
• Restored hope

What happens in the first session?

The first session is the beginning of me building a sense of trust and safety for you. I’ll start by answering any questions you have. I’ll guide us through a private conversation about the reason(s) you’re seeking psychotherapy, the frequency and severity of your symptoms, and what it is that you want to change. You’ll share with me only what you want to. Once I’ve learned more about what you’re experiencing, I will make a recommendation and then you can decide what you will do. From this very first meeting, your wellbeing is my only priority. Should you decide not to continue therapy with me for any reason, I will offer to use my resources to help you find the support you’re looking for.

What happens in ongoing therapy sessions?

Each psychotherapy session is 60 minutes long. I may extend some appointments at my discretion. In each session we will both sit in a quiet, private, comfortable place and connect by video. We will have a conversation, much of which I will spend patiently listening and gently guiding the topics we discuss. After we’ve gotten to know each other, we will explore your past, present, future plans, your memories, your fears and regrets, and your precious strengths and abilities. Together we will identify what is standing in your way and come up with strategies that will achieve your goals. The greatest results will come during vulnerable moments.

How long does a course of treatment last?

The length of time it takes a person to achieve the change they’re seeking usually ranges from 12 to 24 weekly or bi-weekly sessions. In some cases it’s less and in some cases a person finds that long-term support and treatment is necessary. The plan is not for you to be in therapy for years but that is available if you decide it’s best. Once I’ve learned about what you’re experiencing, I can make a recommendation and you can decide what you will do.

What is your style and approach?

I don’t wear a professional mask. My approach relies on evidence-based tools but it won’t feel protocolized. I bring a wealth of professional and personal experience to my practice and I care deeply for the individuals I treat. I’m frequently told that I have a safe, calming presence. I work well with clients who struggle in traditional talk therapy. My services work best for individuals who want to grow and change, who are open to help, and who are willing to learn new ways of thinking, feeling, behaving, and believing. 

You can expect calm, steady, compassionate support from me combined with gentle but firm guidance while I accompany you in connecting new dots and achieving healthy self-direction. You will feel and be heard. You will feel and be seen. But this isn’t just about support. It’s about healing. Healing is what will set you free to reach the goals you choose. Healing requires that we accept the truth. So, part of my job is to make it safe for us to tell each other the truth.

For details on the specific methods I use, please see the specialization & approach section of my website.

What do the letters after your name mean?

MBA stands for Master of Business Administration, a professional degree I earned at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

MSW stands for Master of Social Work, a professional degree I earned at Columbia University and Boston University while studying and training in psychotherapy. While psychologists provide testing and psychiatrists prescribe medication, most psychotherapy today is done by trained psychotherapy experts who have a masters degree from a clinical social work program.

CCTS(I) stands for Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (Individual). This is a credential I earned from the Arizona Trauma Institute which trains a psychotherapist to assess, treat, and support healing of single, chronic, and complex trauma.

EMDRPT-II stands for Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Practicum Training – Advanced. This is a credential I earned while becoming trained & certified in EMDR with Dr. Jennifer Sweeton (Stanford University School of Medicine). See my specializations & approach to understand more about trauma healing and EMDR.

LSW stands for Licensed Social Worker. This means I am licensed to practice psychotherapy in the state of Colorado while consulting with another clinician for supervision. My license number is LSW.0009925563.

LSWAIC stands for Social Worker Associate Independent Clinical license. This means I am licensed to practice psychotherapy in the state of Washington while consulting with another clinician for supervision. My license number is SWAIC SC61587128.

LMSW stands for Licensed Master Social Worker. This means I am licensed to practice psychotherapy in the state of New York while consulting with another clinician for supervision. My license number is 124462.

NPI stands for National Provider Identifier. This is a unique federal identification number for covered healthcare providers. My NPI is 1174351324.

What are the symptoms of trauma?

• Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories
• Recurrent distressing dreams
• Persistent fear, anger, guilt, shame, or hopelessness
• Flashbacks that feel as if something you experienced in the past is happening now
• Intense feelings of mental and physical distress when you encounter something that symbolizes or resembles a past bad experience
• Inability to remember important aspects of something bad that happened in the past
• Persistent, exaggerated, negative beliefs about yourself, the world, or the cause or consequences of something bad that happened in the past
• Suicidal thoughts, planning, or attempts
• Substance use
• Spending a great deal of time and energy trying to avoid all of the above

What does it mean to heal from trauma?

The past cannot be changed. However, we can gain the ability to remain in a relaxed body and a calm, peaceful state of mind when remembering the past. We can also integrate traumatic events into the much larger narrative of our life in a way that confirms our unique and precious strengths. In the context of psychological trauma, gaining the ability to do these things with little or no effort is what it means to be healed. We’re defined by what we survive.

What is meant by personality difficulties?

Our personality is how we interact with ourselves and the world around us. It includes the enduring characteristics and behaviors that comprise a person’s unique adjustment to life including major traits, interests, drives, values, self-concept, abilities and emotional patterns.

Personality difficulties (traditionally called personality “disorders,” but I do not use a deficit or disorder-based approach) involve a long-term pattern of seeing oneself and reacting to other people in ways that cause distress, relationship problems, difficulty tolerating distress, and difficulty understanding emotions. Symptoms include:

• Impulsive or risky behavior
• Strange or unpredictable behavior
• Extreme mood swings or emotional outbursts
• Unstable sense of self
• Feeling concerned that others will abandon you
• Intense and unstable relationships
• Need for instant gratification
• Fantasies of unlimited success and power
• Need for excessive admiration

What are the symptoms of depression?

• Intense sadness every day or almost every day
• A loss of pleasure from things that you used to enjoy
• Significant changes in appetite and significant weight gain or loss
• Sleeping too much or too little every day or almost every day
• Excessive fatigue every day or almost every day
• Feeling physically hyper or unusually slow every day or almost every day
• Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and shame
• Hopelessness
• Indecisiveness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Recurrent thoughts of death and dying
• Suicidal thoughts, planning, or attempts
• Increased substance use

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

• Worrying all day, every day more days than not
• Difficulty controlling the worrying
• Restlessness or feeling “on edge” much of the day
• Feeling easily fatigued
• Difficulty concentrating
• Increased irritability
• Muscle tension and/or soreness
• Racing thoughts
• Sleep disturbance such as difficulty falling sleep, difficulty staying asleep, or unsatisfying sleep that leaves you feeling tired all day