Frequently Asked Questions

You know you're ready to start therapy, but finding a therapist can be difficult. Below are a few frequently asked questions that might help. If you have a question you don't see an answer to on this page, please feel free to contact me directly.

How much does it cost?

My full fee is $200 for 50 minutes for individual clients, and $220 for 60 minutes for couples/relationship clients. I offer a limited number of sliding scale spots. Please get in contact with me if you have any questions.

Notice to clients and prospective clients:

Under the law, health care providers need to give clients who aren't using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.

You can ask your health care provider, or any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service, or at any time during treatment. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 or more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, or how to dispute a bill, see your Estimate or visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

Do you accept insurance?

I do not accept insurance, but I will happily provide a Superbill or Statement for Insurance Reimbursement that you may submit to your insurance company upon request. You might want to look into "out of network" benefits, or call to see if/how much they'll contribute for an "out of network provider."

How do I know if you're a good therapist for me?

Research shows that the quality of the relationship between therapist and client is one of the most important factors of success in psychotherapy. Yes, even more than years of experience, modality or type of therapy. It can be difficult to tell from the online directories and searches who you want to work with.

I recommend talking to ~2-3 therapists (most offer brief phone consultations at no charge) and paying attention to how you feel when you're speaking with them. A few ideas for what to discuss in a consultation call:

Why you're seeking therapy at this time
What you'd hope to gain out of therapy
The therapist's approach and guiding beliefs
Availability
Accessibility (office location and accommodations/telehealth)
Fee

Based on these conversations, you can decide if you want to schedule an initial session. In my practice, we'll use the first one to three sessions as a mutual assessment period, and decide together if we'd like to move forward. If not, I always provide potential referrals.

It might take some trial and error, but I absolutely believe there is a therapist out there for everyone, and it's important to find someone you feel comfortable spending time with.

What is psychotherapy like? How long will it take?

We'll begin by building comfort and trust, and reviewing what's bringing you in. We'll explore other important information about you, including your lifestyle, history, identity, and relationships. We'll identify goals and a treatment plan for achieving them. We'll process challenging emotions and navigate coping skills and new perspectives. Sometimes you'll leave a session feeling invigorated, relieved, drained, reflective, or motivated.

Throughout the process, we will continue to touch base on your progress, symptoms, and goals. We'll tend to your most pressing or bothersome concerns first, and if you're ready and willing, we can then dive deeper into who you are. We can determine together if you're ready to finish, take a break, change course, increase or decrease, or stay on track. I welcome your feedback and respect your autonomy; this is your time.

I wish I could give you a specific timeline for how long it will take to achieve your goals. This depends on many, many different factors and varies quite wildly from person to person. If time is a concern, I encourage you to bring this up with your therapist and explore what your goals are, as well as if/why having a time limit is important to you. Psychotherapy can be done in a time-limited way, with strong focus, support, and commitment. However, I tend to work with clients over longer periods of time.

What do all the acronyms mean in therapist's titles?

In California, MFT or Marriage and Family Therapy is the predominant license type for a psychotherapist. MFTs are trained to consider the family (or chosen family) as a system, as well as the individual. However, we typically see individuals too (and are trained to do so!). You might also see LPCC/APCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) or LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker). These are also appropriate choices for psychotherapists, as we are all regulated by the Board of Behavioral Sciences in CA, and trained to provide counseling.

The "A" typically stands for "Associate" or pre-licensed. These therapists have obtained at least a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology or similar, and have a minimum of one year counseling experience. They work for 2-6 years under the supervision of a licensed psychotherapist and must take a number of exams in order to become officially licensed. Becoming fully licensed can take a long time, so if you work with an Associate, just know they do have experience and are consulting regularly with a very experienced "supervisor." You can check a psychotherapist's license here: https://search.dca.ca.gov/

How can I prepare for a session?

No matter the setting, it is always useful to make notes of things you'd like to explore in therapy, changes in your mood or behavior, and take-aways from each session. This encourages you to be more mindful of your experience and helps you take an active role in our work.

Telehealth sessions have many advantages, particularly for scheduling and logistics. One big change from going to therapy in person, is you don't have time built in traveling to and from an office to mentally prepare, transition, and process. I recommend trying to find at least 2-3 minutes before our session to take a few breaths and get present, or request to do so when we begin. Our sessions are 50 minutes long, and I use the remaining ten to take notes, check in with myself, and take care of any needs before moving to the next task. I highly recommend you try to do the same, if you can!