Question 1

How can Therapy help me?

Accepted Answer

Therapy offers a number of benefits both short-term and long-term. A therapist can teach you coping skills for managing feelings and symptoms. Therapy can provide a new perspective on a difficult problem or help you in gaining clarity. You can use this time to process your feelings in a safe environment with a licensed professional. Many people find therapy to be a huge asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family conflict, work stress, and daily life stressors.

Question 2

How much do sessions cost?

Accepted Answer

I offer a free 15-minute consultation via phone call or video, prior to starting services to answer any questions you may have, and to make sure that we are a good fit.

Standard / Rates for Therapy Service(s): (Video or Phone call)
*The full fee is required after each session.

Licensed and experienced Clinician:
- Initial Intake session, Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation  (60 minutes):  $175 
- Standard Individual Therapy session (50 minutes):  $150
- Add-on, extended therapy session (30 minutes):  $75

- Family Therapy or Conjoint Therapy (50 minutes):  $175
- Add-on Family/Conjoint (30 minutes):  $90

Reduced Fees:
I offer a sliding fee scale on an as needed basis, to ensure accessibility of mental health services, with preference for disadvantaged individuals. Please reach out for more information.

*By requests only. Limited Slots Available.

Question 3

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Payments for sessions can securely be made by credit card through your client portal. You can choose to enter your credit card information into the secure payment setup in your client portal, that only you can see. You can choose to have automatic payments so you won't have to deal with the hassle of entering the information every time. The charge is made within 24-48 hrs after your session.

*Please note, it is required to upload a card on file in your client portal in order to schedule your first appointment (free Initial consultation call). You will not be charged for the free consultation call, this is to make the process easier for the next step in making your appointments thereafter.

I also accept payments by cash or Zelle.

Question 4

Do you accept Insurance? What is a Superbill?

Accepted Answer

At this time, I do not accept insurance. However, I am an out-of-network provider, I can provide a detailed statement/invoice commonly known as a Super-bill (upon request).

What is a SuperBill?
A Super-bill is a detailed document that contains information about the services you received during a therapy session, including the date of service, type of service, diagnosis, and the cost of service. So when you pay for a therapy session out-of-pocket, you can request a superbill from your therapist on a monthly basis and/or at the end of treatment, which you can then submit to your insurance provider with any other required documentation, such as a claim form, to seek reimbursement of the fees already paid.

If your insurance provider covers out-of-network services, they may reimburse you for a portion of the cost of the therapy sessions. Upon their review, the amount of reimbursement can vary depending on your specific insurance plan and type of service you received. Please note that not all insurance providers cover out-of-network services, so it is your responsibility to contact your insurance company prior to session to verify with them, that your insurance provider accepts superbills and that you're eligible for reimbursement. I cannot guarantee reimbursement from your insurance provider. Please be advised that therapists will not be involved with the insurance company as it is something the client handles on their end. The full fee is required at each session. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Insurance Companies:
It is important to inform you that insurance companies require that you are given a clinical diagnosis as proof that you meet medical necessity in order to cover the cost of treatment services. In some cases your insurance company may also ask therapists for your therapy records (e.g. assessment, treatment plan, therapy notes, date of service, type of service) - which may be undesirable since confidentiality is often desired by clients. This is why most clients prefer to pay out-of-pocket for therapy instead of using a health insurance or superbills.

Question 5

What is Teletherapy? Do you offer in-person therapy?

Accepted Answer

At this time, I am exclusively providing teletherapy/telehealth (online) services. Teletherapy/Telehealth is like regular therapy, but from the comfort of your own space.

This allows me to provide services to clients residing anywhere within the state of California, from the comfort of your home or private space of your choice. My goal is to make therapy accessible and convenient for you. Our virtual therapy sessions are private and confidential. That's why I offer virtual therapy sessions through the HIPAA-compliant and secure teletherapy platform through your client portal. You can also download the user-friendly client portal app on your phone/iPad or computer using the link you'll receive in your therapy appointment confirmation. 
This way you don’t have to be stuck driving in rush hour traffic, skip your lunch break or miss your therapy session (of course if you need to skip or re-schedule a session that's totally fine, just kindly notify me 24 hours in advance).

Question 6

Do you have a Cancellation Policy?

Accepted Answer

Please remember to cancel or reschedule 24 hours in advance. With the exemption of emergency circumstances, cancellations and re-scheduled sessions will be charged the full session fee if notified LESS THAN 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE or a No-show.

This is necessary because a time commitment is made to you and is held exclusively for you. If you are late for a session, you may lose some of that session time, and we cannot go over the time scheduled because there are other client appointments after yours. This is also mentioned in the professional agreement that clients will be signing prior to the first session.

Question 7

Can I work with you if I live outside of California?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, no. Legally, therapists can only provide services in the state they’re licensed in. Due to being licensed in California, I am only able to provide therapy services to clients located anywhere within the state of California at this time. I cannot provide services to anyone outside of California.

Current clients traveling outside of California:
If you're a client that is traveling outside of California, please kindly notify me in order to cancel the appointment, as I will not be able to provide sessions while you're out of the state. We can resume services when you return, at our next scheduled appointment. If there is an emergency while you’re traveling please remember to call 911 or go to the nearest Hospital Emergency room.

Question 8

How long does each therapy session take?

Accepted Answer

Normally, the standard meeting time for an individual therapy session is 50 minutes and 10 minutes of required note writing time for therapists. Family sessions are 50-60 minutes.

It is up to you, however, to determine the length of time of your sessions. Requests to change the 50-minute session needs to be discussed with the therapist in order for time to be scheduled in advance. There are 15-30 minute add-ons for individual and family sessions, see pricing in FAQs under "How much does Therapy Cost?"

Question 9

How many sessions are required?

Accepted Answer

Therapy does not follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Each person is different and so are their issues and circumstances. However, depending on the concerns presented, for example through the CBT approach it is recommended at minimum an average of 12-20 consistent weekly sessions. In community mental health the average length of treatment is about 1-2 years. Therapy can be longer depending on your needs, since therapy is optional, you don't need to have "medical necessity" for it, it can be for personal growth, to grow your coping toolbox, etc.

*In order for you to gain the full benefits of therapy, it is important to attend weekly sessions, consistently.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS