How long are therapy sessions?

Standard therapy sessions are 45-50 minutes long. If you are interested in a longer session, I also see clients for 90 minute sessions at a prorated cost. Appointments for multiple people, like a family or parent-child session, may need to be 90 minutes depending on the circumstances and goals.

Do you offer teletherapy?

Yes, and I have created a separate teletherapy page here.

Do you offer in-person therapy?

Right now, teletherapy is my main form of providing services, but I do offer outdoor options for individuals who have a preference for meeting in person. This is especially true for my work with children who have difficulty connecting over video. You are welcome to contact me to learn more about what in-person services are available based on what you are wanting.

Do you offer in-home therapy?

In certain circumstances I am able to provide in-home services. This is typically the case for children or a family that wants to meet with me in their home. I charge a pro-rated cost for travel. You are welcome to contact me and we can discuss what you are specifically looking for to determine if in-home services is a fit.

Do you take insurance?

I do not take insurance but can provide you with a superbill that you can submit to your insurance provider. If you want to find out more from your insurance as to what your provider will reimburse, I am considered an “out-of-network” provider. Insurance can be confusing, and I’m happy to provide help navigating insurance terminology and information.

How much does therapy cost and what methods of payment do you take?

My regular fee is $275-$300 per session. However, I have short-term (3 month) sliding scale (lower fee) options on a case-by-case basis. This depends on different factors including financial means, the time of day we are meeting, and frequency of meetings. I believe part of psychological health involves being able to communicate about money, and we can discuss fee setting more during our initial phone consultation. I also recommend that if you think I might be a good fit for you as a therapist, schedule the phone consultation even if you think my fee might be above your financial means currently and we can see if it is possible to work something out.

You can pay by Zelle, or credit card.

What will our first meeting look like?

This depends on if we are meeting in person or via teletherapy. For in-person meetings, I will greet you in the waiting area at the time of your appointment. For teletherapy meetings, I will provide the necessary phone and/or video information. Many people have a fear that they will need to “spill their guts” and disclose deep, dark secrets and prior painful memories in the first session. While this sometimes happens, you can think of our first meeting more as an opportunity for you to tell me about yourself, what is bringing you in to therapy, and other pertinent information that will help us begin to create a plan together. The initial meeting is also an opportunity for you to further decide if I am a good fit for your therapy needs, and I make sure to leave time to answer questions you may have about therapy.

What do I need to do to prepare for our first meeting?

First, I want to acknowledge that for many people, the first therapy meeting can create significant stress and anticipatory anxiety, even if you are really excited and hopeful about therapy. In terms of preparation, the good news is that your biggest task is simply to show up to the session and try to show up on time. Optionally, you can write down or otherwise make note of any areas in your life you want to make sure we discuss.

I also like to mention here that I believe part of my role as a therapist is to keep us on track. Some clients can have a fear that they are “not doing therapy right.” There is no “right” or “wrong” way to do therapy, but I am always committed to thinking about if what we are doing is contributing to healing.

Can you give a neuropsychological or psychoeducational assessment?

A neuropsychological assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of cognitive procedures. It also assesses an individual's social, emotional and academic processing. Individuals who are a good fit for this kind of evaluation are those who are curious about how they are functioning as compared to their peers. Children with difficulties learning are candidates for neuropsychological and psychoeducational assessments in order to determine their functioning and the possible presence of a learning disability.

While I am experienced in providing neuropsychological and psychoeducational assessments, I am not conducting full-battery assessments at this time. I am happy to provide you with referrals based on what you are looking for.

How long will I be in therapy?

This really depends. Sometimes people experience significant change/improvement almost immediately, and sometimes it takes much longer. It also depends on what you are looking for: some people want to tackle a very specific problem (for example, a difficult relationship situation), whereas others have more broad goals and may feel motivated to develop a more comprehensive narrative of their life. There is no right or wrong here, and once I learn more about you, we can create a plan for how we will approach therapy together.

How much of my income should I spend on therapy?

I have included this question because I have observed that clients often receive no or minimal guidance with how to categorize the expense of therapy. There is no one right answer to this question. However, I think there are two especially important considerations as you consider the cost of therapy. First, part of overall psychological well-being is having a healthy relationship with money. Being financially overextended or, conversely, hoarding financial resources is not the goal. So I would recommend not spending money that you don’t have on therapy, and also spending money openly that you do have on improving mental wellness. This leads to the second consideration: therapy really can be life-changing. From that perspective, it’s almost impossible to put a dollar amount on it. Let’s say, for example, that you make self-discoveries and experience growth in a way that you find your romantic partner, or land your dream job, or heal emotional wounds that have kept you up at night for years. It is worth thinking about how valuable experiencing deep change and growth may be, and letting this guide your answer to how much of your income you should spend on therapy factoring in the first consideration.

Is psychotherapy cost effective?

I have included this in my FAQ because I think it is an interesting and important question. Actually, there is extensive research that supports therapy being cost effective. For example, psychotherapy has been shown to reduce subsequent medical visits for those with certain diagnoses. For a more comprehensive review of psychotherapy cost effectiveness, I recommend the book Psychotherapy Is Worth It: A Comprehensive Review of its Cost Effectiveness edited by Susan G. Lazar, M.D.

What is the difference between a clinical psychologist, a neuropsychologist and other types of therapists?

If someone has the title of clinical psychologist, it means that they have received their doctorate (either a Ph.D. or a Psy.D.) in clinical psychology. A doctorate is considered the highest degree awarded within clinical psychology.

A neuropsychologist is a clinical psychologist specializing in conducting neuropsychological assessments. These assessments are provided for individuals seeking insight into their neurological, social and emotional functioning. This is a highly specialized field, with board certification being the most advanced form of specialization.

Other common therapy degrees include a Masters in Social Work (practicing as a licensed clinical social worker abbreviated LCSW), or a marriage and family therapist (MFT). Sometimes medical doctors (M.D.) will also practice therapy as part of a psychiatry practice.

Different states have different regulations, and sometimes there are areas of practice that only clinical psychologists can engage in (for example, in conducting certain types of assessments).

What is the difference between a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist?

Although this depends on the state you reside in, in the state of California, clinical psychologists do not prescribe psychotropic medications or any other form of medication. As stated by the American Psychiatric Association, psychiatry is the branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (an M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in mental health.

If you are interested in seeing a psychiatrist, we can discuss this further during our initial meeting.