Frequently Asked Questions
Who do you work with?
I can help people who have addiction(s), anxiety, depression, and/or bipolar disorder. I also have a certificate (PMH-C) in helping people who are pregnant or postpartum with anxiety, depression, and bipolar episodes.
I work with people who are 18+, including older adults and LGBTQ+ folks. I offer individual therapy and sometimes group therapy. At this time, I don't offer couples or family therapy on an ongoing basis, but occasionally I will suggest that we do one or a few sessions with loved ones to help the person I am working with in some way.​
Do you see people in person or online?
My services are 100% via telehealth at this time, offered throughout the state of California. We can meet by phone or video. You would receive a link before your session for video appointments, and it is simple to sign on. (For video meetings, I typically use the secure platform hosted by my electronic health record, Simple Practice.)
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Why telehealth? Because it's as effective as meeting in person for most people, but much more widely accessible.
Good Faith Estimate.
If you aren't using insurance, then you are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate of the estimated cost of services. You can read more about it here:
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https://www.cms.gov/files/document/nosurpriseactfactsheet-final508.pdf
Do you take insurance?
I currently take the following insurances: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross California, Oxford, United Healthcare, & Oscar. However if you have other insurance you likely have Out of Network benefits (OON).
OON means that you could pay for sessions up front, get a monthly superbill (aka monthly invoice) from me, submit it to your insurance, and then get reimbursed by your insurance for the amount designated by your OON. In most cases, the amount is more than your copay for covered services but still better than paying out of pocket.
​​My rate for individual sessions is $165 per 50-minute session. I can offer a sliding scale price for a limited number of special circumstances. I accept payments via Stripe, which allows for automatic billing each session, or by Venmo.
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It is important to note that you must have a mental health diagnosis in order for insurance to reimburse you; this is true of accessing all mental health benefits through insurance (whether with a copay or OON).
How do I make an appointment?
Please contact me by email or phone, or submit the form on the contact page. Then I will get back to you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. The consultation is designed to help us get to know a little about each other and how I work and then schedule an intake appointment if it seems like a good fit.
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What is your cancellation policy?
Please give at least 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule. If you are unable to do so, then you can be responsible for a full session fee of $165 an hour. Emergencies are exceptions to this; please let me know if something comes up.
What can I expect in therapy?
The goal of the intake appointment is for me to gather enough history, current challenges, and general information to help inform treatment. Sometimes we may not cover all of this information in the first session; it can take up to three sessions to gather all of the information, depending on your circumstances. However, I want to know what you want out of therapy in the first session, as that will be a core focus for your treatment.
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I will create a treatment plan based on your goals in order to help you reach those goals in therapy. Sessions may be more or less structured depending on your preference. Sometimes I may give you practice assignments if it's relevant to your treatment; the more you practice these skills outside of therapy as well as within therapy, the faster you are likely to get better. Sometimes there are barriers to practicing outside of session, and we will do our best to work through those barriers if so.