FAQs

Common Questions

What are your rates? My fee is $215 for individuals and $250 for couples (for each 50 minute session). I accept cash, personal checks, Venmo, and credit cards.

In some cases, psychotherapy can be tax deductible as a medical expense. To see if you qualify, please go to //www.irs.gov/uac/Publication-502,-Medical-and-Dental-Expenses-1.

Do you accept insurance? I am currently accepting Lyra, BHS and Modern Health. I am an out-of-network provider for PPO plans for other insurance companies. That means I can give you a statement each month that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Some insurance plans will reimburse most of the fee. Please check with your insurance company to see if your plan will cover our sessions. Some people prefer not to use their insurance plan because of confidentiality issues. I do not accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, or Kaiser.

Are you the right therapist for me? I am happy to provide a free 15 minute phone consultation which may give you a sense of whether or not we might be a good fit. I have worked with a wide variety of client populations and I have several specialities. If your particular issue is outside of my scope of competence, I will tell you that and I will do my best to provide referrals to someone who might be a better fit for you.

Do you offer sessions by phone or video, and is it effective?

Yes. I offer phone and video sessions to individuals who are physically located in California. Research shows that telemedicine can be just as effective as in-person counseling for many different types of treatment. My licensing board allows for phone and video counseling. I use Doxy.me which is a HIPAA-compliant platform, free to use, and does not require any prior downloading.

Why do people seek therapy?

People come to therapy for many different reasons. Some are struggling in their relationships or career. Others are addicted to drugs, alcohol, food, sex, or other things and are not able to stop on their own. I have had clients whose lives were not in crisis but they wanted to focus on personal growth. Therapy can provide support and new coping skills in a confidential, safe setting.

Is therapy confidential?

In general, the law protects all communications between a client and psychotherapist. However, there are a few exceptions. Those include, but are not limited to: a client who is abusing a child, elder or dependant adult; a client who threatens to harm another person or him/herself; and a court order. Therapists are not required to report domestic violence, past crimes, current illegal activity, among other things. We will discuss limits of confidentiality in our first session, and I am happy to answer any questions.

My husband/wife/loved one has a serious problem, and I think you might be able to help. What should I do?

Quite often, I get calls from people who are concerned about a family member. Please have your loved one contact me directly if he or she is interested in therapy. Hopefully he or she is open to treatment, and I will do my best to help or to refer to someone who is a better fit. Unfortunately, in some cases people are not ready or not willing for whatever reason to seek help, and I have to respect that decision. In that case, I encourage you to seek support for yourself. If your loved one does become my client, I will not be able to discuss his or her case with you (or even confirm that he or she is my client), unless he or she signs a release form.