FAQ

All sessions are held virtually via a secure video on a platform I use, called Orchid. I am able to see people who live in the state of California.

Some benefits of online counseling:

• Connect with a counselor from the coziness of your own couch, backyard or other favorite corner of your home

• Maintain consistent therapeutic support when traveling for work or otherwise

• Have the freedom to do ANYTHING you need to immediately after a session, including meditate, cry, sing, draw, journal, or sleep (which I often recommend after sessions)

• Snuggle with your dog or cat, or other pet while we talk

• Schedule therapy during the work day (when you can secure a private, comfortable place to do so and it does not add stress!)

After we have completed the free 15 minute video consultation and agree to work with one another, we will set up a weekly meeting time based on our mutual availability. Once I book this appointment, you will receive an email from my online platform, Simple Practice, with a request to complete and sign some forms. For more on Telehealth, please see this FAQ from Simple Practice. These forms will include my practice policies as well as some questionnaire’s that will help me to get to know you a little bit so that we can more easily jump in when we start. At this time I will also collect payment information so that charges for sessions can be easily and automatically collected after each session. I am not able to hold our first session until all forms are completed and submitted to me. In our first session we will focus mostly on gathering details about what brought you to therapy so that we can create a foundation for the work we will do together. This includes setting up goals for our work together.

It is expected that life will occur and sessions will need to be cancelled, however, I ask that you do your best to keep to our agreed upon cadence for sessions, as best you can.

When an appointment needs to be cancelled due to a conflict, I will do my best to fit you into a different slot that week.

In the case of late cancellations, less than 24 hours prior to our appointment, the full fee will be charged. In the event of unexpected illness or family emergency, please do let me know in the event a fee waive is applicable.

I am currently an out-of-network provider and do not directly accept insurance. However, if you have a PPO, I work with Mentaya, who will automatically file out-of-network claims for you so you can avoid the hassle and overwhelm of this, and help you potentially get partial reimbursement for my services.

You can use this tool below to check your insurance and see what portion of my fee your insurance will cover.

Check Your Benefits Here

It is your responsibility to pay our agreed upon fee for services at the time they are rendered, regardless of your insurance arrangements. Services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan.

I generally believe that therapy is not needed in perpetuity and that people are best served by strengthening the supports and resources in their lives, both internal and external and then trusting in yourself to fully actualize your intentions.

However, everyone is unique and life is unexpected, so it is impossible to predict how long it will take to resolve the issues you came to therapy to address. My commitment to you is to openly discuss this and to support you, as best I can, to get to a place where we can mutually decide that therapy is no longer needed.

It is not uncommon for these to be conflated, but they are actually quite different.

Mental health is a general term that usually refers to one's emotional, psychological and social well being. It also helps determine how we relate to others, manage stress and make choices in our life.

Mental illness refers to a health condition that involves changes in one's emotions, thinking or behavior, or some combination of them all and is causing a significant impact on one's ability to function in some area of their life, either socially or occupationally and are usually persistent for periods of time, not intermittent.

Some mental health conditions are shorter in nature, usually when they have been triggered by a life event, and are deemed “Adjustment Disorders'', but others can be more long standing, or episodic, like Major Depressive Disorder, or Bipolar Disorder.

If you think you have a Mental Health Disorder, this is something we will certainly discuss and address in the course of therapy.

According to Ca law, you have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. This appears to apply to mental health care as well.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 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, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.

In general, the privacy of all communications between a client and a therapist, and all written treatment records, are protected by law, and I may only release information about our work to others with your written permission. There are a few exceptions, under California law, when disclosure is required:

• when there is a reasonable suspicion of child, dependent or elder abuse or neglect;

• when a client presents a danger to self, to others, to property, or is gravely disabled;

• when a client's family member/s communicate to the client’s therapist that the client presents a danger to others.

While these situations rarely occur, it is important that you are aware of my legal requirements. Prior to taking action in response to any of the exceptions mentioned above, I make every effort to communicate clearly about this to clients.

Additionally, I participate in regular professional consultations. In such cases neither your name nor any other identifying information about you will be revealed.