Why would I want to talk to a therapist?

People who I have worked with have said they enjoy seeing me for therapy because it is helpful to have someone who will listen to them without judgement, they feel heard and validated. Some have also expressed the relief of being able to have someone to sit with them through the pain they have been experiencing by themselves for far too long. Lastly, people have found it helpful just to have an unbiased person to help sort through messy problems with relationships, parenting, school, friends, work, etc.

What can I expect in a session?

The first couple sessions are typically me gathering information and working with you to develop the goals you have for therapy (if you are coming in for Say Less therapy, this is where you will have to do the most talking, then pretty much none after). After that, sessions may look different depending on the person and their needs. For many of my teen sessions, I like to play games or do activities to get to know one another. For people who are more eager or comfortable getting right into it, then we will start right into doing the work (again, that work looks different for everyone). In any situation, I do my best to go at your pace throughout our time together. Here are examples of resources and tools I use with the people I work with.

Are there risks to therapy?

While therapy is designed to be helpful, there will be times when it is difficult and uncomfortable. I have worked with people who’s symptoms worsened initially as they verbalize and become aware of uncomfortable feelings or experiences. Remembering or talking about unpleasant events, feelings, or thoughts can result in experiencing considerable discomfort or strong feelings of anger, sadness, worry, fear, frustration, loneliness, helplessness, or other emotions. We may challenge some of your assumptions or perceptions or propose different ways of looking at, thinking about, or handling situations that can cause you to feel upset, angry, depressed, challenged, or disappointed. Attempting to resolve issues that brought you to therapy in the first place may result in changes that were not originally intended. Sometimes a decision that is positive for one family member is viewed quite negatively by another family member. There is no guarantee that therapy will yield positive or intended results.

How long does therapy last?

Again this varies depending on the person and their needs. I am a relational trauma therapist, and there is no quick way to healing and come to a place of post-traumatic recovery. Sometimes I work with folks who come in with a very specific goal, and can end therapy within a few months. Depending on the goals set out in the treatment plan (completed together at the start of working with me), therapy can last months, years, or sometimes people choose to have ongoing maintenance therapy with me. What I have learned in my experience of being a trauma and parts work therapist, is that if you put pressure on yourself to “get better” or “be fixed”, it will actually prolong the process. I am happy to discuss this option with you! I like to start with sessions once per week, that gives us the opportunity to get to know each other and start doing consistent work. When you begin reaching your goals (mentioned above), then we would reduce your sessions to once every-other-week. If you are able to maintain your progress for a period of time with reduced sessions, then we would end services and see how you do on your own or you can decide to have monthly maintenance session. If you do end, you are always welcome to come back to therapy if you feel you need additional support.

Why don’t you accept insurance?

As an out of network provider, I do not bill directly through insurance, nor do I have any contact with them on your behalf. I would be happy to provide you with a superbill for you to provide your insurance company for possibility of reimbursement of what you pay for your sessions. There are benefits to not billing insurance directly, two of which are privacy and control over the work that we do together. Often times, in order for insurances to cover services, a diagnosis will need to be made after the first session. I always recommend calling your insurance provider and inquiring about their reimbursement rates for out-of-network providers prior to scheduling a session with me. If you prefer an in-network clinician, I suggest using psychologytoday.com to research which clinician may be right for you.

What if I don’t live in your area?

I am licensed in the state of California, which means I can provide therapy to any person in this state. If you are not within driving distance from my physical office or don’t want in=person session, I will gladly conduct our sessions via video through my online system SimplePractice. However, if you leave the state, even temporarily, I would be unable to provide therapeutic services as the laws and regulations vary by state.

Is therapy confidential?

In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and a mental health clinician. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client. You should be aware, however, that if you use insurance benefits to pay for all or part of your therapy, some information about your treatment will need to be reported to your insurer.

In addition, there are some special circumstances in which the law requires therapists to break confidentiality. These exceptions include:

1. If you present a danger to yourself, to others, to property, or are unable to care for yourself.
2. If there is suspected past or present child, dependent, or elder abuse or neglect.
3. If the court orders a release of information as part of a legal proceeding, or as otherwise required by the law.