Frequently Asked Questions

I approach therapy as a collaborative partnership where we work together toward your goals. You can expect our sessions to feel conversational and engaging—I’m actively involved in our discussions and will offer insights, ask curious questions, and gently challenge you when it serves your growth. I value authenticity, so while I maintain professional boundaries, I also bring warmth and genuine care to our relationship. Some sessions will focus on processing difficult emotions or experiences, while others might be more practical as we develop coping strategies or celebrate progress you’ve made. My priority is creating a space where you feel completely accepted and understood, so you can explore your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. I want you to feel truly heard and supported, knowing that we’re working together to build lasting positive change in your life.

Yes! A recent meta-analysis Lin et al., 2022 shows that video therapy is highly effective for symptom reduction, and produces similar outcomes to in-person therapy in terms of client outcomes.

We decide on this together, and it’s an ongoing conversation throughout our work! Typically, a course of individual therapy is around 12-16 sessions, while couples therapy is around 20-25 sessions. However, everyone’s needs are different. If you’ve done therapy before and are looking for a refresher or want to work on a specific issue, this could be just a few sessions. If you’re interested in a longer-term therapeutic relationship for deeper personal growth, we can discuss what that might look like for you.

You will almost certainly have identities and experiences that I do not share based on race/ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual identity, disability, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, and religion. You are the expert on your own life, and my role as a therapist is to empathize with and hold space for your experiences while providing the tools you need to meet your goals. Further, you should not have to use your time in therapy to educate me – my job is to educate myself and I take this seriously.

Your privacy as a client is very important and I take several steps to protect you, especially in the context of telehealth. All sessions are held on a HIPAA compliant video conferencing platform that encrypts our conversations, and I store all client records in a secure, HIPAA-compliant electronic health record system with multi-factor authentication. Your personal information is never shared without your written consent, except in rare circumstances required by law (such as imminent risk of harm to yourself or others). For virtual sessions, I conduct calls from my private office space, and I recommend you find a quiet, private location where you feel comfortable speaking openly. We can discuss any additional questions you have during our consultation call. For complete details about data protection and your privacy rights, please view my full privacy policy.

You’re not alone, and I’m so glad you’re considering therapy for the first time! Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, so we’ll take it step by step. During our consultation call and first session, we’ll talk about what therapy looks like—time commitment, session structure, your goals—and ease you into the process gradually. There’s no pressure to dive into anything you’re not ready for.

The first 2-3 sessions are focused on getting to know you and understanding what you’d like to work on in therapy. We’ll explore your background, current challenges, and goals together. After this initial assessment period, I’ll provide feedback and a treatment plan that we can collaborate on and adjust as needed. Think of these early sessions as building the foundation for our work together.

Absolutely! Bringing notes or questions is a great way to stay organized and make sure you’re addressing everything that’s important to you. It helps both of us stay focused on your priorities and ensures you get the most out of our time together. Feel free to jot down thoughts, concerns, or anything you want to remember to discuss.

You’ll need a laptop, tablet, or smartphone with a stable internet connection. I use a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform that works well on most devices. A quiet, private space where you can speak freely is just as important as the technology itself.

I use the Sessions Health online portal for scheduling, which makes it easy to book, reschedule, or view your upcoming appointments. You’ll receive access to this secure portal after our initial consultation call.

I ask that you cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours before your session. This gives me the opportunity to offer that time to another client. If you need to cancel with less than 24 hours notice or don’t show up for your session, you’ll be charged the full session fee.

With the exception of a couple individual assessment sessions at the beginning, we’ll always meet together to ensure everyone stays on the same page. Even though our sessions are virtual, both partners need to be in the same physical location during sessions—you can’t join from different places. This helps maintain the intimacy and connection that’s essential for couples work.

I understand this can be really frustrating. While you can certainly pursue individual therapy to work on your own goals, couples therapy isn’t effective without genuine participation from both partners. Sometimes individual therapy can help you figure out how to approach the conversation with your partner about seeking help together.

Absolutely. Couples therapy can be very helpful for people who are considering separation. We can work on figuring out how to separate amicably if that’s the direction you choose, developing co-parenting strategies if you have children, or exploring whether there are ways to rebuild your relationship. The goal is always to help you make the best decision for your situation.

I am not an in-network provider for any insurance plans, but I can provide you with a “superbill” (itemized receipt of our session) to submit to your insurance company for partial reimbursement. I recommend contacting your insurance company first to confirm your benefits and reimbursement rates.

Yes, for individual therapy sessions! You can use your HSA/FSA debit card to pay for individual therapy. Note that couples therapy is typically not eligible for HSA/FSA reimbursement.

Not at this time, as my practice is very small. If you are looking for low cost/sliding scale options, university clinics can be a great option. Clinical psychology graduate programs typically offer low cost/sliding scale services from PsyD or PhD students training to become clinical psychologists. If you’re in the San Diego area, the SDSU Psychology Clinic might be a good fit.

As required by federal law, I provide a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges for your therapy services. This estimate includes the cost per session and expected frequency of treatment. The actual cost may vary based on your specific needs and treatment plan. You have the right to receive this estimate before beginning therapy, and I’ll provide an updated estimate if there are significant changes to your treatment plan. For more information about your rights regarding Good Faith Estimates, see this document.

Payment is due at the time of service. I accept credit cards, debit cards, and HSA/FSA cards through my secure online portal. You can save your payment method for convenience, and payment will be processed automatically after each session.

Absolutely. Therapy can be a big time and emotional commitment, and it’s completely okay to acknowledge you might not have the bandwidth for it at this moment. Some books that might be helpful in the meantime include The Happiness Trap, Building a Life Worth Living, Hold Me Tight, and Reconcilable Differences.

For immediate emergencies, contact 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. You can also reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or your local psychiatric emergency services. If you’re a current client, we’ll work together to create a personalized safety plan that includes supportive people you can contact and specific strategies for managing intense emotions.