Question 1

What is the fee per session?

Accepted Answer

That depends! If you are not using your insurance, my fee is $225.00 for the initial session and $190.00 for every fifty-minute session thereafter.

If you are ARE using your insurance, your cost is the co-pay you and your insurance carrier have agreed on per visit (typically anywhere between $10.00-$30.00 per session, your specific plan can give you the exact amount).

Question 2

What insurance do you take?

Accepted Answer

I am in-network provider with:

Magellan (a branch of Blue Shield of California)*

*Keep in mind that if you have this insurance (Blue Shield of California), oftentimes the mental health benefits are “carved out” to a sub-insurance (in this case, Magellan). Your mental health benefits MUST be specifically through Magellan in order for us to use your insurance benefits. If they are not, I would be considered an out of network provider for your care and my full fee applies. Contact your insurance carrier to determine whether mental health coverage is through Blue Shield of CA or Magellan.

Anthem Blue Cross of California
Lyra 
Optum (branch of United Health Care) 
Aetna

I am not contracted with any other insurance panel. However, if you have a PPO, you may get partial reimbursement for therapy sessions. The amount of reimbursement, if any, depends on your specific insurance plan. I happily offer courtesy billing for these situations. This means that you pay me my full fee, and I submit the superbill to your insurance company on your behalf. Once they process the claim and determine your out-of-network benefits, they will reimburse you (most likely in the form of a check).  If eligible, you may get anywhere between  50-80% of your treatment costs reimbursed back to you, depending on your insurance company. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have about insurance.

Question 3

Are there any benefits to not using my insurance?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there are several benefits! 
Information is not shared with third parties, such as insurance companies. That means your privacy and confidentiality are much more protected. Anytime you go through your insurance, information such as diagnosis remains on your permanent medical record.
Stigma of diagnosis can be avoided.
Some insurance companies only cover a certain amount of time. Private pay clients are able to choose the focus, duration, and frequency of therapy. You are even allowed to choose the length of sessions.
Many issues (such as marital problems, life stress, or personal growth) are not covered by insurance. But that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve or can benefit from therapy yourself!

Question 4

I’ve never had therapy before. What should I expect at our first session?

Accepted Answer

First, congratulations on being here and feeling ready to take this first step. This is huge! At our first meeting, we’ll go over our paperwork, and I’ll spend the majority of the time learning about what’s bringing you in. I will ask some questions to help me understand as best as possible what you're experiencing, and at the end of the session, we’ll talk about what that was like and if you’d like to schedule another appointment. Feeling comfortable and safe with your therapist is extremely important, and if you feel like we are not a good fit, I would be happy to provide you with referrals to other therapists in the community. It’s my job to ensure you get the help and support you want and deserve, even if that means we don’t work together moving forward.

Question 5

How long does therapy take?

Accepted Answer

Each person’s journey in therapy is unique, and at the beginning of our time together, I will ask you about what is important for us to work on and what you’d ultimately like to get out of our time together. Some people prefer short-term work with specific goals in mind, while others prefer or feel they could benefit from longer-term work and extra support.

Question 6

How do I know if Brainspotting is right for me?

Accepted Answer

Everyone can benefit from Brainspotting! It works effectively to resolve most issues many people face including but not limited to anxiety, sexual assault or childhood sexual/physical abuse, accidents, separation from loved one, dealing with multiple issues at once (chronic illness, financial stress, and being a new parent),grief/loss, and most commonly experienced, every day stress.

Question 7

How long do I need to be in therapy in order for Brainspotting to work?

Accepted Answer

Though there is no cookie-cutter answer to this question, brainspotting is remarkably fast because it gets right into the root of the painful memory or feeling. Brainspotting works more effectively than traditional talk therapies because it focuses right to the core issues underpinning your worries, concerns, stresses, or fears. Many people report relief from the presenting issue anywhere from 8-20 sessions.

Question 8

Does brainspotting hurt?

Accepted Answer

Not a single bit, and you’re in control the entire time. But in order for brainspotting to be effective, you will need to think about the feeling or event that you want to work towards resolving and feeling attached to that (maybe feeling really upset or really sad as you think about that event). Once we find a brainspot that connects with that feeling the strongest, you will stay there and just allow yourself to feel (emotions and body) and follow anything your brain brings up. While this may not always feel good in the moment, we know that those painful feelings are already there because you’re reaching out. And, you will feel much better in the long term.

Question 9

Does Brainspotting work through telehelath?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Though there are some differences between an in-person session and an online session, brainspotting online can be just as effective and helpful.

Question 10

What are your business hours?

Accepted Answer

I offer appointments Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays 10am-4pm, and Fridays 10-1pm.

Frequently Asked Questions