• Yes, I currently have a limited number of openings.

  • Not at this time. I can usually schedule our first session within a week, sometimes within a day or two, depending on the flexibility of your schedule.

  • Yes, I am in-network with the following insurance plans:

    • Carelon Behavioral Health, Inc.,

    • Providence Health Plan

    • United Healthcare

    • Optum

    • Cigna

    • Aetna

    • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (coming in 2025)

    Many insurance plans “carve out” their mental health benefits to sister companies. This means that you may have medical insurance through one provider, but your mental health benefits will be covered under another company. You can typically find information about your behavioral health benefits on the back of your medical insurance ID card.

    I utilize ALMA, an online practice management resource, to streamline the eligibility and claims/billing process. My ALMA profile can be viewed by clicking here.

    If I am out-of-network with your insurance plan, I can provide a “superbill” for you to submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement. I recommend you call and check with your insurance first to determine what is covered for an out-of-network provider.

  • Currently, I do not have any more sliding scale slots available. My normal rate is a standard fee of $225 per individual session and $250 per couples session. This fee only applies if you are planning to pay out-of-pocket without using health insurance.

  • I accept credit card, HSA, Venmo, or Zelle as payment (no checks or cash).

  • 24-hour notice must be provided if a scheduled appointment is to be cancelled or rescheduled. Notice should only be made via text message to 310-753-2536 (text messaging provides clear documentation of the notice and when it was sent.)

    If 24-hour notice is not provided, the client will be responsible to pay the full out-of-pocket fee for the session ($200/individual; $225 couples). The cancellation fee applies to clients paying out-of-pocket as well as clients using their health insurance benefits (note: insurance will not cover the cost for late cancellation).

    Exceptions to this policy:

    • illness

    • emergency

    • death

    • therapist cancellation

    Important note: Attending therapy on a regular basis (i.e., weekly) without frequent cancellations or a long interval between sessions supports faster progress than frequently missing appointments or going long periods without seeing the therapist. In these cases, therapists must review old material or return to square one.

    If missing sessions occurs frequently (e.g., two or more times per month), your therapist will work with you to assess the cause and develop a plan to enhance engagement, motivation and commitment to your treatment or recommend termination or provide referral to other providers.

  • Not at this time. I work Monday thru Friday seeing patients from 10am to 6pm.

  • In mental health, the term “level of care” refers to the range of available psychiatric services varying in frequency, intensity, duration, treatment goals, and environment. As compared to intensive outpatient services (IOP) or partial hospitalization program (PHP), which offer on-call crisis intervention, my practice serves patients requiring a low level of care. A lower level of care indicates low-intensity therapy--meeting with a therapist and/or psychiatrist for individual therapy and/or medication management weekly for 45-50 minutes. It is essential to understand that while traditional outpatient therapy is the level of care most people are familiar with, a higher level of care is sometimes needed based on the individual's needs and level of functionality. Outpatient therapy can be intensified in frequency or duration of sessions but is still a fundamentally lower level of care than IOP or PHP. 

    Patients best suited for low-intensity therapy may exhibit the following:

    • feeling well-enough to manage difficulties on their own between sessions.

    • current condition can be safely, efficiently, and effectively assessed and/or treated in a less intensive level of care.

    • no imminent or current risk of harm to self, others, and/or property.

    • there is a marked improvement of the patient’s condition (indicated by the reduction or control of the signs and symptoms that necessitated treatment) following an adequate and appropriate length of time in low-intensity treatment.

    A higher, more intense, level of care such as IOP, PHP or inpatient treatment may be indicated for patients who exhibit the following:

    • their condition has not improved or has worsened despite an adequate and appropriate amount of time in low-intensity therapy.

    • signs and symptoms quickly deteriorated after treatment in a low-intensity level of care ended.

    • signs and symptoms cannot be addressed in a low-intensity format, and require a more intensive level of care.

    • patient requires a structured environment to practice and enhance skills requiring face-to-face interactions several times a week that cannot be provided in a less intensive setting.

    I will help to determine the appropriate level of care at the beginning of treatment. In my clinical experience, I have worked with many patients who carry shame about their lack of treatment success, which they consider their failure, when in fact, they were not receiving the level of care needed.

  • Session length is the standard 45-50 minutes occurring once weekly. More frequent sessions are useful in a similar way that more frequent visits to the gym are useful. The number of sessions required to achieve results depends on a number of factors, including the nature of the underlying issues and your degree of commitment. The details of all of these things are worked out at the start of treatment.

    Side note: Attending therapy on a regular basis (i.e., weekly) without a long interval in between sessions will move you along faster than frequently missing appointments or going long periods without seeing the therapist. In these cases, therapists often have to review old material, and are sometimes forced to start back at square one.

  • I am only providing sessions virtually via a HIPPA-secure telehealth platform.

    Patients may be located anywhere in the state of California at the time of the session, may be a California resident temporarily elsewhere, or may be located in jurisdictions that allow treatment by a therapist holding a California license.

    This has worked out very well for most patients given reduced travel costs. Additionally, virtual therapy may offer the added benefit of easier access for those individuals who travel for work.

    *Studies suggest virtual therapy is equally effective as in-person therapy.

  • Yes, we will first schedule a brief phone consultation to discuss what you’re looking for and scheduling. This helps ensure I’m a good fit for your needs. Finding the right therapist is a key component to good outcomes and good treatment.

  • You, as a client, have a right to:

    • Request and receive information about the therapist’s professional capabilities, including licensure, education, training, experience, professional association membership, specialization and limitations.

    • Be treated with dignity and respect.

    • A safe environment, free from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.

    • Ask questions about your therapy or other services from your provider.

    • Decline to answer any question or disclose any information you choose not to reveal.

    • Request and receive information from the therapist about your progress toward your treatment goals.

    • Know the limits of confidentiality and the circumstances in which a therapist is legally required to disclose information to others.

    • Know if there are supervisors, consultants, students, or others with whom your therapist will discuss your case.

    • Decline a particular type of treatment, or end treatment without obligation or harassment.

    • Refuse electronic recording.

    • Request and (in most cases) receive a summary of your records, including the diagnosis, your progress, and the type of treatment.

    • Report unethical and illegal behavior by a therapist.

    • Receive a second opinion at any time about your therapy or therapist’s methods.

    • Have a copy of your file transferred to any therapist or agency you choose.

  • The relationship between a client and a psychotherapist is governed by ethical and legal standards established by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences in order to protect the well-being and rights of both parties while maintaining a professional and therapeutic environment. Clients should have a clear understanding of these ethical and legal boundaries to foster a healthy and productive therapeutic relationship. If a client has concerns about these standards, it is encouraged to address them openly in therapy and seek clarification. Below are some general principles that apply:

    Ethical Boundaries:

    1. Confidentiality: Therapists are generally bound by confidentiality. Information shared by the client during therapy sessions is kept private, with some exceptions. For more information visit: https://www.bbs.ca.gov/pdf/publications/lawsregs.pdf

    2. Informed Consent: Clients have the right to be informed about the therapeutic process, the therapist's approach, and any potential risks or benefits. Informed consent is an ongoing process, and clients should be aware of their rights throughout therapy.

    3. Boundaries of Competence: Therapists should only practice within their areas of competence and expertise. If a therapist encounters a client issue that is beyond their scope, they are ethically obligated to refer the client to a more qualified professional.

    4. Avoiding Dual Relationships: Therapists are encouraged to avoid dual relationships, where they have a professional and another type of relationship with the client (e.g., social, familial, business). This helps maintain objectivity and prevents conflicts of interest. I will generally limit my relationship with you to our regularly scheduled meetings; this avoidance of "dual relationships" allows psychotherapy to feel safe enough to flourish.

    5. Cultural Competence: Therapists should be aware of and respect the cultural background, values, and beliefs of their clients. Cultural competence is essential for effective therapy.

    Legal Boundaries:

    1. Mandatory Reporting: Therapists are obligated to report certain situations, such as suspected child abuse, elder abuse, or harm to oneself or others, to the appropriate authorities.

    2. Licensing and Credentialing: Therapists must adhere to licensing laws and regulations specific to their profession. This includes obtaining the necessary credentials and staying current with continuing education requirements.

    3. Professional Standards: Therapists are expected to adhere to professional standards of conduct set by their licensing board or professional association. Violating these standards may result in disciplinary action.

    4. Records Keeping: Therapists are usually required to keep accurate and secure records of client sessions. The specifics of record-keeping may vary, but generally, it includes documenting assessments, treatment plans, and progress notes.

    5. Advertising and Marketing: Therapists must adhere to ethical guidelines regarding advertising and marketing, ensuring that their promotional materials are accurate and do not make misleading claims.

  • Therapy may bring up painful emotions and memories given one of the core tasks of therapy is to bring into conscious awareness emotions and symptoms that have been suppressed, masked or covered up. Therapy is about identifying, acknowledging and confronting the pain, accepting, embracing and integrating the pain, and as a result adjusting and changing ourselves in order to foster more meaningful, authentic, fulfilling, loving and creative lives.

    Therapy may disrupt relationships. For example, if you want to work on improving your boundaries, this is likely to upset people who typically ignore your boundaries.

    Therapy can involve you sharing information which causes you to feel vulnerable. For example, it might be scary to share critical thoughts you have about yourself, especially if you’ve been betrayed by someone who used your self-disclosure against you. Additionally, you may feel embarrassed crying in front of other people and may find it difficult allowing yourself to cry in therapy. Please know that I will compassionately help you through these moments as they occur in therapy and promise to hold your emotions and memories safely.

    Therapy may cause a temporary increase in symptoms. This is normal. Often times, things get worse before they can get better. Focusing on the painful issue is difficult and requires courage. For example, if you discover for the first time that you played a role in the problem, this could be upsetting and cause a spike in depression and/or anxiety. These emotions are temporary and we will measure where you are at each week so that we can clearly monitor how therapy is going.

    Therapy requires change to be successful. It might mean a change in some of your patterns of thinking (such as from “black and white” thinking to being able to see shades of gray in between) or in some of your behaviors (in anxiety, you might eventually be asked to do the very thing that scares you). Change is uncomfortable and all change involves loss, even if it is good change.

    Therapy cannot make any promises. Therapy works for most people, but not everyone. Please know that a lack of success with one therapist does not necessarily mean you will not be successful with a different therapist; the relationship between counselor and client is a key component of the outcome. You may get very different results with two different therapists. If we find that you are not making the progress you want, I will help you find another therapist who may end up being a better fit for you.

    Therapy on its own may not be enough. If and when psychiatric medications might be useful in conjunction with psychotherapy, I will provide you a recommendation. For some, the right combination of psychotherapy and medication can be more effective than either one by itself.