FAQs
Therapy FAQs
You don’t need any prior experience. Therapy is a collaborative process, and I’ll meet you where you are. My role is to provide a safe, supportive space and evidence-based guidance as you move toward your goals.
I work with adults navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, grief, moral injury, and life transitions. This is not an exhaustive list, but it reflects some of the most common issues I help clients address. My approach is trauma-informed, evidence-based, and integrative. See more details here.
I draw from a range of evidence-based treatments developed through my PhD training and more than 20 years of experience in mental health. I integrate these approaches with mindfulness and third-wave therapy principles to help clients cultivate resilience and a deeper sense of meaning. Each treatment plan is tailored to the individual, ensuring therapy meets your unique needs and goals. See more details here.
Evidence-based therapy means that the approaches I use are supported by scientific research and have been shown to be effective for treating specific mental health conditions. These methods are grounded in decades of clinical studies and real-world outcomes, so you can feel confident that your therapy is based on proven strategies rather than untested ideas. At the same time, I tailor these approaches to fit your unique needs and goals.
Third-wave therapy is a modern form of psychotherapy that builds on traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). While CBT focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, third-wave approaches emphasize mindfulness, acceptance, and living in alignment with your values. Many of these methods are influenced by contemplative practices, including Zen Buddhism, which encourages presence, awareness, and compassion. Examples include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). These therapies go beyond symptom reduction to help people cultivate resilience, self-compassion, and a deeper sense of meaning in life.
Therapy Appointment FAQs
Therapy with me begins with a comprehensive 60-minute initial session where we review your mental health history, explore your goals, and collaboratively create a personalized treatment plan. This includes a diagnostic formulation, identification of therapeutic priorities, and selection of approaches that best match your needs.
Ongoing sessions are 50 minutes and typically occur once a week. Depending on your needs and goals, we may adjust the frequency.
Many clients find three to six months is enough to create meaningful change, while others with more complex or long-standing concerns may benefit from longer-term work.
Yes, all sessions are conducted via secure video telehealth, available to anyone in California.
Please contact me to be added to the waitlist. Once there are enough interested participants to form a meaningful group, I will reach out to you with the next steps and scheduling details.
Psychodiagnostic and Personality Assessment FAQs
Psychodiagnostic assessments focus on evaluating current emotional, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms to determine whether specific mental health diagnostic criteria are met. Personality assessments examine enduring personality traits, emotional patterns, and interpersonal functioning to clarify longstanding patterns that influence behavior, relationships, and treatment response.
Assessments can clarify diagnoses, identify strengths and challenges, and guide treatment or personal growth. They are often recommended when symptoms are unclear, treatment is not working as expected, or additional information is needed for school, work, or medical providers. By providing objective, structured insight, assessments help ensure next steps are well-informed and appropriately tailored.
They can provide insight into concerns such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, learning differences, memory issues, and personality traits.
The first step is to contact me to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. During this brief call, we discuss your concerns, prior evaluations or treatment, and what you hope to gain from an assessment to determine whether it would be appropriate and helpful. If an assessment is recommended, we review the type of evaluation, expected timeline, and next steps. Assessment sessions are then scheduled based on the referral question and clinical complexity, typically followed by a dedicated feedback session to review results and recommendations.
Yes. With your consent, I collaborate with referring clinicians and other professionals to ensure assessment findings support coordinated, effective care. Results are used to inform treatment planning, guide referrals, and, when appropriate, support workplace or academic considerations and ongoing care coordination.
Yes. All assessments include a feedback session to review findings in clear, clinically grounded language. A comprehensive written report is provided to summarize results, diagnostic impressions, and practical recommendations.
Billing FAQs
I am currently in-network with Aetna and Tricare. I will also be in-network with United Healthcare soon.
Yes, on a very limited basis. Contact me to find out more.
More Questions?