What people ask on the first call.
In the order they usually ask: money, then fit, then what actually happens. If your question is not here, the first call is the place for it.
Money
What does a session cost?
A 50-minute session is $235. Payment is due at the time of session by card, check, or cash.
Do you take my insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider for all insurance plans except Lyra Health. If you are referred through Lyra, your sessions are covered under that arrangement. Otherwise you pay my fee directly and may be able to get partial reimbursement from your plan.
How do superbills and out-of-network reimbursement work?
After each session I give you a superbill — an itemized receipt with the codes insurers need. You submit it to your plan. Before we start, call your insurance and ask three things: Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits? What is my out-of-network deductible? What percentage do you reimburse for CPT code 90837? Their answers tell you what you will actually pay.
Do you offer a sliding scale?
Ask about current availability on the first call. I will tell you plainly what is possible right now rather than leave you guessing.
Fit
Can sessions be in Spanish?
Yes. Entirely in Spanish, entirely in English, or both in the same sentence — whatever lets you say what you mean. Emotions often live in a first language.
Who do you work with?
Adolescents and adults, individually. My focus areas are the first-generation experience, acculturation stress, cancer and chronic illness, grief and loss, intergenerational trauma, BIPOC professionals, and identity exploration — and the life transitions that run through all of them. See who I work with.
What kind of therapy do you do?
Integrative: I draw on emotion-focused therapy, mindfulness, insight-oriented work, CBT, ACT, humanistic therapy, and legacy therapy, fitting the method to the person rather than the other way around. The three principles behind all of it are on how I work.
Are you LGBTQ+ affirming?
Yes. I welcome people of all identities, and I am especially committed to those who have felt they do not belong. I do not practice or endorse conversion therapy in any form.
How do I know if we are a good fit?
The first fifteen-minute call is for exactly that. Describe what is going on; I will tell you honestly whether I am the right person, and if I am not, who might be. Fit is the strongest predictor of therapy helping, so it is worth the call.
The first session
What happens in a first session?
Fifty minutes, your order of events. Most people start with their story; some start with what the body is doing. I will ask about what brought you now, what you hope changes, and I will explain confidentiality and how I work. No diagnosis is made in the first hour, and no plan is forced.
Is what I say confidential?
Yes, within limits that the law sets and that I explain at the very start: imminent danger to yourself or others, suspected abuse of a child, elder, or dependent adult, and a court order. Outside those, what you share stays in the room. I do not need documentation of anyone’s immigration status.
Do you offer telehealth?
Yes — secure video sessions anywhere in California. Many people alternate between the office in Rolling Hills Estates and video depending on the week.
Do you prescribe medication?
No. Psychologists in California do not prescribe. If medication is worth considering, we talk about it and I can coordinate with your physician or a psychiatrist, with your permission.
Is this a crisis service?
No. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For 24/7 support in the U.S., call or text 988. If you are already my client and in crisis between sessions, I will have explained what to do at our first meeting.
You can read more, or just call.
Who I am and how I trained is on the about page; the three principles are on how I work. The office, the map, and the fee in one place: contact & fees.