FAQ

Psychotherapy, sometimes referred to as "talk therapy," can help you acknowledge and manage your mental and emotional issues more effectively and efficiently. During a psychotherapy session you meet with a trained psychologist in a private setting. The goal of the therapy is to help you become more aware and accepting of yourself and your feelings. When needed, the psychotherapist can help you learn new skills to feel less stress and happier with your life. I believe that much of human suffering comes from our difficulty in objectively knowing and accepting ourselves. By using a process such as psychotherapy much of this suffering can be relieved.

There are many schools of psychotherapy and all of them have the goal of helping people feel better emotionally. Some of the more common are: psychodynamic or psychoanalytical therapy, cognitive and cognitive behavioral therapy, Gestalt therapy, and behavioral therapy.

The sessions are about you. In the first visit I will spend time getting to know you, your situation, and what led you to come in for help at that particular time. As we continue to work together we will go into more detail about your situation and related issues in order to understand and address the source of your distress. 

Individual and couples psychotherapy appointments are 50 minutes. Group therapy appointments are 75 minutes.

I conduct both long- and short-term therapy. The number of times we meet depends on how long you have been struggling with the issue for which you've come into therapy, the nature of that issue, the type of work you want to do in the therapy (short-term and focused, or a longer more exploratory process, symptom relief or changes in more deeply rooted aspects of your personal and interpersonal functioning), and finances.

I charge $175 for a 50 minute session (for both individuals and couples), payable in check or cash at the end of each session. While I do not accept insurance at this time, at the time of payment I provide you with a Superbill that can be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement. The Superbill is a printed statement that contains my provider information and procedure and diagnostic codes. Reimbursement depends on your policy and what services it covers.

I am happy to announce that I am a preferred provider and now accept Blue Cross/Blue Shield for psychotherapy services. While I do not accept insurance for any other psychological or Chinese Medical services at this time, at the time of payment I provide you with a Superbill that can be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement. The Superbill is a printed statement that contains my provider information and procedure and diagnostic codes. Reimbursement depends on your policy and what services it covers.

Among the most common reasons are: 1. you want to experience emotional healing and emotional growth; 2. you are in the midst of a particularly difficult time in your life and you do not like the way you are handling things; 3. you are struggling with negative thoughts and feelings that have not improved with other treatments or efforts; 4. you have done therapy before and it was helpful to you; 5. you want to learn new personal and interpersonal skills.

Issues commonly addressed in psychotherapy are: 1. anxiety; 2. depression; 3. relationship problems; 4. work problems; 5. sexual disorders; 6. grief; 7. history of trauma; 8. sleep problems; and 9. stress.