FAQ

There is always plenty of parking in the building’s parking lot.

I schedule appointments between 8 am and 6 pm.

Sessions are 50 minutes, 80 minutes, or 110 minutes.

You can pay by the session, or you can pay up front for an eight-session package, which gives you a discount and has a number of benefits.

Almost all clients end up coming for more than eight sessions, and committing to a fixed number of sessions takes the uncertainty out of the process and creates a natural time frame for assessing progress toward goals.

Eight sessions gives us plenty of time to accurately identify the underlying cause of your issue; assess your resilience across each aspect of my model, which includes strengths, needs, values, beliefs, and supportive relationships; and develop a plan for building the skills you need to move forward.

Yes, clients can continue to pay up front to receive a discounted price for a package of eight sessions.

I do not take insurance, but I am happy to give you a “superbill” at the end of each month or package to submit to your insurance company. I will be considered an out-of-network provider.

Please note that insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis for psychotherapy to qualify for reimbursement.

I ask that my clients give me the courtesy of 48 hours’ notice when cancelling, or I reserve the right to charge them for the session.

Call me directly at (310) 750-9993 or fill out the Contact form below.

Yes, the initial phone consultation takes 20-30 minutes and is free.

You will learn something valuable just from the call. Hearing yourself clarify the challenge you are facing and exploring possible solutions with a professional is always beneficial, even if you do not choose to work with me.

I work with teens and young adults, which means high school and college-age kids. I also work with adults.

I work with women and men individually. I work with couples, too.

I also work with divorcing or divorced couples around co-parenting.

Yes, I help with conflict resolution in businesses.

I also work with CEOs who are experiencing interpersonal conflict at work.

Over the course of the last 20 years, I have developed and tested a proprietary model of resilience skills training. My model has been validated in four studies with researchers from the Duke Clinical Research Institute and results have been published in peer-reviewed journals. It has been shown to promote clinically significant improvement in depression, anxiety, distress, PTSD, and self-efficacy.

My resilience model provides a framework for assessing my client’s challenges and designing solutions that include teaching skills that will help them not only with the challenge at hand, but with future problems as well.

Depending on each client’s issues and goals, I teach the following types of skills:

• Emotional intelligence skills to help clients understand and regulate their emotions and demonstrate empathy;
• Interpersonal skills to help clients have healthy, supportive relationships;
• Mind-body skills to help clients improve their mental, emotional, and physical well-being and tune into their Inner Wisdom.

The first two sessions center on a set of questions that help me get to know the client and assess the issue from a resilience perspective.

In following sessions, I begin by asking clients if they have anything they would like to talk about, as I believe in following the client’s lead.

If the client prefers, we can begin the session with questions, tools, or worksheets I have prepared to address things that have been revealed in previous sessions.

I often do brief meditations with my clients.

After each session, I capture the main takeaways, skills, action steps, resilience factors, and progress toward client goals in a document that I give to the client periodically and at the end of our time together.

My proprietary resilience model is informed by several theories and modalities, including positive psychology; brief, solution-focused therapy; attachment theory; narrative therapy; cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mind-body medicine.

I incorporate mindfulness and meditation practices in my work.

If clients are interested in doing homework, I have worksheets, videos, apps, and reading materials they can do. However, it is not necessary to do homework.

I am licensed as a marriage and family therapist in both Florida and California and as a licensed professional counselor in Colorado.

I have a master’s degree in clinical psychology and advanced training in mind-body medicine.

Curiosity and a non-judgmental mindset.

Go with your gut. Give yourself permission to feel in your body whether the therapist and the conversation feel engaging and supportive.

Remember: You are interviewing them. You don’t even have to be able to articulate it eloquently. If it doesn’t feel right, try someone else.

While all therapists ask questions, sometimes it feels as though that’s ALL therapists do. And sometimes you want to learn something new instead of answer a question.

Although I’m happy to see people on a regular basis for as long as they desire, my practice is built primarily on shorter-term engagements aimed at accomplishing clear goals.

Once goals are achieved, we terminate – although I am always available to help with setbacks or when new goals arise.

There is no set number of sessions, because the duration of therapy depends on several factors, including the severity of the presenting problem, the level of self-awareness and skills the client already possesses, and the readiness of the client to change certain thinking patterns and behaviors.

How do clients know when they’re done?

• They have clarity about their strengths, development areas, and skills.
• They are committed to getting their needs met.
• They feel optimistic about the future.
• They believe in their ability to navigate the next chapter on their own.
• They know help is always available when they need it.