Common questions

You should feel safe sharing your innermost thoughts and feelings with your therapist. I would suggest some of the following steps as you look for a therapist:

Fit: If the therapist has a website or a profile on Psychology Today, read through it to see if their style of therapy fits with the goals you have in mind. You may also have preferences in terms of the therapist's gender, sexual identity, racial identity, religion, or age.

Practical considerations: Would you prefer therapy in-person (if so, is the therapist's office located somewhere you wouldn't mind driving to each week) or virtually? Are you planning to pay through your insurance or out of pocket? What is the fee?

Give it a try: Many therapists offer free phone consultations. This is a good way to make an initial connection and get some of your questions answered.

I offer free, 15 minute phone consultations to answer initial questions you may have and discuss whether we are the right fit for one another. At any point in treatment, if you would prefer to meet with someone else, I am happy to provide you with referrals.

While there are certain benefits to having a therapist who has experienced similar life situations to you, it is not necessary. Through empathy and curiosity, I can connect with you because we all experience the same core human emotions. Sometimes exploring our differences can also lead to rich insights in therapy!

Each session is 50 minutes long. I recommend that clients come to sessions weekly in order to receive the fullest benefits of psychodynamic therapy. Some clients meet me twice a week depending on their needs and the goals we are trying to achieve. We will collaborate on your therapeutic goals, and we will discuss the best time to stop treatment based on whether you feel you have met your goals. Clients who see the most success are committed to meeting with me for at least 3 months.

Unfortunately, no. But as we work together more, you may find that I can help you see things about yourself you did not realize before!

Yes! I will maintain strict confidentiality about everything we discuss in sessions. The only exceptions to this rule are if I find out there is a) immediate threat of harm to yourself or someone else, b) current child or elder abuse, c) if required by court order. We will review those rules during our first session.

Yes! I offer sessions in person at my Los Alamitos office or online via Zoom. Due to licensing requirements, I can only see clients who reside in California. Many of my clients benefit from the flexibility of being able to switch between in person and virtual sessions depending on their schedule.