Frequently Asked Questions

Do I NEED therapy?

Everyone can benefit from therapy at some point in their life. You don’t necessarily need to experience a trauma or have a mental illness to benefit from counseling.

Sometimes you just need a sounding board, or a friendly, non-judgmental ear to hear your feelings and cope with day to day frustrations. Maybe you are experiencing a change in your life and have difficulty adjusting to it.

Or you have a big life changing decision to make and feel stuck. Maybe you just feel stuck in a rut. It might be your job, relationship, school or friends.  You might be super stressed out about college, work or life decisions. So do you NEED therapy? Possibly. But could you benefit from it? Absolutely.

How does online therapy work?

I use a secure, HIPAA compliant online platform to provide you with the same therapy services you would receive in person without having to commute to my office.

Many people prefer this method of counseling because they could squeeze their counseling sessions between their own schedule without the stress of traveling or being away from work or home.

This could be especially useful for new moms, differently-abled persons, busy professionals, and college students. It does not limit your ability to choose a therapist based solely on proximity. As long as you live in California, I could provide you with services.

How often do I have to go to therapy?

Sessions are usually scheduled one time per week, but this varies based on what is most appropriate for your particular situation.  This would be discussed at your first session and can always be re-visited if there is an increased or decreased need.

Can therapy help reduce my stress levels?

Many times stress is exacerbated by your own negative thoughts. When stressed, everything around you can feel MORE overwhelming, more annoying, more unbearable.

Stress can lead you to be moody and not very pleasant to be around. You may push people away or people just don’t want to be around you anymore because of your negativity. You tend to get trapped in all of those unpleasant feelings which in turn interfere with your happiness and sense of self-worth.

Through therapy you would learn that it’s not just about the events in your life that cause stress, but about your perception and the way you think about the stressful situation.  Through therapy you could recognize and change habitually negative thought patterns thereby learning to cope with stress in a more productive manner.

What if I see you out and about but I don’t want anyone I’m with to know I meet with you for therapy?

Nothing to fret. I won’t be offended if you completely ignore me and pretend like you have no clue who I am. I totally get it. But if you want to wave and say “hi”, that’s OK, too.