Frequently Asked Questions
-
My fee is consistent with other mental health providers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like more information.
-
I offer a limited number of sliding-scale spots, which are currently full. If cost is a concern, please feel free to reach out to discuss options.
These spots are based on availability and need, and are not guaranteed.
-
I do not accept insurance. However, you may be able to use your insurance benefits for sessions— please feel free to inquire, and I can provide you with instructions to check with your provider regarding how your out-of-network coverage works. I can also provide a monthly superbill, which you may submit for potential reimbursement.
-
I listen closely to what is said, as well as what may be more difficult to put into words. Our first session is an opportunity to begin understanding what has brought you to therapy, what you hope might be different, and the experiences and relationships that have shaped your life.
It is also a chance for you to experience what it feels like to be in the room with me and to ask any questions you may have. There is no expectation that you arrive with a clear understanding of what is wrong or what you need. Often, therapy begins with a vague sense that something feels painful, repetitive, or out of place.
Together, we make space for that uncertainty, trusting that meaning emerges through the process of thinking and speaking together.
-
Choosing out-of-network gives you access to care that truly fits your needs. Many clients find these benefits especially valuable:
More privacy: Your therapy stays focused on you, with fewer requirements from insurance and less reporting to third parties.
Freedom to choose the right therapist: You can select a therapist based on experience, approach, and personal fit—not who is in a network.
Flexible, meaningful sessions: We can focus on what matters most to you, at a pace that feels right, without limits on session length or goals.
Personalized care: Independent therapists can provide tailored attention, adjusting scheduling and treatment to support your unique needs and growth.
Going out-of-network can allow for a deeper, more individualized therapeutic experience—one that’s guided by your needs rather than constrained by insurance requirements, which are often structured in ways that prioritize the system over the person.
-
I ask that clients commit to meeting at least once per week. The consistency of regular sessions provides a reliable therapeutic frame in which trust can develop and deeper patterns of feeling, relating, and experience can gradually emerge into awareness.
Meaningful therapeutic work unfolds over time and depends on sustained engagement with the process. In some circumstances, I may recommend meeting more than once a week when increased frequency would better support the work.
-
I charge my full fee for appointments canceled with less than 48 hours’ notice, unless we can find another time that week that works for both of us.
-
Ongoing therapy offers a space to slow down and become curious about your inner world over time. Together, we pay attention to your thoughts, emotions, fantasies, relationships, and recurring patterns, including those that emerge in the present moment and within the therapeutic relationship itself.
Psychodynamic therapy unfolds at a reflective pace, allowing deeper understanding to emerge gradually rather than rushing toward solutions. As unconscious patterns become more available to thought, many people find themselves relating to themselves and others with greater freedom, flexibility, and self-understanding.
What are the benefits of working with an independent, clinician-owned practice?
Working with an independent, clinician-owned practice means your care is provided directly by the therapist you meet with, supporting continuity, consistency, and a more personal therapeutic relationship. Working outside of larger systems, including insurance and technology platforms, can allow for a deeper, more individualized experience—one that is guided by your needs rather than external requirements. This also supports greater clinical flexibility and a high level of privacy, confidentiality, and discretion tailored to your needs. I am deeply committed to my clinical practice and to maintaining a consistent therapeutic frame that supports safety, depth, and continuity in the work.
Your information is handled with strict confidentiality and used solely for clinical purposes.
Psychodynamic Therapy & Approach
What is psychodynamic therapy?Psychodynamic therapy focuses on understanding patterns in emotions, relationships, and self-experience that often operate outside of conscious awareness. It offers space to bring these patterns into clearer understanding over time, supporting greater choice, freedom, more meaningful relationships, and overall well-being.
How do I know if psychodynamic therapy is right for me?Psychodynamic therapy may be a good fit if you’re curious about the deeper patterns shaping your emotions, relationships, and sense of self. Many people seek this work when they notice repeating relational dynamics, struggles with self-esteem, or a sense of feeling stuck in ways that are difficult to shift alone and have persisted across their lifespan.
How is psychodynamic therapy different from other therapies?Psychodynamic therapy differs from many other approaches in that, rather than focusing only on symptom reduction and management, it emphasizes understanding the underlying emotional and relational patterns that shape current experience. This approach seeks to bring greater awareness to these patterns over time, supporting deeper and more lasting change.
Notice to Patients and Prospective Patients
Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask me, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service, or at any time during treatment.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, or how to dispute a bill, see your Estimate, or visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.