FAQs
I’m nervous about starting therapy. Is that normal?
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It’s totally normal to be nervous about starting therapy. It can be scary to think of opening up or crying in front of someone new, perhaps fearing that it will be awkward and uncomfortable. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. It takes courage to start going to therapy. The fact that you are on this website, looking for help, and reading this right now shows that you are brave and seeking help.
Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and come just as you are, including feeling nervous. I’m committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.
I’m here if you want to talk about it during a free phone consultation.
How do I know if you are the right therapist for me?
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Take your time to read through my website. If you sense that I may be a good fit based on what you are reading, you can Schedule yourself in my online scheduler.
during a free phone consultation, you can ask me what a typical session with me is like, ask how I work as a therapist, or any other questions you may have that are specific-to-you. You’ll also be able to discuss what's on your mind and we can decide together how I can help.
I think of the first few times that I meet with someone as a trial run. During the sessions, you’ll be able to see how you feel working with me. My approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to me is that you find someone who you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.
Should I do financial therapy or financial trauma coaching?
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The choice between financial therapy and financial trauma coaching depends on your specific needs and goals:
Financial therapy is ideal if you're looking to explore deep-seated emotional patterns around money, process financial trauma, or work through anxiety and shame related to finances. As a licensed therapist, I can help you understand and heal from past financial experiences while developing healthier money relationships.
Financial trauma coaching is more focused on practical strategies and forward movement. It's great if you're looking to develop specific money management skills, create actionable financial plans, or need support implementing positive financial behaviors. While we still address emotions, coaching is more goal-oriented and action-focused.
During our free consultation call, we can discuss your situation and determine which approach would best serve your needs. Many clients find value in both services at different times in their journey.
What if I don't want to talk about something?
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If something feels overwhelming or even terrifying to discuss, that's actually very normal. It can often feel difficult to talk about some things… During our sessions, if you don't want to talk about something, you don't have to. We will collaborate on understanding what you feel ready to open up about. Together we will work through the difficult stuff.
You can also share with me that you are nervous to open up about something and we can talk about that too. Whatever is present for you. Whatever you are going through. Bring that to the session and we can explore that together.
I’m scared that if I open up, you will think I’m crazy.
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If you open up to me, I will not think you are crazy; I will think you are courageous and human. Many of my clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are crazy).
Through my own life journey and working with my clients, I know how ‘normal’ your experience is.
You're not being dramatic or "too much." Nothing you can say will cause me to judge you.
I know nobody's perfect, we all struggle, and we may have normal reactions to abnormally challenging experiences.
Whatever it is you're going through, I provide a safe space where you can feel heard and supported without judgment.
Do you prescribe ADHD medication or manage medications?
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No. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California, which means I cannot prescribe or manage medication.
My role is to help you:
Understand your symptoms and history in a culturally grounded, trauma-informed, neuroaffirming way.
Provide clinical assessment and diagnosis of ADHD and/or Autism within my training and experience.
Offer therapy and psychoeducation, so you have language, context, and support.
Write a clinical report you can share with medical providers as part of your care team.
Any decisions about medication (including ADHD meds) must be made with a physician or other prescriber, such as a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or primary care doctor.
Will my doctor, school, or employer accept your ADHD/Autism assessment?
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I’m not able to guarantee that any specific institution will accept my assessment or report, but I will always do my best to provide clear, thorough documentation to support you.
I provide a thorough clinical assessment and written report that many clients have successfully used as part of documentation for:
Talking with a primary care doctor or psychiatrist
Requesting workplace or school accommodations
Coordinating care with other therapists or coaches
However, each doctor, school, employer, licensing board, and/or agency has its own rules and documentation requirements. Because of that, I cannot promise that any specific institution will accept my assessment or report for medication, disability status, or accommodations.
When possible, I encourage you to:
Ask the institution what documentation they need and whether they’re open to reviewing and accepting my report.
Share those requirements with me so we can see whether my assessment is a good fit or if you may also need additional testing (for example, a full neuropsychological evaluation).
What is your scope of practice as an LMFT in California?
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As an LMFT in California, my legal scope of practice focuses on:
Providing psychotherapy to individuals, couples, and families.
Assessing and diagnosing mental health conditions using established clinical methods.
Supporting clients through emotional, relational, and behavioral challenges in the context of their lives, culture, and communities.
I do not:
Prescribe or manage medication.
Perform medical evaluations.
Represent my services as a full neuropsychological battery or as medical care.
Ethically, following guidance from organizations such as CAMFT and the APA, I am also required to practice within my scope of competence. That means:
I only provide services for which I have appropriate training, experience, and supervision.
I seek consultation and continuing education to stay current with best practices in ADHD, Autism, trauma, and culturally responsive care.
When your needs require services beyond what I can safely provide (for example, complex neuropsychological testing or specialized medical assessment), I will discuss this with you and refer or collaborate with other qualified professionals.
How does your approach reflect CAMFT and APA ethics?
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While this is not legal advice, my work is guided by professional ethics that emphasize:
Informed consent and transparency about what an assessment can and cannot do.
Cultural humility and anti-oppressive practice, taking seriously the impact of race, ethnicity, immigration, language, gender, sexuality, class, and work context (including sex work) on how symptoms show up and are interpreted.
Honesty about limits, including my non-medical role and the fact that I cannot control how third parties use or interpret your assessment.
If you have questions about whether my scope and approach fit your specific situation, you’re always welcome to ask during a consultation.
Do you use AI tools or record during sessions?
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For some ADHD and Autism assessments and for certain ongoing therapy clients, I may use HIPAA-compliant AI tools and digital platforms, such as Umore and NovoPsych, to support your care. These tools can help by:
Securely recording parts of our session for note-taking, so I can focus more on you and less on typing.
Delivering and scoring psychological tests and screeners related to your assessment or treatment.
When I use these tools:
I do not enter your full name. I typically use initials and your email address only, unless you choose to enter your full name yourself.
The tools are designed to be HIPAA-compliant and use secure, encrypted storage for clinical information.[1]
I use them to reduce administrative load and improve care, not to replace our therapeutic relationship.
You always have the right to choose and consent to the following:
You have the right to refuse the use of these tools and not sign the separate consent form that gives me permission to use them.
Declining this consent does not mean you cannot work with me; we can stick with more traditional, non-AI options for notes and assessments.
If you decide to work with me, you are always welcome to ask questions about how these tools work and how your information is protected before making a decision.
Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?
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It can be concerning to feel like things you say or do in therapy could "get out." So you should know that unless you are suicidal, harming yourself, or someone else, what you say in sessions stays between you and me.
I highly respect your privacy and value your trust.
You can rest assured that you can talk about anything without fear of that information getting out.
If you have specific questions about how confidentiality works, you can ask during your during the free phone consultation or anytime during our work together.
You might be asking about how long therapy will take because therapy is hard to fit into your busy schedule.
If this is true for you, I want you to know that on average, my new clients start seeing progress after the first 3-5 sessions.
By that point, they feel like they have learned some ways to manage challenging stuff in their lives a bit better
The total duration of therapy varies from client to client. Some of my clients find 6-12 weeks (or months) to be enough to resolve immediate challenges. While other clients feel more supported by longer-term therapy.
We will work together to find the length of time that works for you.
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How long will therapy take?
What can I expect during the first session?
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Overall, you can think of the first session as a review of the consent forms and a free-flowing conversation through which we start getting to know each other. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself, and we can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.
Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:
What brought you to therapy?
What goals would you like to reach by going to therapy?
What do I need to know about you to understand your current challenges?
You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about my experience or how future sessions work.
The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel I’m a good fit for you. If you feel safe, accepted, and comfortable with me, we can discuss if you’d like to meet again.
Do You Take Insurance?
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No, I do not accept insurance at this time.
What Is Your Cancellation Policy?
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To cancel a scheduled a therapy session or an assessment, a minimum of 24 hours in advance of your session is required. Missed appointments and late cancellations result in a flat fee of $50.
About Your Right To Receive A Good Faith Estimate Of Expected Charges
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Under the law, as a health care provider, I will give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
This estimate is called a "Good Faith Estimate" and explains how much your therapy services will cost. Here are a few key things you should know about your Good Faith Estimate:
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
You may ensure that I give you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 3 business days before your therapy services or item. You can also ask me for a Good Faith Estimate prior to scheduling.
If you receive a bill that is $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
It's recommended that you save a copy of your Good Faith Estimate for your records.
For further information, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 800-985-3059.
The included "Good Faith Estimate" language is a modification of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services model notice.
Schedule a free phone consultation where we can talk about what’s on your mind and decide together how I can help.