How do I know IF therapy is RIGHT for me ?

I’ve been working in the mental health field for over 20 years now so I honestly can say-everyone can benefit from therapy in some way or shape. The research shows this as well- that basically anyone can benefit from unpacking their feelings about past & current traumas and building emotional resilience and emotional empathy towards self and others. This vital relationship can teach us about ourselves, how we interact with others, and how we come accross to others which can be immensely beneficial for pursuing optimal health goals.

The hard part is prioritizing yourself and the therapy space for the true benefit to be unveiled. This takes the cultivation of a safe environment with a safe relationship- unraveling one’s personal thoughts, feelings, and beliefs and seeing if there are other perspectives that can be here at the same time that may allow growth and connection takes space and time to build.

I have found in my professional experience, therapy is an excruciatingly important tool for personal, romantic, and business relationships to be explored consciously, verses reactively. Therapy is so impactful for those who do not feel strong attachments to self, family, or others.

If you still have further questions on whether therapy is right for you, please schedule a free 15 minute consultation and I can further answer your direct questions.

How Do I know What location is best for me? In Person, Virtual or Walk n Talk Sessions?

This is deeply subjective I have found. Everyone engages in therapy differently and can access their parts in different ways at different times of day. I always lean towards the opposite, if you work with people a lot and it would benefit you to access therapy to do virtual- book a virtual session at a convenient time for you to get started today.

If you are working virtually all day - try an in person Mission Valley office visit- grab a coffee, cold water, or snack during your session and get some human connection, mindfulness, and some duality of tasks- on your way home, stop at the gym or grocery store, visit a nature spot and integrate the session, or do some retail therapy after if thats your thing- it’s good for your mental health to be near people!

If you are finding yourself stuck in a physical or mental health therapy office - lack of movement rut like many of us do from time to time, book a “walk n talk” session in beautiful San Diego, California! It is such a beautiful way to incorporate movement, emotions, and reprocessing in a truly beautiful environment with someone you trust walking you and speaking low away from others for increased confidentially. I have seen some amazing therapy milestones achieved in nature both with individuals and couples. Please pack accordingly- shoes, water, sunblock, and be ready to move. However, if you are feeling like not moving, we can also sit in nature and have our session, confidentially away from others.

WHAT WILL MY FIRST SESSION LOOK LIKE ?

In short, my goal for you is to receive what you need out of therapy. Take a deep breath, relax we are on this journey together and I am fully committed to assisting you feel unstuck. I would love for you to have a deeply intuitive experience, that allows self-exploration of strengths and weaknesses- authentically with love and compassion in order to remain in balance with your relationship with self. Prior to our first session, you will be provided my client portal access where you can fill out your personal information on why you are coming to therapy, mood and substance information, childhood risk factors, payment information, and scheduling calendars for requesting future appointments and communication ease for the duration of therapy. The portal is where we store all our HIPPA encrypted confidential information and allows us to have ease with providing ongoing assessments, scheduling, communication, telehealth, and payment processing.

The first session should feel like we are starting a new relationship so it may feel awkward a bit as I am getting to know you more in depth by downloading your history, mental health risk factors, past relationship components, current factors, and goals for the future. I also review the pros and cons, informed consent and any questions about me being a mandated reporter or asking for any effective communication accommodations. If we are working as a couple, I would divide the next sessions into individual history and rapport building sessions before coming back together for the third session for collaborative treatment planning. Subsequent sessions should feel like we are more in sync the more the therapeutic rapport is built.

As the therapeutic rapport is built, symptoms and circumstances seem more clearer, and we are able to dig deeper into your bio-psychosocial & attachment history and comfortability to work on deeper trauma if appropriate. Utilizing EMDR/IFS approach, I gain permissions to go towards deeper rooted attachment wounds or negative schemas that have caused individuals to remain feeling unwell. This can take a few sessions to fully gather a better treatment road map, especially when working with couples and intimate personal trauma. Upon mutual collaboration, we develop a treatment plan to address your goals. This process is entirely collaborative; at a safe pace that aligns with your personal motivation, evidence based modalities utilized along the therapeutic process.

How frequently Should we meet for optimal progress results ?

This is a great question and one I frequently get asked at the end of the first intake session. I tend to provide recommendations of weekly or biweekly to get us in an optimal cadence for growth and introspection towards the desired progress. Change does not occur overnight and it takes us developing a strong therapeutic rapport for me to be able to provide accurate and helpful tools for you that may be difficult for your loved ones to provide you. We check in frequently to ensure that we are understanding the treatment goals and progress being made or not made towards them. Many people are initially worried that there will be no progress to be made and that they won’t be effective with therapy due to their life requirements, therefore they do not feel like starting. I tell individuals feeling like this to reflect on, this is a totally safe space that you get to dictate and control in many ways, however you use it. Why leave off on fear? Why not check in with your hopes and dreams? Fear can really wreak havoc if not checked, so that is another Its ok for there not to be any goals, just exploring one’s inner thoughts, feelings, emotions, and relationship with self.

Some people are deeply impacted by the intimacy and questions of therapy and need more time in between sessions and some need less. This is why my client portal is always available to you as I have reschedules, cancellations, and discharges all the time so you & I can tailor your treatment to your exact needs.

Many modalities & symptomology require more frequent contacts, such as more intimate and vulnerable types of trauma work which requires EMDR & Gottman Method Couples Sessions that often require 90-120 minute sessions, weekly or bi-weekly for treatment goals to be reached within time constraints. As I guide my clients through their journey of self- acceptance and love through their trauma work, I always encourage finding one’s own autonomy for schedule and resources. Communicating with me your desires and ideal time windows helps this process tremendously.

What if I can’t come in or afford to come in as often as We would like?

Most of my clients are busy working professionals, many are parents and entrepreneurs therefore, are the most historically low resourced population to date we are seeing. I do not require you to hold your weekly or biweekly spot, as I get life gets in the way and prefer to have more organic conversations on what makes sense for your treatment goals and resources. I have tons of supplemental resources and I recommend you subscribe to my blogs for adjunctive support with all things mental health, relationships, and self care from an evidenced based nugget portion ;) Remember, reading and absorbing information is one thing, integration is another and that takes time and dedication in between sessions. Reach out to me, let me know and I can also share more in session or post therapy with permission. If finances are an issue, please reach out to me as well. We can explore your abilities to meet your needs with a plan and I am happy to discuss a reduced rate.

What is your no show/late cancellation policy?

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please let Amy know 48 hours before your upcoming appointment time as that she reserves this time especially for you. The client portal is available 24/7 to jump on & cancel, reschedule, or communicate with Amy directly if you have any scheduling or clinical matters that need to be discussed to ensure ease with avoiding this unnecessary cost for all. Under 48 hours, please still communicate as soon as possible as I may be able to have someone use the spot without the charge and to make all efforts to reshedule. In any case of a missed appointment or late cancellation, the full appointment fee will be charged due to the sacredness of the time held. All intake appointments must have a credit card on file in order to reserve your first appointment or the appointment will be cancelled.

Will my session rate always stay the same ?

Depending on the length of the session, number of individuals involved, and the modalities utilized the fee will differ. Some couples and individuals prefer to have longer & less frequent sessions due to their schedule & commute, and treatment goals, which impacts the fee. Fees also increase annually for existing clients due to inflation and continuing educational experiences.

Do you accept Insurance?

I accept PPO insurance as an out-of-network provider. I will provide you with a super bill (if requested) that you may send to your insurance company for direct reimbursement.  To determine the net cost of your session using your PPO insurance, please research and compute your deductible, the total deductible amount already accrued for the calendar year, and the percentage of the therapy fee your insurance company will cover. Cost per session is payable via credit, debit, HSA or FSA directly through my confidential portal. Please contact me if you have special circumstances, I do hold some sessions for sliding scale spots.

I’m happy to discuss any questions associated with fees and insurance in our initial consultation call.