FAQ

Therapy is a scientifically informed method of treatment for people who may be feeling overwhelmed or dissatisfied with their current quality of life.  You may be struggling with feelings of anxiety or depression, the challenges of managing a stressful life event, alcohol or substance abuse, roadblocks to achieving goals/personal growth, or other matters that may have a debilitating effect on your life.  A psychologist will work together with you to develop a collaborative plan for how to best treat such issues and help you find relief from your more challenging symptoms.

Yes. Our clinicians work with children, adolescents, adults, and families. Much of our training centers on children and family systems, and we also have extensive experience working with adults navigating anxiety, depression, relationships, life transitions, and personal and professional growth.

Each of our clinicians brings their own training and areas of focus, and you can read about both on our Therapists page. If you’re not sure where to start, our office is happy to talk through your situation and help you determine which clinician may be the best fit based on clinical needs, availability, and scheduling preferences. Hannah Mira, LCSW, also offers a free 15-minute phone consultation.

Therapy starts with something called the “intake process.”  This means that I will meet with you over the course of 1-2 sessions and ask you a series of questions about what brought you to therapy, your medical and mental health history, your current quality of social, familial, and occupational functioning, as well as what goals you would like to accomplish in our work together.  At the conclusion of the intake process, we will determine a meeting schedule that takes into consideration your availability, your presenting issues and concerns, as well as your stated objectives for treatment.  The length of how long you need to attend therapy varies with each patient.  Some patients notice their symptoms subsiding after only 4-5 sessions, while other patients may wish to meet with me for longer.  You may decide to stop meeting with me regularly and shift to an “as needed” basis, not unlike what you would do with your general medical provider. You and I will decide together when is the best time for you to bring the therapy process to an end.

No. Dr. Nate Psych is an out-of-network practice and does not bill insurance directly. Many clients are able to receive partial reimbursement through their out-of-network benefits; we recommend contacting your insurance provider to ask what your plan covers.

Yes. We can provide you with an itemized superbill after each session or on a monthly basis, which you can submit to your insurance provider on your own behalf for reimbursement.

Therapy begins with the intake process, which usually takes place over the first one to two sessions. Your clinician will typically meet with you as the parent and with your child separately, asking about what brought you to therapy, your child’s history and current functioning at home and at school, and what goals you would like to accomplish together. From there, your clinician will create a treatment plan everyone agrees on before regularly scheduled sessions begin.

You must be physically located in California at the time of your session. Our clinicians are licensed in California and cannot provide therapy to clients who are outside the state, even temporarily.

You can request an appointment through the secure message link on our Contact page or by calling our office at 949-880-7997. Our office will follow up to answer any questions and help you schedule with the clinician who is the right fit.

We ask that you provide at least [24 / 48] hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule a session. Appointments cancelled with less notice, or missed without notice, are billed at the full session rate. We understand that emergencies happen and will work with you when something unexpected comes up.

You know how you would go to see a medical doctor if you got the flu or had a fever? Well sometimes kids may be feeling sad, angry, lonely, confused, or have other strong feelings that they are struggling to manage. This is where psychologists can help. Psychologists are special kinds of doctors who help kids and families understand their feelings and find safe and healthy ways to deal with them. Psychologists use talking strategies as well as structured and unstructured play activities to help kids with identifying and expressing their feelings, enhancing their self-esteem, as well as helping to improve relationships with family members, friends, and other important people in a child’s life.

Nope. In fact, most of the kids we see in therapy are not taking medication. There are some instances when a kid could benefit from taking medication in addition to therapy, in which case your therapist would talk to you and your parents about meeting with a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is another kind of medical doctor who works together with therapists to help treat issues that come up in therapy.

Therapy starts with something called the “intake process.” This usually means your therapist will meet with you and your parents and ask you questions about yourself, why you and/or your parents thought it would be a good idea to come in, how you have been feeling lately, how things are going at school and at home, as well as what goals you would like to accomplish together. Usually your therapist meets with you for an hour and your parents for an hour, and then creates a treatment plan that everyone agrees to before regular therapy appointments begin.

This is a good question, but a hard one to answer because every child I meet with is so different.  Some kids notice that they are feeling better after 4-5 sessions, while other kids may decide to come meet with me for longer. You and your parents may decide to stop meeting with me regularly and shift to an “as needed” basis, not unlike what you would do with your general medical provider.  You, your parents, and I will decide as a group when is the best time for you to stop therapy.

Just like the grown-ups we see, kids deserve to have “confidentiality” in therapy, which means that what you say in your sessions stays between you and your therapist. There are exceptions to this though. If your therapist feels like you or another kid may be in harm’s way, they would be sure to talk to your parents and/or other supportive adults to help keep everyone safe. If your therapist feels like it would be helpful to talk with your parents about something you share in a private session, the two of you would discuss this first and figure out a way to talk about it with your parents together.

That’s okay, and it happens more than you’d think. You don’t have to come in with everything figured out or know exactly what to say. Sometimes sessions start with a game, drawing, or just talking about your week, and the bigger stuff comes up when you’re ready. Your therapist’s job is to make it feel easier, not to push you before you’re comfortable.

Nope! We’ve met plenty of different kids and families from plenty of different schools who have decided to come in for therapy. Everyone needs someone they can talk to when things aren’t going their best. Deciding to go to therapy and talking with a trained professional shows just how brave you are in deciding to get the support that you deserve.