Frequently asked questions.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, disconnected, or like you keep running into the same walls no matter what you try, that’s often a sign that therapy could help. You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from it. Many of the people I work with are functioning well on the outside but carrying something underneath they can’t quite name or shake. If something keeps nagging at you, if your relationships feel harder than they should, or if you’re just tired of feeling the way you feel, that’s enough of a reason to reach out. I offer a free 15-minute consultation so you can get a sense of whether this feels right before committing to anything.

Our first session is really just about getting to know each other. I’ll ask more about what brings you in, a bit about your history, and what you’re hoping for. We’ll start to get a feel for how we work together. There’s no pressure to share everything at once. My job in those first sessions is to listen carefully and create a space where you feel comfortable enough to share honestly. We’ll figure out the pace together.

Individual sessions are $175 for a standard 45-50 minute session. I have a limited number of sliding scale spots available, and I encourage you to ask if fee is a barrier to getting started.

I am currently only accepting private-pay clients. I do accept HSA and FSA cards, and if your plan includes out-of-network mental health benefits (common with many PPO plans), I can provide a monthly superbill you can submit for reimbursement. Many clients receive 50–80% back this way, and I’m happy to help you understand your options.

Depth therapy is an approach to therapy that looks beneath your symptoms to understand what is actually driving them — the unconscious patterns, relational histories, and emotional meanings that shape how you move through the world. Rather than focusing only on managing symptoms or changing behaviors, depth therapy asks: where does this come from? What is this really about? It’s a slower, more exploratory kind of work, and it tends to create change that compounds and sticks over time.

In my practice, depth therapy draws on psychodynamic and attachment-based frameworks. We work together to trace emotional and relational patterns. Seeking to understand where they came from, what purpose they once served, and how they continue to shape your life today. The goal is a more free, authentic, and integrated relationship with yourself.

Psychodynamic therapy is an evidence-based approach that explores how our early relationships and experiences continue to show up in our present-day lives. You can read more about my approach. Research consistently supports its effectiveness for anxiety, depression, relational difficulties, grief, and more.

Psychodynamic therapy tends to be a strong fit when you want deeper self-understanding. When you are curious about why you feel the way you do, not only how to feel better. It is especially useful when you notice recurring patterns you cannot seem to break: the same relational conflicts, the same anxiety showing up in different situations, the same inner critic no matter how much you achieve.

It can also be the right fit if you have tried other approaches and found relief in the short term but eventually returned to familiar struggles. Psychodynamic therapy is designed to address root causes, not just surface symptoms; its effects tend to build and deepen over time rather than diminish.

Anxiety therapy describes a range of approaches; depth therapy is specifically concerned with understanding what the anxiety is responding to, not just managing it. For the full explanation of how this works in practice, see the Therapy for Anxiety page.

I typically work in an ongoing weekly format. Before we start we will discuss a time that will consistently work for your schedule and keep your appointment time on the same day and time each week. Consistent, regular sessions create the kind of rhythm that allows us to go deeper over time — it’s hard to do meaningful work when there’s too much space between sessions. As things shift and stabilize, we can reassess frequency together.

The timeline depends on each individual. Many people feel relief fairly early from having a space to think and feel more freely and honestly, and studies have shown that meaningful change begins around six months of consistent psychotherapy.

Yes. I offer telehealth sessions throughout California alongside in-person sessions in Newport Beach and Fullerton. For many people, telehealth is not a compromise. It can be the format that makes consistent, deep therapy most possible given work schedules, commutes, life with children, or the logistics of life in Southern California.

The research on telehealth consistently supports its effectiveness for anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship concerns. The most important factors in therapy outcomes — the quality of the therapeutic relationship, consistency, and trust — are fully available in an online format.

The clinical approach is the same — depth-oriented, psychodynamic, and attachment-based — regardless of format. The practical and experiential differences are worth considering, though. In-person therapy in Fullerton or Newport Beach can offer a stronger sense of ritual and containment: the act of traveling to a dedicated space, closing the door, and leaving ordinary life temporarily behind. For some people, that physical separation frees them up to be more “in” the work.