FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Standard fee:

$210 per 50-minute session

Solidarity / Community Distribution fee:

Clients with access to wealth or financial privilege may consider paying more than the standard fee (between $210 and $250). Additional funds would directly support clients who otherwise cannot afford to start or continue therapy at the full rate. If you are interested in this fee structure, please let me know in the intake form or during our consultation. You can refer to Alexis J. Cunningham’s “Green Bottle” sliding scale model.

Lotus Therapy Fund:

If you are low income and identify as AAPI, you can apply to the Lotus Therapy Fund through the Asian Mental Health Collective. You can select me as a therapist and receive up to 8 free sessions.

All of my sliding scale slots are currently full. These slots, when available, start at $175. When we agree to sliding scale, we also negotiate a specific timeframe to honor the fee. For instance, we might start at $175 for 6 months and then revisit the fee at the end of the 6-month period, the idea being that the fee either stays the same or will increase. This is the case for existing clients as well. If there are life circumstances that change your ability to pay the full fee, then we will work together to come up with a fee that makes sense for both of us, for a limited amount of time (e.g., 3 months, 6 months, etc.)

The majority of my practice is virtual. I offer limited, in-person sessions in Oakland on Fridays from 10:30am-3:30pm. In-person sessions are masked to minimize risk, as I am immunocompromised.

We will meet at least once a week for a 50-minute session, depending on your therapy needs. I do not offer biweekly or monthly services. I believe that consistent, weekly sessions are the most effective way to create lasting change. Meeting regularly gives us more time to build trust and engage in deeper level healing work.

The duration of therapy is different for everybody based on their unique needs and goals. Because I do depth work, I tend to meet with people for a minimum of 1 year, and often up to 3-5 years.

I value your agency and choice. As such, we will collaborate on which therapy approaches work for you. Some people find that they want to start out with traditional talk therapy and then try IFS therapy. Some start with somatic sessions and then build to talk therapy. Some switch between structured EMDR sessions and traditional talk therapy.

I do not contract with insurance companies. I can provide a Superbill to submit for out-of-network reimbursement on your online insurance claims portal. Please review this policy with your insurance first to find out what your coverage is. Some questions you can ask your insurance:

• How much is my annual deductible? How much has been met this year?

• What is the coverage for out-of-network therapy services before and after I have met my deductible?

• Do my expenses with out-of-network providers contribute to my deductible?

• What information do I need to submit for reimbursement?

“Good Faith Estimate” Notice

Under the No Surprises Act (effective January 1, 2022) , you have the right to request and receive a “Good Faith Estimate” of how much your mental health care will reasonably cost. This is especially for clients who do not have insurance or who are not using insurance to cover the charges for therapy. You can ask for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule your first session. It is NOT a commitment to therapy.

For more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 985-3059.