FAQ

Nope.

Big Mood Therapy is an Online Therapy Practice. COVID-19 really changed the therapy game because it made therapy much more accessible. You now have greater choice in your therapist & aren’t restricted by the therapist’s experience, skills, personality in your immediate area or town.

Plus, research shows no difference in outcomes for in-person vs. online therapy, meaning Online Therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy.

Yep.

The therapy technology glow up is real, and Online EMDR Therapy is here to stay! Since 2020, I’ve found similar treatment outcomes using Online EMDR as in-person EMDR Therapy. 

This was the evidence I needed to make Big Mood Therapy a fully Online Therapy practice. EMDR Therapy is a highly effective Trauma Therapy method, and I’m excited to offer it virtually through the comfort & safety of your own home. 

A psychologist has a doctoral degree in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) and is licensed to practice mental health treatment like psychotherapy & psychological evaluations. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD) who prescribes medications. So while I’m not able to prescribe medication, I will collaborate & will provide referrals to a psychiatrist if I believe that medication might help your symptoms. 

At Big Mood Therapy, we’ll meet for therapy 1x per week until your trauma therapy is complete. This gives us time to establish our relationship & fully attend to your initial therapy goals - which is going to increase your overall Trauma Therapy outcomes.

So you don’t meet with clients less than 1x per week? Nope. Why? Trauma Therapy is no joke and requires consistent & intentional meeting. Unpacking, unloading, and decompressing set the foundation for the rest of your healing, so we have to give yourself extended care & support

The length of therapy depends entirely on your treatment needs & goals. Once we get established in our therapy work (4-6 weeks), I will be better able to provide a more thorough therapeutic evaluation & recommendation of treatment length. 

Therapy is a unique and individualized experience. Some clients prefer working on short-term goals for acute instances of trauma & stress which usually require a more succinct treatment timeline.

Clients seeking treatment for complex & chronic trauma - attachment trauma, childhood emotional neglect, CPTSD, burnout, anxiety - typically require a longer course of therapy given the complex and chronic nature of their symptoms. 

Check out the rest of the Big Mood Therapy Website to see if we might be a good match for your Trauma Therapy, Anxiety Therapy, EMDR Therapy, or Burnout Therapy.

If you think we’re a good fit, hit that CONTACT button to schedule your no-cost 15 minute consultation.

Don’t think we’re a match? No worries! Contact me for other, trusted, trauma specialist referrals. I want you to be connected with the best-fit-for-YOU therapist.

Once you schedule your initial intake session (first session), we’ll go over your goals & what brings you to therapy. From there, we’ll spend the first couple of sessions triaging your more immediate & pressing symptoms while we get to know one another & build trust in the therapy relationship. 

Finally, once we stabilize the distressing immediate symptoms, we’ll get to the deep-rooted stuff that’s been piling up for a while. We’ll gain insight into your automatic coping strategies and their impact on literally every area of your life, implement healthier attachment strategies for better relationships, safely reprocess your trauma, become your most authentic self, and so much more. 

$275 for a 45-minute session.

I do not have any sliding scale spots available

You can read more about my fee here.

Nope. I’m an out-of-network provider and will automatically provide you with a monthly superbill that you can submit to your insurance company for possible partial reimbursement. Please contact the number on the back of your insurance card for more information on your out-of-network mental health benefits.

No really, those PPO out-of-network benefits can help offset the cost of therapy - sometimes by reimbursing up to 60-90% of your sessions!

I’m virtually meeting with my clients from my home office located along the Santa Cruz County coastline. Living the dream.

Since my practice is fully online - 100% of the time - I can meet with any California resident located within the state. But most of my clients are currently from the San Francisco Bay Area and I’m not mad about it.

The Department of Consumer Affairs’ Board of Psychology receives and responds to questions and complaints regarding the practice of psychology. If you have questions or complaints you may contact the Board on the Internet at www.psychology.ca.gov, by emailing bopmail@dca.ca.gov, calling 1-866-503-3221 or writing to the following address: Board of Psychology 1625 North Market Blvd, Suite N-215 Sacramento, CA 95834

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.

You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.