The Nuts 'n Bolts

Por supesto! También hago terapia en tu idioma.

Most clients can be seen within 2 or 3 days of calling for an appointment.

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Yes, as long as you reside in the State of California.

Safeguarding your confidentiality is always a priority.  What you share with me in a therapy session remains in strict confidence. The only exceptions are those mandated by state law. For example, California law requires that marriage and family therapists report possible instances of child abuse or elder abuse. The law also requires them to report apparently genuine threats of suicide or threats to harm another person. The only other time your confidentiality may be compromised is if a sitting judge issues a direct order to see your records, something that rarely happens.

However, outside of the requirements of law, your privacy and confidentiality are assured.

Through Westmont Counseling Center, I can accept MHN Health Net and also private pay basis (see below).

Through Yoffe Therapy, I offer my services on what is known as a private pay basis, which means that clients are responsible for payments but that they can still seek reimbursement from their insurance provider for their treatment, which means our client’s provide payment in our tele-therapy system directly and we provide our client’s with a monthly invoice “super-bill”. Clients submit their super-bills to their insurance company directly. Insurance companies reimburse clients directly depending on their insurance deductible and plan. Each potential client is strongly encouraged to learn more by calling their insurance representative and asking for the “out of pocket mental health reimbursement rate.”

Psychotherapy is most effective, at least at the very beginning, when clients come once a week for a 50-minute session. However, you and I will work out a schedule for therapy that best suits your needs. If you wish to meet more than once a week, that can be arranged, but if you would prefer to meet less often than once a week, that would also be fine.

That depends upon your needs and what you feel works for you. In psychotherapy, the healing process, in part, comes through self-awareness and self-understanding. The pace and length of this process depends upon the individual. You will never be asked to commit yourself to a specific number of sessions.

Yes, sometimes the brief participation of partners and family members can enhance your individual therapy. As a result, clients have even been known to transform their individual therapy into couples or family therapy. However, such a change is only made after a careful assessment and a thorough consideration of what would be the best kind of therapy for you.

For adopted children, tweens, and teens, I do conjoint, family, or parent-support sessions every 4-6 weeks.

Therapy and the Therapeutic Process

An associate therapist has completed their Masters degree from an accredited program and is working towards the 3000 hours needed in order to become licensed.  Marriage and Family Therapy masters programs are rigorous and they must demonstrate proficiency in research, therapeutic orientations, approaches, and interventions.  They must also have personal qualities of a good therapist including empathy, warm acceptance, and the ability to create a non-judgmental, comforting space.

 

Associate therapists must work under the supervision of a licensed therapist.  This means that as the client, you receive the benefit of the experience and knowledge of both the pre-licensed therapist, as well as the licensed therapist that provides weekly supervision.  Every week, the licensed therapist reviews the associate therapists’ cases and offers feedback, answers questions, and provides ongoing training for the associate therapist.  You can feel confident that your associate therapist will use this time to make sure they have the knowledge they need to best help you.

I hold an MA in Marriage & Family Therapy with a specialization in Clinical Art Therapy from Loyola Marymount University. I am an Associate-level Marriage & Family Therapist. This means that I am working towards my license and am currently under supervision.

Art therapists are master-level clinicians who work with people of all ages across a broad spectrum of practice. Guided by ethical standards and scope of practice, their education and supervised training prepares them for culturally proficient work with diverse populations in a variety of settings. Honoring individuals’ values and beliefs, art therapists work with people who are challenged with medical and mental health problems, as well as individuals seeking emotional, creative, and spiritual growth.

 

I hold an MA in Marriage & Family Therapy with a specialization in Clinical Art Therapy from Loyola Marymount University. I am currently working towards my official Registration as an Art Therapist. There is no State-level or National-level license for Art Therapists.

A mental health professional with clinical training on adoption issues understands adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parent’s history (pre- and post-adoption traumas) needs to be taken into greater consideration when doing an adoption sensitive assessment.

Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone. Kinesthetic, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic opportunities invite alternative modes of receptive and expressive communication, which can circumvent the limitations of language. Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation.

I blend various approaches within their treatment modality including Attachment Informed Focused Family therapy, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Somatic Experiencing, Tapping In, and Art Therapy. The process is focused on reducing symptoms and building coping skills. In session, we actively communicate empathy and acceptance while providing the client with the comfort and containment needed to explore and resolve past trauma and shame-related experiences

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