Therapy can be difficult to describe. It’s a relationship unlike any other. A good therapist is more than a coach, counselor, or confidant. A good therapist enters into a patient’s inner world in order to cultivate a more meaningful life. What does this look like, exactly? It involves telling your therapist your story and exploring those deep corners of your soul all while building trust. Your therapist may offer insights, encourage further self-reflection, challenge you on deeply rooted emotional experiences, soothe you when you’re anxious, sit with you when you’re sad, or rejoice with you as you grow. And all of this happens within the context of the therapy session, which is typically a weekly 45-50 minute time together. 

People seek out therapy for a number of reasons; sometimes after a major life event or trauma, sometimes after a failed relationship, and sometimes after the loss of a loved one. Other people seek out therapy to explore their inner world more deeply. There may not be a specific crisis that recently occurred or a particular problem they want to address. Some people come to therapy just to be able to understand themselves better! 

The type of therapy that we practice here at GFT is opened ended by nature, so there is no set amount of time that you might be in treatment. Your therapist and you would work together to understand your goals for treatment and track your progress toward those goals, making adjustments along the way. 

For individual therapy, our therapists use a various types of psychodynamic therapy. Psychodynamic therapy involves processing internal (dynamic) feels, thoughts, and beliefs, tracing them back to early experiences, and learning to grow from these complex experiences into a new and health sense of self. A particular type of psychodynamic therapy we practice is called Intersubjectivity.

For couples therapy, our therapists use various techniques designed to help a couple communicate in an empathetic way and grow in their attachment bond with one another. Our therapists are able to work with couples using either Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy or Restoration Couples Therapy.

Our therapists who work with children an adolescents do so from a Family Systems perspective and employ a number of effective, evidence based techniques like CBT, DBT, Bowenian, and Structural Therapy. Our child and adolescent therapists also work closely with parents to help tailor treatment to the unique needs of each individual child or teen.

We do not require patients to bring anything specific to the first session. We will have you fill out some basic paperwork that includes your contact information and other basic info. 

The fee for service will be collected at each session, and you will be able to pay with cash, check, or credit/debit card. At the end of each month, a billing statement will be emailed to you. If you have a PPO insurance plan, you can submit this billing statement for possible reimbursement. Please check with your insurance company to learn more about your out of network mental/behavioral health benefits. The rate for each 45-50 minute session varies by therapist, so be sure to visit each of our therapists page to learn more about their fees and services.

Through our years in practice, we have found that insurance providers, while making therapy somewhat more affordable, also tend to make the process of pursuing therapy more complicated. They often require you as a client to receive an official mental health diagnosis and for your progress in therapy to be reported back to the provider. They also tend to limit the time you are able to see your therapist and will have a say in the therapists you chose. Good therapy often comes down to something we call “fit” - the bond you make with your therapist. To find the right therapist can be challenging, and we do not want there to be an extra voice in the process limiting your choice as a client. 

At the same time, we understand that therapy is an investment, and you may have budget concerns. Because of this, we strive to make sure our therapists’ rates are competitive and that all of our therapists reserve room in their caseload for people who may need a sliding scale rate. Ask your GFT therapist for more information about a sliding scale rate for therapy. 

On the navigation tabs above, click “GFE” to read the Good Faith Estimate notification related to my practice. This notification is required by California State Law and represents only an estimate of cost for recurring psychotherapy.