Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Make an Appointment?
Call our office 650-461-9026, use our online form, or book an appointment online. One of our friendly administrative staff will talk with you about the main reasons you are seeking counseling and connect you with the best therapist given your needs. An initial appointment will usually be scheduled within a few days. We also are happy to offer a free 15 minute phone consultation.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
In a nutshell, CBT is an effective, rapid, goal-oriented, and evidenced-based type of counseling. This type of therapy looks at the interaction of one’s thoughts and behavior and how these two areas affect one’s emotions, feelings, and/or state of mind. When you are able to think and behave differently you are able to make substantial improvements to the way you feel and in your life in general. Please visit our article Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Works if you want to learn more about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
What Hours Are You Available for Appointments?
Since we have many therapists to serve you, we have quite a bit of flexibility when scheduling appointments. We offer appointments on Saturdays, evenings until 9pm, and throughout the day to make your appointments as convenient as possible. Please let us know your preference and we will do our best to match it.
How Long Will It Take to Feel Better?
This answer depends greatly on your goals for counseling, your particular situation, how much effort you put in, and the length of your appointments; 75 or 90 minute appointments are available and often speed up progress. The research is pretty clear that when clients fully engage in therapy by regularly doing homework, focusing in the sessions, and implementing the skills that are taught they get better quicker. In some instances we have been able to be helpful in as few as 4 sessions whereas other times clients have continued with us for much longer, with an average around 12-15 sessions. Although it is difficult to predict exactly how many appointments you will need up front, your therapist would be happy to discuss this with you as your therapy gets underway. If you want to learn more about the importance of your role in counseling, read our two articles How to be Successful in Therapy and Is Palo Alto Therapy Right for You.
Do You Take Insurance? Costs?
We are considered “out of network” for most insurance plans as we are specialized Cognitive Behavioral and Anxiety therapists. However, we do submit insurance claims for our clients as a courtesy service and often our clients get reimbursed a portion of their therapy fees (it can be a major hassle for clients to do this themselves so we wanted to offer this extra service). Payments are still made to us directly, but any reimbursement from the insurance company will be sent to our clients. Our staff is also happy to help you understand any “out of network” benefits you may have. We take Kaiser Insurance with a referral, as well as Lyra and Modern Health in some circumstances. Our fees range depending on which therapist you work with and the length of therapy session (we offer various lengths of appointments to best suit our clients’ needs). The range for our standard 45-minute meetings is $165-$295.
Please give us a call and our friendly care coordinators (who answer our phones Monday-Friday 8:30-6:30pm and Saturdays 8:30am-5pm) would be happy to learn more about your needs and answer any additional questions you may have.
Good Faith Estimate Notice
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your care will cost. At Palo Alto Therapy, your costs are clear, as you pay per appointment based on the length of each appointment. Your total cost of services will depend upon the number of therapy sessions you attend. You are encouraged to speak with us at any time about the Good Faith Estimate. More information about Good Faith Estimates: www.cms.gov/nosurprises
Can Anxiety Really Be Successfully Treated?
What Sets Palo Alto Therapy Apart?
What Kinds of Problems Does Palo Alto Therapy Help With?
Our therapists are well trained to help with a variety of mental health or emotional concerns, but primarily we help people with anxiety, depression, and/or stress related problems. This includes problems like worry, nervousness, panic attacks, social fears/phobia/shyness, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, general feelings of unhappiness, feelings of overwhelm, procrastination or avoidance, trauma related difficulties, habits or addictions, and relationship problems.
What Ages Do You Work With?
We work with children ages 3 and up, teenagers, and adults of all ages. We provide individual counseling, group therapy, family therapy, as well as couples therapy.
What Is the Benefit of Palo Alto Therapy's Group Practice?
By having a full team of well-trained therapists on staff we are able to connect you with the one that is most appropriate for your particular problem. We regularly work as a team and consult with one another to ensure that our clients are getting the benefit of multiple therapists while only directly working with one. If needed and/or requested you have the ability to work with a different therapist without having to find an entirely new counseling center. All of our therapists are dedicated to providing the highest level of therapy and to using evidence-based techniques and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Do You Prescribe Medications?
No, but we have many psychiatrists that we work with closely that we can refer you to. In some cases therapy alone is the preferred method to get you back on track, but we are happy to discuss other options with you if you would like.