Questions about starting therapy

Send us a message through our contact page or call 818-850-2990, Monday–Friday, 7:00am–5:00pm Pacific. We'll arrange a phone conversation to talk about what you're facing and whether we're the right fit.

Just your name, how to reach you and a line about what you're looking for. You don't need to describe what happened. We'll talk about that on the phone, at your pace.

You bring a memory to mind while following back-and-forth eye movements, taps or sounds, or, in EMDR 2.0, quick tasks such as counting backward or naming colors. Each set lasts about 30 seconds; then you pause and say briefly what you noticed. Feelings and body sensations can come up, and your distress is checked as you go so you can both see how it changes. Most people don't need to describe the memory in detail.

We'll confirm session length with you when you book. For reference, the U.S. National Center for PTSD describes typical EMDR treatment as weekly sessions of 50 to 90 minutes.

It varies with what you're working on. The U.S. National Center for PTSD says trauma-focused talk therapies usually last about 8 to 16 sessions. Your clinician will give you an honest estimate after your assessment.

Sessions are $285, private pay, and EMDR intensives are $285 for each session-length block. If you're uninsured or paying for yourself, you have the right to a written Good Faith Estimate before a scheduled service. Our Good Faith Estimate page, linked at the bottom of every page, explains how it works.

We're private pay and don't bill insurance directly. On request, we provide a superbill you can submit to your insurer for out-of-network reimbursement.

Yes. What you share in therapy is confidential, and before you begin your clinician will explain how your information is protected and the few situations in which the law requires sharing it. Our Privacy & legal page, linked at the bottom of every page, explains how we handle information you give us through this website.

It's your private account with us. New clients create an account at mindfulfocusedtherapy.com/sign-up, then complete their intake form and questionnaires there; booking opens once those are done. Existing clients log in with Client login at the top of every page (mindfulfocusedtherapy.com/sign-in).

Yes. All our sessions are by secure video, for clients anywhere in California.