Try to arrive 15 minutes early for the first appointment. Your intake paperwork should have already been completed via the Patient Portal. Please check in with the front desk and kindly wait in the Waiting Room for your provider.

If applicable, bring a list of all medicines you are taking for both physical and behavioral health reasons. Include name, dose, frequency, and any side effects you are experiencing. Bring along contact information for all doctors who are giving you medicine.

Bring copies of any documents you think might be helpful. These include previous psychological testing, hospital discharge summaries, or recent laboratory results. If you are bringing your child in for therapy, then bring copies of recent school progress reports and psychological testing results.

Appointments usually last 45 minutes. You and your clinician will use the first appointment to establish an initial connection and get an impression of how he/she can help you. Consider preparing notes to explain in your own words what you have been experiencing. Be as clear and thorough as you can be so that the clinician can better help you.

At the end of the first session talk with the clinician about a plan to help you. This may include continuing to meet with the clinician on a regular basis, or the clinician may refer you to another specialist who may be better able to help you. If your clinician recommends that you continue to come to appointments, you should have a clear idea of what to expect to happen during those appointments. Bring a list of any questions you have about how therapy works, including frequency, cost, and what you will need to do.

If you would like, ask if you can include your family or social support in some of the sessions.

We will send you a link before your first telehealth appointment so you can test your video and microphone. You do not need to download any software as most video conferencing services are web-based. If you have a preferred service (Zoom, Teams, TherapyNotes, etc.) let your provider know so they can accommodate your preferences.

Telehealth is just as effective as in-person therapy, though it might feel a bit different the first time. This is normal and you’ll feel natural in no time!

Please be ready for your session at least 10 minute before it’s scheduled to start with your video and microphone on. Make sure you are in a private location and limit any potential for interruption.

All teletherapy sessions are HIPAA compliant.

Our California licensed clinicians are extensively trained and credentialed in specialized treatment modalities for adults, children, adolescents, families, and couples. Choosing the right clinician is key in successful treatment and relies on building a good relationship between the clinician and patient. In some cases, it may take time and effort to find and establish ‘the right’ clinician, however, once established the comfort and at ease the relationship can foster an experience of a healthier and more productive life.

A new patient may seek out a particular clinician based on a recommendation from a primary care physician, healthcare professional, family, friend or acquaintance. In other instances, a person may receive a more general referral to our clinic without reference to a specific clinician. In those cases, our Clinical Director can provide a recommendation to a specific clinician taking into account specific psychological issues, personality, temperament and other extenuating circumstances. You may also request a brief phone interview with the clinician of your choice after reviewing their background, credentials and expertise listed in the Our Specialists section of this website.

The easiest way to make an appointment is to call us at (619) 996-3195. If you’re calling for the first time, we’ll set up an introductory interview to assess your needs and recommend a course of action and available options.

How behavioral health professionals can help

We empower people to be more prepared, confident and hopeful when facing distressful life situations. We achieve this by clearing up the confusion involved in overwhelming situations while focusing on a process of creating tolerable, adaptive, and positive changes. In creating progress, efforts are made to modify thinking, behavior, emotion and physiological response. Coordinated behavioral health practices provide the basis of knowledge and skill necessary to create encouraging and meaningful health changes.