Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is therapy?
Therapy is a collaborative process between you and a mental health professional aimed at exploring personal challenges, gaining new perspectives, and developing healthier ways of coping. It’s a safe and confidential space where you can discuss your concerns, reflect on patterns in your life, and learn strategies to move toward positive change.
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or simply curious about personal growth, therapy can be a supportive step. People come to therapy for a wide range of reasons—stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, or just a general feeling that something could be better. If you’re wondering whether therapy could help, there’s a good chance it can.
How often should I come to therapy?
Therapy is flexible. We typically start with weekly sessions to form a therapeutic alliance with you. After a few sessions, some people adjust this schedule to better fit their circumstances. We’ll decide together what schedule makes the most sense based on your goals and the pace of your progress.
How long is each session?
Typical sessions run 50 minutes. However, we can discuss longer or shorter sessions depending on your preference and specific needs.
How many sessions will I need?
This varies from person to person. Some individuals find a few sessions useful for specific, short-term goals, while others prefer to work through deeper or more long-standing issues over several months or even years. We’ll talk about your personal goals and check in regularly to see how you feel about your progress.
Do you offer remote (telehealth) sessions?
Yes! We offer video sessions for clients who prefer the convenience of online therapy or aren’t able to attend in-person (and all of our non-California clients). Clinical research has shown that telehealth is just as effective as face-to-face work and offers greater flexibility.
Do you prescribe medication?
We are not medical doctors, so we do not prescribe medication. However, we can try to help you find a trusted psychiatrist or other medical professional if we decide that exploring medication would be helpful for you.
I’m feeling nervous. What can I expect in the first session?
It’s perfectly normal to feel unsure or nervous before starting therapy. During your first session, we’ll talk about what brings you in, your personal history, and any goals or hopes you have for therapy. But before your first session, our free 20-minute consultation call provides a chance for you to ask questions, share concerns, and get a feel for how we might work together.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you need to cancel or reschedule, please let your therapist know at least 48 hours in advance. Late cancellations or missed appointments result in a fee. Consistency is important in therapy, so it’s best to attend sessions regularly for the most benefit.
Do you take insurance?
San Francisco Counseling Collective is in-network with Optum/United. Some insurance companies use United or Optum for mental health benefits, so be sure to check your plan to see if they cover “behavioral health.” If you’re not sure, we can always help you look it up from our end.
If you do have United, you’ll probably just have a small copay (typically in the range of $0 to $40), depending on your exact policy. (You may also have a deductible to pay down before you hit that copay, however.) Again, we can check that for you so there’s no guesswork.
If you don’t have United, you’ve still got options:
Other Private Insurance (Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, etc.): These plans might include out-of-network coverage. Just call the number on your card and ask for “behavioral health” to find out what they’ll cover. In many cases, we can submit out-of-network claims directly to your insurance for you, but we don’t have control over how much or how quickly they’ll pay.
HMOs (Anthem BC/BS HMO, Kaiser, etc.): Most (if not all) HMOs won’t cover out-of-network services. You can always double-check with them, but they typically don’t offer any reimbursement for providers outside their network.
Medi-Cal: Unfortunately, we’re not part of Medi-Cal’s network. You’ll need to reach out to them (or call the number on any other insurance card you might have) to see if there’s any out-of-network coverage.
Medicare: This one’s more complicated. We’re an “opted-out” clinic, which means we’ve officially told Medicare we won’t participate in their plans. That also means you can’t request reimbursement from Medicare—you’d have to pay out of pocket. We wish it worked differently, but their rules are really strict.
If you’re unsure about your coverage or need some guidance, just contact us and we’ll help you figure it out. We’re here to make this process as stress-free as possible.
Anything else I should know before starting therapy?
Come as you are. Therapy is not about being “perfect” or having everything figured out. It’s a space where you can be honest, explore your feelings, and practice new ways of relating to yourself and others—all in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment.
Are you connected to San Francisco Therapy Collective?
Good question!
But no, our friends over at San Francisco Therapy Collective are completely separate from San Francisco Counseling Collective.