Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your office located?
What are your hours?
Our administrative team is available Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM (Pacific Time).
Our clinicians’ schedules are typically within this time frame but may vary depending on the clinician.
How long are appointments?
Appointment durations vary according to the clinician. Intakes are generally 60 to 90 minutes long. Follow-up appointments are between 30 to 60 minutes long, depending on your needs.
Are you accepting new patients?
Yes! We’ll do our best to get you in for the next opening.
With what age range do you work?
Is there anyone you don’t work with?
We’re not the right practice for people who only want medications and aren’t interested in trying something different.
While we aim to support as many people as possible, certain issues are better suited for specialists. Conditions we don’t work with include psychosis and schizophrenia, Bipolar I disorder, and substance use. We also do not provide disability evaluations or work with forensic cases.
How much do you charge?
Our fees vary depending on the clinician and services, and they are consistent with other providers in California.
Fees will be discussed before you begin treatment during an initial complimentary 20-minute phone consultation.
Do you take insurance?
The short answer is no; we don’t take insurance.
Because we don’t bill insurance directly, we’re considered “out-of-network” providers. But we do send every patient a “Superbill” receipt after each visit, which you can submit to your insurance provider. This way, you can use any out-of-network benefits or a Health Savings Account (HSA), if you have one. We have partnered with Reimbursify, which makes it easy for our patients to submit Superbills for out-of-network reimbursement.
If you’d like to use your out-of-network benefits, we recommend calling your insurance to verify ahead of time how much they would reimburse you for out-of-network behavioral health services. Many of our patients get between 40-80% of their session fees reimbursed, but this may vary depending on your particular plan.
Why don’t you take insurance?
The quality of the care and attention we provide outweighs the cost. Insurance dictates how long appointments can be and how frequently patients can be seen, which impacts the quality of care.
Our patients come first. Insurance places limitations on the types of services we can provide. By taking insurance companies out of the equation, we can focus on personalized care tailored to your unique needs.
Relationships matter when it comes to mental health. Our goal is to partner with you and build a strong doctor-patient relationship so that you can achieve lasting results. Insurance companies focus on disease care instead of lasting wellness.
How do I set up an initial appointment?
Schedule a free 20-minute consultation
What is your cancellation policy?
Your appointment time is reserved just for you.
If you can’t attend your session, we request two business days’ (48 hours’) notice before the time of your appointment.
We do charge a fee for missed appointments and late cancellations.
What if I’m in crisis and need immediate help?
We are an outpatient private practice and do not provide urgent care or emergency services.
If you’re in immediate crisis, contact emergency services (911), the suicide and crisis lifeline (988), a hospital emergency room, or a crisis intervention service.
Do you prescribe medications?
Yes. As an integrative psychiatry practice, we offer the best of both worlds!
We specialize in medication management and integrative and holistic treatments like supplements, nutrition, and mind-body practices.
Medication can be a helpful tool when appropriate. We can support you with psychiatric medications if you’re already taking them. If you want to get off medications, we can help with that, too.
Do you offer therapy?
What if I only want to see the nutritionist? Do I have to see the psychiatrist, too?
Can I work with more than one of the clinicians?
Yes. In fact, we encourage you to work with the psychiatrist, therapist, and the nutritionist when appropriate. That way, you can fully benefit from our integrative method.
Our clinicians collaborate with each other, so you’ll be getting a team approach. This integrative process is what makes our practice unique and gets you faster results.
Is lab testing covered by insurance?
It depends on the type of testing. Many of the blood tests we recommend are covered by insurance.
Some lab tests we offer as part of our functional nutrition testing program may not be covered by insurance. In these cases, you will pay the lab directly.
We use Rupa Health to order specialty labs, and they provide transparent pricing on their website along with Superbills to submit for out-of-network reimbursement.
The specific tests ordered will be personalized based on your initial evaluation with a Pacific Integrative Psychiatry doctor or nutritionist.
We will make every effort to make you fully aware of any additional lab fees that may be incurred and give you the opportunity to choose the tests you feel comfortable paying for. You are under no obligation to purchase any specialty testing.
What happens during the first session?
Before the first session, we’ll send you a set of intake forms to complete. We request that you complete these at least two days before your first session to give your clinician time to review them.
Psychiatry: The psychiatric intake session generally consists of two sessions about two weeks apart. During part 1, you’ll undergo a comprehensive evaluation with the psychiatrist, discuss your symptoms and history, and formulate some initial treatment recommendations, which may include lab testing. During part 2, you’ll follow up on your progress, review any additional lab tests, dive deeper into lifestyle, diet, and supplements, and fine-tune the treatment plan.
Therapy: The first one to two appointments with the therapist will include a comprehensive evaluation, including a review of your symptoms, challenges, prior experiences with therapy, and goals of treatment.
Nutrition: During your first session with the nutritionist, you’ll undergo a comprehensive evaluation, which includes an assessment of your nutrition and gut health, a review of any prior nutritional or gut testing, and formulation of initial treatment recommendations.
What happens during follow-up sessions?
Psychiatry: We’ll assess and adjust your treatment plan, adjust medications if needed, identify and work on any roadblocks, and practice any skills we’ve been working on.
Therapy: We’ll work on exploring your emotional experiences, identifying and reframing core thoughts and beliefs, and building an emotional fitness toolbox, with direct guidance, suggestions, and feedback when appropriate.
We’ll check in on your symptoms, identify any roadblocks with your nutrition plan and make adjustments, work on meal planning and grocery lists, and review any lab testing.
How often should we meet?
It depends on your needs.
Psychiatry: Some of our patients see their psychiatrist weekly. Others come every other week, up to every three months. If you are taking prescription medications, we require a follow-up visit every three months to continue your prescription.
Therapy: Appointments are typically once a week or every other week.
Nutrition: Follow-up sessions are typically done once a month but may be more frequent at the beginning.
Do your patients receive assignments to work on during sessions?
Yes. The magic truly happens between sessions by implementing what you’ve learned.
We send visit summaries to every patient after each appointment. The summaries include reminders of what you discussed during your meetings and any action items. This makes it easier for you and your clinician to stay on track and monitor progress.
What type of treatments do you use with patients?
We offer medication management, talk therapy (including CBT, DBT, mindfulness, trauma-informed, and self-compassion), clinical nutrition, precision lab testing, supplements, and mind-body practices like breathing and relaxation techniques.
What is your professional training and experience?
Our psychiatrists are board-certified and have additional training and certifications in integrative psychiatry.
Our therapists are fully licensed and have additional training in integrative modalities like mindfulness and trauma-informed approaches.
Our nutritionist is certified in clinical nutrition and has a master’s degree in human nutrition and functional medicine.
How do I get a hold of you between sessions?
Can I attend your free workshops even if I’m not a patient?
Yes… come join us! We offer free nutrition and mental health workshops about once a month. These are free and open to the public, even if you’re not a patient or if you’re not in California.
We’re passionate about educating people on integrative mental health, so we’d love to see you at our next workshop. Sign up for our newsletter to get notified about the next offering.