FAQ
Find your comfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you the right therapist to help me?
What type of therapist are you?
What is your educational background?
I hold a BA, a JD and an MA. I studied for my BA at the Claremont Colleges, got my Juris Doctorate (JD) Law Degree from the University of California Berkeley (Boalt Hall) and my Master of Counseling Psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley.
I also enjoy ongoing education and blend all new knowledge with my formal education to assist my clients. I hold a Certificate in Conflict Mediation from UC Berkeley School of Law and have taken classes in Eastern Medicine/Philosophy, Herbalism/Nutrition, Self-Awareness and Intuition, Mindfulness, Reiki, as well as regular Medical/Surgical updates regarding Trans* and Intersex populations.
What is a narrative therapist?
Narratives are the means by which we formulate understanding about ourselves and our world. They are expressed in how we talk to ourselves. Harmonious narratives communicate well and feel right. Those which are out of tune create stress, confusion, fear and distrust. If the world tells us something about itself (or about us) that is in conflict with our own experience, we feel out of place and out of touch. That is why some people, places, things resonate with our beings and others really don’t feel right. Those instincts tell us about ourselves and they are the most important thing to which we can focus our attention.
To survive in this world, we also must also be aware of the tales of our culture and how others take us in. I’m a Narrative Conductor, making harmonious my clients’ understandings of the world and their internal understandings of themselves.
This type of functional narrative (or understanding of reality), be it legal, personal or cultural, is at the root of my professional life. This craft has taken various forms. I’ve created progressive narratives for a national magazine, evaluated the personal narratives of countless students seeking admission to academic institutions, aligned the narratives of warring families and couples, analyzed the narratives constructed about trials and public policy, and challenged narratives by assisting individuals in considering the effects of their own personal/cultural understandings on their day to day lives.
Together we will explore: What do your narratives say about you, what they keep you from seeing clearly, and how can they work for and not against you.
Do you take insurance?
I am an out of network provider and do not bill insurance companies directly. Insurance companies only cover for psychotherapy and not other services I could provide (ex coaching, mediation). Upon request, I can provide you with a superbill and you can submit that to your insurance company for reimbursement.
To confirm that you have mental health benefits and see if out of network services are covered, please call your insurance provider. You may also want to ask the following questions:
- What forms do I need to fill out to be reimbursed?
- Do you cover Telehealth benefits or “modifier 95 benefits”?
- What percentage of psychotherapy fees would be covered?
- Do I have an annual deductible I first have to meet before my benefits kick in?
- Do i require pre-approval or a referral from my primary care provider?
- How many mental health sessions are covered per year and is it per calendar year (January through December) or over a 12 month period?
- What is my deductible for mental health services per session?
- Ask which of the following CPT or billing codes are covered: 90791, 90832, 90834 and/or 90837 (modifier 95 for Telehealth)? For family therapy ask about 90846, 90847?
Good Faith Estimate/No Surprises Act
Under the law, health care providers need to give clients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service, or at any time during treatment. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, or how to dispute a bill, see your Estimate, or visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
How long do we meet? How often?
Standard frequency of therapy/coaching is 1x a week or more. There are some exceptions to this and we can discuss a different frequency if you prefer. This may affect your fee and scheduling flexibility.
What is the difference between coaching and therapy?
Coaching | Therapy/Counseling | ||
Can it be Covered by Insurance/HSA | No | Sometimes | |
Perspective | Mostly forward looking | forward and past looking (global) | |
Confidentiality | Contractual, fewer notes required | Contractual with Legal protections, more notes may be required | |
Diagnosis | No | sometimes required | |
Can I switch to the other? | Rarely | Once | |
Tele-health options (internet/phone) | yes | some limitations | |
Short or long term? | either, decide together | either, we decide together | |
is therapy required? | maybe | n/a | |
Limitations on where/how we meet? | no | maybe/some | |
Do I have to come once a week? | flexible | requires regularity | |
Do I have to be in california | no | yes |
Can we do phone or internet therapy?
Telemedicine may also be a good fit if there are no therapists in your area who have my specializations. For example there may not be services available or with which you are comfortable in your area if you are transgender, intersex or genderqueer. I also welcome lesbian, bisexual, gay men, queer folks and people questioning their sexual orientation.
In addition, lawyers and law students also often seek therapy or coaching via telemedicine because of a busy schedule. If this is a factor, we can discuss if this alternative to meeting in person might be right for you.
This type of work is not appropriate if you:
- Are under age 18
- Seek a therapeutic model and reside outside of the state of California
- Are frequently in a mental health crisis
- Suicidal or severely depressed
- Want to work on complex trauma issues
- Are addicted to internet porn or online activities
Where do we meet?
Are you going to diagnose me?
Are our sessions confidential?
Can we be friends on social media?
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you the right therapist to help me?
What type of therapist are you?
What is your educational background?
I hold a BA, a JD and an MA. I studied for my BA at the Claremont Colleges, got my Juris Doctorate (JD) Law Degree from the University of California Berkeley (Boalt Hall) and my Master of Counseling Psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley.
I also enjoy ongoing education and blend all new knowledge with my formal education to assist my clients. I hold a Certificate in Conflict Mediation from UC Berkeley School of Law and have taken classes in Eastern Medicine/Philosophy, Herbalism/Nutrition, Self-Awareness and Intuition, Mindfulness, Reiki, as well as regular Medical/Surgical updates regarding Trans* and Intersex populations.
What is a narrative therapist?
Narratives are the means by which we formulate understanding about ourselves and our world. They are expressed in how we talk to ourselves. Harmonious narratives communicate well and feel right. Those which are out of tune create stress, confusion, fear and distrust. If the world tells us something about itself (or about us) that is in conflict with our own experience, we feel out of place and out of touch. That is why some people, places, things resonate with our beings and others really don’t feel right. Those instincts tell us about ourselves and they are the most important thing to which we can focus our attention.
To survive in this world, we also must also be aware of the tales of our culture and how others take us in. I’m a Narrative Conductor, making harmonious my clients’ understandings of the world and their internal understandings of themselves.
This type of functional narrative (or understanding of reality), be it legal, personal or cultural, is at the root of my professional life. This craft has taken various forms. I’ve created progressive narratives for a national magazine, evaluated the personal narratives of countless students seeking admission to academic institutions, aligned the narratives of warring families and couples, analyzed the narratives constructed about trials and public policy, and challenged narratives by assisting individuals in considering the effects of their own personal/cultural understandings on their day to day lives.
Together we will explore: What do your narratives say about you, what they keep you from seeing clearly, and how can they work for and not against you.
Do you take insurance?
How long do we meet? How often?
Standard frequency of therapy/coaching is 1x a week or more. There are some exceptions to this and we can discuss a different frequency if you prefer. This may affect your fee and scheduling flexibility.
What is the difference between coaching and therapy?
Coaching | Therapy/Counseling | ||
Can it be Covered by Insurance/HSA | No | Sometimes | |
Perspective | Mostly forward looking | forward and past looking (global) | |
Confidentiality | Contractual, fewer notes required | Contractual with Legal protections, more notes may be required | |
Diagnosis | No | sometimes required | |
Can I switch to the other? | Rarely | Once | |
Tele-health options (internet/phone) | yes | some limitations | |
Short or long term? | either, decide together | either, we decide together | |
is therapy required? | maybe | n/a | |
Limitations on where/how we meet? | no | maybe/some | |
Do I have to come once a week? | flexible | requires regularity | |
Do I have to be in california | no | yes |
Can we do phone or internet therapy?
Telemedicine may also be a good fit if there are no therapists in your area who have my specializations. For example there may not be services available or with which you are comfortable in your area if you are transgender, intersex or genderqueer. I also welcome lesbian, bisexual, gay men, queer folks and people questioning their sexual orientation.
In addition, lawyers and law students also often seek therapy or coaching via telemedicine because of a busy schedule. If this is a factor, we can discuss if this alternative to meeting in person might be right for you.
This type of work is not appropriate if you:
- Are under age 18
- Seek a therapeutic model and reside outside of the state of California
- Are frequently in a mental health crisis
- Suicidal or severely depressed
- Want to work on complex trauma issues
- Are addicted to internet porn or online activities
Where do we meet?
Are you going to diagnose me?
Are our sessions confidential?
Can we be friends on social media?
Let's Connect
I offer mediation, active collaborative coaching, and therapeutic counseling for families of all kinds, alternative couple formations (both professional and personal), children and teens, and individual adults.
I serve people in my San Francisco Bay Area offices (one in the south bay and one in the north bay) and online via telehealth. Please contact me for a free initial phone consultation.
Please note that email is the quickest way to reach me.
Mailing Address: 1440 Military West, Ste. 103, Benicia CA 94510
Office Locations: Benicia CA and Santa Cruz, CA
Please note this form should NOT be used to send confidential information. Data submitted by this form will be used by Felicia Ortiz (and no one else) to contact you for an initial consultation.