How long does treatment last?

Length of treatment depends on a number of factors including but not limited to the number of co-occurring conditions, length and severity of the condition, how quickly you get on board with treatment, whether you do homework in between sessions, support from significant others/loved ones, and so on. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is usually shorter term than talk therapy. We will work on setting concrete and measurable goals. Therapy when working with younger children tends to be shorter in duration.

How much will therapy cost?

Our rates are competitive with those of other cognitive-behavioral clinical psychologists in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our rates range from $425 to $200 per session. Fees will correspond with the level of training and experience of the therapist.

In an effort to make excellent evidence-based therapy available to all, we offer low-cost treatment when you see one of our doctoral trainees. Our trainees are supervised by licensed clinical psychologists. Their fees are based on yearly family income and number of dependents.

How long is an individual therapy session?

Our sessions are 45 minutes long. There may be occasions when we may do longer or shorter sessions and the rate for those sessions will be prorated. When working with younger children and teens, the sessions are split between working with children/teens and parents.

What is the cancellation policy?

We require a 48-hour cancellation notice from the time of the scheduled session otherwise you will be charged the full fee for that session.

Do you take insurance?

We are out of network for insurance companies. Upon request, we will provide you with invoices for the treatment sessions and you may submit them to your insurance company for reimbursement. It is your responsibility to inquire how much your plan will reimburse you.

What age groups do you work with?

We see all ages, children through older adults.

What kind of treatment outcome data do you collect?

We collect data for the target symptoms and quality of life. These data inform our treatment plan and guide our interventions to improve your progress. When analyzing treatment outcome date for the center, we ascertain complete anonymity for our clients. We use PsychSurveys, a HIPAA compliant platform to collect data.

Do you prescribe medication?

At the moment, we do not have a psychiatrist on staff so we don't have the ability to prescribe medication. Some of our clients take psychotropic medication as an adjunct to therapy. If you and your therapist ascertain that it would be beneficial to use a combination approach to treatment, we can provide you with referrals for psychiatrists. We encourage a collaborative relationship between your therapist and psychiatrist to ensure continuity of care for you. On the whole, we tend to be conservative about suggesting a combined treatment approach but in some cases, we recognize the need and benefit of adding medication to seeking regular therapy. We collaborate with psychiatrists well-versed in treating OCD and are happy to provide referrals.

What is the process for starting therapy/IOP?

After you contact us, we will schedule a phone consultation free of charge. Following the consult, we may schedule the first session.

​What's the process for seeking clinical training/supervision/consultation?

We offer training, supervision, consultations for therapists and for general audiences. Please contact us for more information.

Why go out-of-network when therapy could be covered by insurance?

Expertise –private pay therapists have specialized training for treating specific problems. At Willow Anxiety and OCD, we specialize in treating anxiety, OCD, and related issues. We’re experts at using evidence-based approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Our training and experience sets us apart from generalist therapists who work with several different problems and are under insurance panels.

Personal attention and approach – private pay therapists do not have to operate within the confines of insurance companies and as a result have more freedom to make personal connections and offer state-of-the-art treatment to all our clients. At Willow Anxiety and OCD, we strive to form warm and supportive relationships and to help you accomplish your goals.

Treatment tailored for the individual client – we are at liberty for designing the treatment that works for you! We’re not at the mercy of insurance companies who dictate the type of treatment and the duration of treatment. We don’t have added pressure to conform to uninformed rules for making progress. We can work on accomplishing measurable and concrete goals on the schedule we choose.

How frequently do you do individual therapy sessions?

Typically, we see clients once a week. There may be times when we see clients more frequently depending on the level of care needed.

How long is an Intensive Outpatient Therapy (IOP) session?

IOP sessions are 3 hours/day with breaks. IOP sessions are 3-5 times a week. When working with younger children and teens, the sessions are split between working with children/teens and parents.

What is Intensive Outpatient Therapy (IOP) for OCD?

For some clients, a higher level of care is required. In such cases, we see clients intensively 3-5 times a week for a few weeks. Each session is 3 hours with breaks. Clients see movement at a much faster rate. We use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) as our main treatment and use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) informed interventions. We offer only individual IOP at this time.

What is the GOAL support group for OCD?

The GOAL group is a support group for OCD. It is not a therapy group. Clients find a support group for OCD really helpful to normalize and destigmatize their experience with the different themes in OCD. The group meets virtually every other Wednesday from 6:30pm - 8:00 PM Pacific Standard Time. The group will be facilitated by one of our clinicians at Willow Anxiety and OCD. The group is free of charge. Currently, it is open to adults. If you are interested, please use the contact form the for screening.

How are you handling sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic?

We are keenly aware of the impact of the pandemic on each and every person's life globally. We are committed to providing the same level of care for all our clients as we were doing before the pandemic. Currently, we offer virtual sessions for both weekly and IOP therapy. Our GOAL support group for OCD is virtual at this time.

What is Virtual Reality Therapy?

Virtual Reality (VR) is cutting-edge technology that we incorporate with CBT. Using VR for exposures has been shown to improve gains in treatment. Please read more here.