FAQ

Where is your office?

114 Northstar Mall, Marina del Rey, CA 90292

This office is just steps from the beach, and very close to Culver City, Westchester, Venice, Hawthorne, and Santa Monica.

Not far from;

West Los Angeles, Century City, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and Westwood

What are your fees?

My private pay fee is $170 for a one-hour therapy session.

$120 low end “sliding scale.” Depending on your ability to pay, fees can vary between $120 to $170 per hour.

I can’t always guarantee you a sliding scale slot. However, when these slots are available, I will be happy to accept fees in that range.

Do you take insurance?

I currently accept Anthem-Blue Cross, Aetna, and Beacon.  I’m in network for all of those. You’ll only have to pay the copay each week  – between $10 to $30.

If your insurance is a PPO, it will save you a lot on fees. Since I’m considered “out-of-network,” your insurance will cover between 50% and 70% of therapy costs.

The way this works: I email you what’s known as a “superbill.” The “super” part of the “superbill” just means that all PPO insurances will cover a percentage of your fees.

How long will it take to feel better?

You should begin feeling a bit better after the first session. We’ll discuss the source of your issues and should arrive at some solutions to help with your symptoms.

We’ll talk about how “over-thinking” can fuel painful thoughts and feelings. Living inside your head is part of the problem.  We’ll discuss ways to “get out of your head,” and spend more time doing things you enjoy.

Feeling out of control is another issue that contributes to feelings of anxiety, anger, or depression.

You should feel a sense of relief and hope even in the early sessions, as you take back control of your life.

Your confidence will build as you put strategies to work in your daily life. We’ll track the effectiveness of the solutions we discover weekly. At each session, we’ll assess how well things are working out and adjust accordingly.

Comparatively simple issues like career guidance or relationship advice generally take less time than more deeply-seated issues. Everyone moves forward at their own pace.

As a solution-focused therapist I do focus on solutions right from the start. We’ll spend less time talking about the problem and more time talking about the solution.

What are you like?

People tell me I’m easygoing, good-natured, and non-judgmental. One of my supervisors told me I had to be the “least threatening person in the world.” I took it as a compliment.

In my former life, believe it or not, I was a TV comedy writer. I worked on dozens of half-hour comedies, and created shows for Fox, Disney, Nickelodeon, and the WB.

During that period, I had the opportunity to work with very funny people like Drew Carey, Rosanne, Sarah Silverman, Bob Newhart, and Pee Wee Herman.

One client wrote: “David has a warm demeanor with a good sense of humor to go with it, which made it easy to open up to, and he really listens. I found myself more calm, felt a lot more in control and capable of dealing with any day-to-day interactions. I would highly recommend David for anyone looking for psychotherapy.”

Who do you work with?

I work with men, women, and children of all ages; as well as gay and straight couples and blended families.

Most of the clients I treat are coping with anxiety, social anxiety, or depression. Others have experienced some kind of emotional, physical, or sexual trauma.

People from various races, religions, and ethnicities come to me to work through different issues. I also offer spiritual counseling.

In addition, I work with a lot of people who are struggling to survive and thrive in creative industries here in LA.

Anybody can have issues with anxiety or depression, in varying degrees. Los Angeles is full of people who are coping with high stress lives and careers. I welcome everybody.

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is way to explore and process difficult or painful feelings.  We’ll discuss what your feeling, as well as when and where you feel it.

When you’ve gained some insights into what triggers these feelings, and why – you’ll start to feel more control over your life.

We’ll put together a treatment plan and put various tools and strategies to work in your life. As we progress, you’ll learn some coping skills that will help to relieve your symptoms.

Eventually, you’ll be able to manage your feelings effectively.

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is an accelerated treatment for anxiety, depression and other symptoms. It’s been used successfully in millions of cases over the years.

EMDRIA, the International Association for EMDR, is the organization I trained with to learn this practical protocol. EMDRIA characterizes EMDR as a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from symptoms of emotional distress that are a result of disturbing life experiences.

The triggers for emotional distress can be traced back to painful conflicts, disturbing events, or physical and emotional stressors. EMDR has been proven to effectively reduce the power such memories have over an individual’s life.

Repeated studies have shown 77% to 90% effectiveness in relieving such symptoms as anxiety and depression from clients, even after just six one-hour sessions.

Healing from more complex issues or reoccurring stressors generally takes more time. The treatment involves systematically processing painful memories at an accelerated pace.

When are your office hours?

My hours are 11:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Friday. I see clients form 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

What happens in the first session?

The first session is basically a continuation of the phone consult. We’ll continue to discuss your current situation, a well as your goals and hopes for therapy.

We’ll talk about how therapy works, and what you can do to start feeling better.

Next, we’ll talk about some short-term strategies that you can put to work immediately to help you start taking back control of your life.

What can I do now?

If you want to learn more about me, or my practice, you can send me an email, by completing the form at the bottom of this page or call me at no charge.

I would love to hear more about what’s going on with you. It will give me a better idea how to go about helping you, should you decide to try therapy.

During the phone consult you’ll have an opportunity to discuss what you’re currently feeling. It’ll be good to talk about it. You’ll feel heard.

I’ll try to give you some useful feedback — and even try to suggest some strategies or tools to relieve your symptoms in the short term.

Call for your free 20 minute phone consult.

310-850-4707.