Frequently Asked Questions

We reserve a few spots in our schedules for clients who are unable to afford the full fee or do not receive a superbill.

We and our sliding scale clients deeply appreciate those who are privileged enough to afford full fee and pay it. Together we make it possible for us to have these options available for others in need to access therapy!

All of our providers accept Aetna, Medi-Cal Partnership, Carelon, Central California Alliance for Health, and Blue Shield of California insurance.

Please contact us with any questions you have about using your insurance to pay for therapy.

We have also partnered with Mentaya to help clients use their out-of-network benefits to save money on therapy. After starting therapy with us, Mentaya can help you easily submit for out-of-network benefit reimbursement.

We’ve partnered with Mentaya, a service that streamlines getting reimbursed for your therapy sessions through out-of-network benefits.

Mentaya is perfect if you:

• Have out-of-network benefits
• Feel overwhelmed by superbills and insurance
• Have submitted superbills but failed to get any reimbursement
• Simply want to skip the hassle of paperwork!

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up for Mentaya: https://mentaya.co/inviteclient/humboldttherapy
2. Our practice will enter your sessions into the platform
3. Mentaya submits the claim and handles any insurance follow-up
4. You get reimbursed by insurance!

Mentaya charges a 5% fee per claim, which includes handling any paperwork required, dealing with denials, and calling insurance companies.

A superbill is a detailed invoice outlining the services you received in therapy. When you request a superbill from us you are expected to pay after your session time and at the end of each month you receive a superbill in your client portal. If you have out-of-network benefits, you can contact your insurance company to inquire about how to submit your superbills for reimbursement.

You must cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled session time or you will be charged the full fee for your appointment. We understand emergencies happen, but there are no exceptions for this policy. This is an investment in yourself, and if your therapist doesn’t treat it like one it is likely you won’t either. Partnership/Carelon clients are allowed 2 cancellations per quarter. If you cancel/miss more than 2 sessions per quarter, you will be taken off your therapist’s regular schedule and asked to discuss with them if this is the right time for therapy.

California law outlines that we must be in active treatment for at least 30 days (four appointments) before your therapist is able to write a letter recommending that you have an emotional support animal. Your therapist may ask to meet your pet virtually and conduct an additional assessment about how your pet supports you emotionally. Our practice does not consider any requests until you have met this requirement and it is not guaranteed that we will write you one.

Some of us are and some of us are proud allies. If you are interested in working with a therapist who has lived experienced, please indicate so in your inquiry.

Some people come to a few sessions and feel they accomplished what they needed. Others like to meet with a therapist weekly for years. If you are coming in with a specific problem, typically therapy takes about 4-6 months. If you are looking to do deeper psychodyanmic work, we will likely meet longer. Personally and ethically, we want our clients to feel they have solid coping skills, understand themselves and can move through life without therapy. Your therapist will suggest reducing sessions, ending, or taking a break when it is clinically appropriate. Sometimes clients who end therapy choose to come back after a big life event or if their symptoms pop back up after an unexpected trigger arises. We always welcome clients to check in if they need it, and together we can decide if returning to a regular schedule can benefit you.

Each therapist practices therapy within their scope of practice. This means if you need help with something they do not have experience in, then it is not within their scope and we will need to refer you to the appropriate level of care. It is against the MFT code of ethics to treat someone out of our scope. We promise it is not for personal reasons.