New Clients / FAQ

There are numerous factors that bring people into our offices for psychotherapy. Some are going through major life transitions, experiencing stressful circumstances or feel helpless dealing with other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationships problems, creative blocks and spiritual conflicts.

Therapy can provide positive encouragement and offer new skills to manage life during turbulent times. Therapists can offer compassionate support, problem-solving skills and enhanced coping strategies for relationship troubles, grief, stress and unresolved childhood issues. You will see yourself in a new light and perspective. Many people find that talking with their therapist helps them tremendously with personal growth, marriage issues, interpersonal relationships, family issues and the hassles of everyday life.

Therapy can help you:

• attain a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
• develop skills to improve your relationships
• learn new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
• manage anger, grief, depression and other emotional pressures
• improve communication and listening skills
• change old behavior patterns into new healthier outlooks
• boost your self-esteem and self-confidence

When people make the decision to go to therapy, they are taking the first step in meeting the challenges in their lives; they are ready to make profound positive changes.

Therapy is different for everyone, but in general you can expect to discuss current events happening in your life, personal history relevant to your issue and report on progress or new insights you’ve gained along the way.

Overall, you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. In addition to the work you do in the therapy session, your therapist may suggest other things to support your process – reading a particular book, journaling on a topic, etc. When people are ready to make positive changes, they are open to new perspectives and willing to take new chances, especially if they have a compassionate guide helping them along the way.

The ultimate purpose of all therapy is to integrate what you learn in the sessions back into your daily life.

It’s common to schedule regular weekly sessions with your therapist. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term (maybe a specific issue) or longer-term (dealing with difficult patterns and your desire for more personal development.)

How often a person meets with their therapist is usually determined by the individual and therapist, but a session typically runs 45-50 minutes. Therapy sessions typically are held once but sometimes twice a week depending on the needs of the clients.

In the first session, your therapist will make sure you completed our New Client Packet and discuss confidentiality, review office policy as necessary, and answer any questions and collect any fees or payments due. Then your therapist will begin to hear your story and learn more about you and your goals for therapy.

The second and third sessions are typically a continuation of your story, getting to know you, your strengths and growth needs. These initial sessions involve an evaluation of your needs and if you feel comfortable working with us. Therapy is a commitment of time, money and energy, so you should carefully consider the options available.

From that point on, sessions are tailored to meeting your goals, with check-ins on how you feel progress is being made, changing or adding goals and working on the story that is your life. Psychotherapy has both benefits and risks – you may experience uncomfortable levels of emotions (sadness, guilt, anxiety, etc.) as well as unpleasant memories of the past. Therapy isn’t always easy, but it can be life-changing and rewarding; this is how personal and emotional growth happens.

While there are no guarantees this will occur, therapy often leads to a significant reduction of feelings of distress along with better relationships and resolution of specific problems.

There is no single answer; everyone’s circumstances are unique. The length of time and your rate of progress often hinges on your desire for personal development, commitment level and other factors. We strongly encourage, at the very least, regular weekly sessions.

Deciding when therapy is complete is a mutual decision between you and your therapist. There will be discussion on how to know when therapy is nearing completion. Some people begin to schedule less sessions to gradually end therapy. Others feel ready to end without phasing out. It’s a very individual experience.

The law may provide that parents have the right to examine treatment records for children under the age of 12-years-old. For children between 12 and 18-years-old, the law may provide parents the right to examine records, if the youth does not object and/or the therapist does not find compelling reasons for denying access to the records. Before giving parents any information, therapists will discuss the matter with the youth and will do their best to handle any objections they may have.

Parents are always entitled to: current physical and mental condition, diagnosis, treatment needs, services provided, and services needed.

Boulevard Therapy has two locations conveniently located in Studio City and easily accessed from Burbank, Glendale, Toluca Lake, North Hollywood, Hollywood, Universal City, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Beverly Hills and Bel Air.

12456 Ventura Blvd, Ste. 1, Studio City 91604

11712 Moorpark St., Ste. 203, Studio City 91604

Our therapists set their own schedules and work by appointment only. We accommodate day, evening and weekend appointments.

If you are experiencing an unusually distressing situation before your next session, please leave a brief but detailed phone message at (818) 856-3833 and a call back number even if you think we might already have it. We will make every effort to return your call in a timely manner. If you cannot wait and the matter is extreme, contact the nearest emergency room and ask for the psychologist or psychiatrist on call.

In an extreme emergency, dial 911.

If your call is for routine scheduling or non-emergent questions, it may take up to 24 hours for us to return your call. If you have not heard back from us in a reasonable amount of time, please call again. There is no charge for the telephone call time, unless the call requires more than 10 minutes, after which you will be charged a prorated session fee.

Please do not use text or email to contact us regarding clinical issues. These are not secure communications, and there’s a good chance we will not get the message in a timely manner, or the communication could be confusing. Text messages and emails are only to be used for scheduling, changing or canceling appointments.

If you need to contact your therapist between sessions, please call (818) 856-3833, and select the appropriate mailbox for your therapist.

• Initial consultation $225 ($275 for psychologists)
• Ongoing regular sessions $200 ($250 for psychologists)
• Reiki treatment $125 (50-minute session)

Some of our therapists are in-network with select insurance companies. It is your responsibility to verify the specifics of your coverage. Please check your benefits prior to your first session. Some insurance companies do not reimburse for certain issues/conditions/problems that are dealt with in psychotherapy. See “How Do I Verify My Insurance?” below.
If your therapist is in-network with your insurance provider, we will submit claims to insurance on your behalf. You will be responsible for your co-pay / deductible at time of service.

If your therapist is out-of-network, you are responsible for full session fee at the time of service. We will provide you a Super Bill to directly submit for your reimbursement. On occasion, we may bill select out-of-network insurance companies on your behalf.

In the event your insurance company (either in or out-of-network) refuses to pay for any reason, it is your responsibility to pay the unpaid balance.

We do not accept Medicare or secondary insurance.

Payments are due at the time of your session unless other arrangements have been made with your therapist.

We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards.

Boulevard Therapy requires a credit card be kept on file to cover deductibles, co-payment/insurance fees, missed appointment or late cancelation fees, or any other fees that may accrue. Your credit card will be stored in a HIPAA compliant electronic health system, and any written documentation of your credit card information will be safely destroyed.

Credit cards will be charged within 24 hours prior to or post session. We will charge you card for copayment, co-insurance, late cancellations or missed appointment. Also we will charge your credit card at the end of month for any unpaid balances – unless other arrangements have been made.

In circumstances requiring monthly billing, payment is due upon receipt of the monthly statement. If your account has not been paid for more than 60 days and arrangements for payment have not been agreed upon, we have the option of using legal means to secure payment.

1. Do my benefits cover outpatient behavioral health services (90837 or 90834 or 90847) in an office setting?
2. Are behavioral health benefits carved out to another company (third party) and if so, which company and their billing address?
3. Do I have a deductible? If so, how much? How much has been met? After my deductible has been met, what will my copay be?
4. Do I have a co-pay or co-insurance? If so, how much can I expect to pay?
5. Is my therapist contracted on your panel? If not, what are my out-of-network benefits?
6. Do I need an authorization? If so, what is the number and how many sessions does it cover?
7. How many sessions are covered per year?

Many clients opt out of using insurance for psychotherapy; issues of confidentiality are the main reason.

Submitting a mental health invoice (Super Bill) for reimbursement carries a certain amount of risk to privacy and personal confidentiality. Your mental health records could be viewed by many, including future health or life insurance companies and potential new employers.

Additionally, insurance companies often require therapists to provide a specific and serious mental health diagnosis in order to approve of session coverage. This diagnosis may not accurately reflect who you are or what you are specifically dealing with in therapy. Insurance companies do not approve or cover personal self-growth although we highly value the investment you are making in yourself.

Insurance companies also have the right to request your file and look at the notes/charts at any time for any reason. Your insurance can also dictate the number of sessions they cover and may abruptly deny payment of your sessions for any reason.

In the ever-changing landscape of health care in the United States, insurance coverage could drastically change. If you have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness, your benefits could change dramatically or even disappear due to pre-existing conditions.

Finally, paying for therapy out of pocket is a personal investment with greater emotional connection. We find that clients become more invested in the process this way.

Reach out to us via phone, email or online form submission. All of which can be found on our contact page. Within 24 hours of you reaching out to us, you should receive a call or email to set up a time to talk to our intake coordinator who will assess your needs and match you to a therapist. Once your appointment has been scheduled, you will be given access to our patient portal or a password to our Boulevard Therapy New Client Packet.

If you cannot make your session, please give your therapist at least 24 hours (one business day) advance notice either by voice message or email prior to your scheduled appointment time. If your appointment falls on a Monday, please notify your therapist on the preceding Friday.

If you do not show up for your scheduled appointment and have not notified your therapist at least 24 hours in advance, you will be charged the full session fee for the missed or cancelled session.

Insurance does not cover missed or late canceled sessions.

This policy also applies even in the event of illness or other personal emergency.

The law may provide that parents have the right to examine treatment records for children under the age of 12-years-old. For children between 12 and 18-years-old, the law may provide parents the right to examine records, if the youth does not object and/or the therapist does not find compelling reasons for denying access to the records. Before giving parents any information, therapists will discuss the matter with the youth and will do their best to handle any objections they may have.

Parents are always entitled to: current physical and mental condition, diagnosis, treatment needs, services provided, and services needed.

We do not provide or perform evaluations for custody, visitation or other forensic matters. We cannot, and will not, provide any testimony or reports regarding issues of custody, visitation or fitness of a parent in any legal matters or administrative proceedings.

If we are contacted by an attorney regarding your treatment (either at your behest or related to a legal matter you are involved in) please note:

• We charge a $1,500 retainer prior to any preparation or attendance of legal proceedings.
• We charge $300 per hour to prepare for and/or attend any legal proceeding and for all court-related services.
• Charges for court-related services are not covered by insurance.
• Court-related services include: talking with attorneys, preparing documents, traveling to court, depositions and court appearances.
• If the court or attorneys do not pay our fee, you will be charged for the time we spend responding to legal matters.
• You will also be charged for any costs we incur responding to attorneys in your case, including but not limited to fees we are charged for legal consultation and representation by our attorneys.

To maintain your confidentiality and our respective privacy, we do not interact with current or former clients on social networking websites. We do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking sites including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. We will not respond to friend requests or messages through these sites.

We do not solicit testimonials, ratings or grades from clients on websites or through other means. We will not respond to testimonials, ratings or grades on websites, whether positive or negative, in order to maintain your confidentiality. We ask you bring any issues about our work to your therapy session so we can address concerns directly.