FAQS
General
Let us answer your general questions:
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Liberation Psychology is an approach that intentionally names and contextualizes the oppressive sociopolitical systems, inequities, and power imbalances in our lives. Instead of just focusing on you as an individual, this approach considers the relationship between you and the sociopolitical elements in your life. The ultimate goal of Liberation Psychology is to foster free thought by acknowledging and examining the oppressive systems to which you’ve been subjected, and then help you challenge, unlearn and free yourself from them by taking actions that align more closely with your beliefs, culture and values.
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Our therapy approach is rooted in social justice and culturally responsive care. Our methods are consent-based, collaborative, affirming and destigmatizing, but they are also extensively researched, effective and adaptable to meet your unique needs and goals.
Additionally, we believe that therapy is:
Time-limited: We don’t believe your therapy journey should be life-long. We integrate cutting-edge treatments that noticeably reduce symptoms and enhance your quality of life within several sessions. You’ll learn the skills and perspectives you need to help you get better and then move on from care. And, if you need help later, you’re always welcome back.
Patient-driven and highly interactive: Your therapy journey is what you make of it. Our role is to help you heal and grow by providing additional perspectives that can open your heart and mind, but you must be willing and able to do the work.
Freedom-centered: Our work together is focused on your freedom. We’ll identify and acknowledge any hostile, oppressive and discriminatory experiences that have held you back or have negatively impacted your mental health. We’ll also address how those factors have contributed to your suffering and work to unlearn toxic ideologies, remove mental blocks, and develop healthy, effective coping skills–ultimately freeing your mind of those barriers and traumas.
Evidence-based: We pair Liberation Psychology with evidence-based modalities including, but not limited to:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma (CPT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Family Systems Therapy
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Multicultural Psychotherapy Theories and Transcultural Psychotherapy
Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD (PE)
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Structural Family Therapy (SFT)
Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
Harm Reduction and recovery-oriented principles for substance use disorders
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Yes. The most obvious difference is that coaches don’t provide mental health services. Instead, coaching is a goal-oriented service that is not healthcare-related, meaning insurance benefits typically won’t reimburse out-of-pocket expenses for coaching services. Therapists, on the other hand, are licensed and provide mental health treatment. They often focus on the past and present, while coaches focus on the future. The coaching process is oriented towards action and results, meaning you’ll be clarifying goals, identifying obstacles and creating action plans. Therapy, on the other hand, is a place to work through emotions, behaviors and thought patterns.
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To ensure safety, comfort and convenience, we don’t offer in-person sessions at this time. But don’t worry–we use secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms to ensure the confidentiality of our time together. Not sure if virtual care makes sense for you? Check out this link to help you decide.
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We don’t mess around when it comes to your privacy. We use a HIPAA-compliant software system to host virtual sessions and send and receive secure messages.
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We get it. You’re busy and need flexibility. That’s why we offer appointments throughout the day from Tuesday through Friday, including early mornings and evenings. And, when availability permits, we also offer weekend sessions.
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Can’t make your session? No biggie. If you need to cancel for any reason, we ask that you let us know with 48 hours’ notice. Otherwise, you will be charged the full fee for the session. Keep in mind – most insurance plans do not cover or reimburse missed therapy appointments.
Billing
Let us answer your billing questions:
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For therapy, we accept all major debit/credit cards as well as HSA/FSA cards and ACH transfers.
For all other services, we accept the aforementioned payment methods sans HSA/FSA cards.
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Our goal is to ensure that money is never the reason you can’t care for your mental health, so for those who need it, we offer reduced fee options. But, because those slots are limited, there is a waitlist, so there may be a waiting period before getting onto our schedule.
In the meantime, we’ve compiled a collection of resources for you to explore.
Insurance
Let us answer your
insurance questions:
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The short answer is no–we are not currently paneled with any insurance companies. But we can provide out-of-network services for most insurances.
Here’s a little more on insurance:Before getting started, we strongly recommend consulting with your insurance company to get a clear understanding of your coverage.
If you have a PPO insurance plan, our services may be eligible for full or partial reimbursement as part of your out-of-network benefits. In this case, you’ll pay the full session fee upfront, then submit a claim to the insurance company for reimbursement.
At the end of each month, we’ll provide you with a “Superbill”–which details how many sessions you’ve had and the total fee–so you can submit claims to your insurance. But don't forget, every insurance plan is different, and a superbill doesn’t guarantee that your insurance provider will pay for your services.
When chatting with your insurance company, here are some relevant billing codes to reference:
90791: Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation
90834: 38-minutes (generally referred to as “45” minutes) of individual psychotherapy
90837: 53-minutes (generally referred to as “60” minutes) of individual psychotherapy
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For Californians, the California Department of Insurance is a great resource to understand your benefits better.
The website states that “all insurance policies sold in California are required to provide coverage for mental health and substance use disorder services,” meaning health insurers have to provide equal coverage for mental and physical health issues.
Insurers are also not allowed to limit your number of visits or put other restrictions on mental health treatments that are greater than those for other medical benefits.
If you have more questions about your mental health coverage, contact the Consumer Hotline at the Department of Insurance at 1-800-927-4357.
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Of course. Here is a Step-by-Step Guide to Out-of-Network Benefits to help you navigate these conversations. As you begin this process, here are a few things to keep in mind:
First thing’s first, most private health insurance plans provide some out-of-network reimbursement. If you see the terms “POS,” “PPO,” or “out-of-network” on your insurance card, then you are likely eligible. If you see “HMO,” “Medicare,” or “Medicaid,” then you probably are not.
When you’re speaking to your insurance company, here are a few questions to ask:
Am I eligible for out-of-network individual therapy?
Am I eligible for these services to be delivered via telehealth (i.e., modifier 95 after the therapy codes: 90791: Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation; 90834: 38-minutes (generally referred to as “45” minutes) of psychotherapy; 90837: 53-minutes (generally referred to as “60” minutes) of psychotherapy)?
Do I have any limits to my out-of-network coverage (e.g., number of visits)?
What is my out-of-network coinsurance for outpatient mental health?
Do I need a referral from an in-network provider to see someone out-of-network?
How do I submit claim forms for reimbursement? (Claims are forms sent to your insurance company to receive reimbursement for sessions you paid for out of pocket.)
What is my deductible?
What is my out-of-network deductible for outpatient mental health? (Outpatient means treatment outside of a hospital.)
How much of my deductible has been met this year?
Therapy
Let us answer your therapy questions:
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We do not believe in gatekeeping mental health care. Our door is open to all BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants or children of immigrants, and/or multiply-marginalized persons who are introspective and willing to put in the work between sessions. The only prerequisite is that you must be an adolescent (16 or older) or adult and a resident of the state of California or New York. And because all of our sessions are virtual, we’re working on broadening our reach and getting licensed in other states.
If you don't meet these requirements, maybe you'd be a good fit for our coaching services which are available in all 50 states and outside of the U.S.
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Our time together is entirely shaped by your personal needs and situation. However, we are fully equipped to help you explore issues with anxiety, trauma, mood disorders (depression, etc.), identity, immigration distress, life transitions & adjustments, effective communication, relationship issues, stress, self-esteem, and athletic performance & participation.
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On average, a session is about 53 minutes long while a group therapy session is 45 minutes long. However, at the beginning of your treatment, we will discuss a recommended therapy plan based on your needs. Some individuals benefit from a more intensive approach or prefer to receive treatment more frequently. If this is the case, let us know! We’ll work this into your therapy plan.
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We work hard to balance keeping our fees competitive with highly skilled psychologists in the San Francisco Bay Area while maintaining our commitment to racial, dis/ability, and economic equity.
With that said, our current rate is $385 for a 53-minute therapy session and $410 for a 53-minute, one-time initial intake session. For group therapy, our current rate for a 45-minute session is $100. In order to help you get coverage for your care, the folx at Zencare put together a very informative Step-by-Step Guide to Out-of-Network Benefits. We also offer reduced fee options for folx with lower income, accept various payment methods (not including insurance), and offer group therapy at a more affordable rate to increase accessibility to care.
To learn more about payments, pricing and insurance, check out our FAQs page.
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All you have to do is apply! If we’re a good fit, a team member will reach out to get you onboarded and scheduled for your initial intake session (for individual therapy).
This 53-minute session does not establish a professional relationship. Instead, we’ll use this time to get familiar with your needs and begin creating a recommended treatment plan. Then we will move to the evaluation phase.
The evaluation phase takes place during your first 2 or 3 sessions. After your evaluation, we’ll:
Factor in biology, psychology, social learning and cultural factors to form our understanding of your concerns.
Share our recommended treatment plan and make sure it feels aligned with your goals, wants and needs. If you feel something needs to change? We’ll tweak until we reach a point where we both feel good about moving forward.
If, for some reason, we determine you require a service we do not offer, we’ll provide you with a list of referrals.
And if you apply and it’s not a fit? We’ve got you, too! We’ll help you get started by providing potential resources that are better equipped to help you work through the recommended treatment plan we created for you.
Coaching
Let us answer your coaching questions:
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Our virtual doors are open to all BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants or children of immigrants and/or multiply-marginalized persons who are introspective and willing to put in the work between sessions. We currently serve coaching clients across all 50 U.S. states, as well as folx living outside of the U.S.
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It’s simple–just fill out our Contact Form. If we’re a good fit, a Liberate team member will follow up to start your client onboarding. If we feel it’s not a good fit, we’ll send over potential resources to help you land where you need to.
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Accessibility is always our top priority, so we ensure that our rates are competitive and equitable.
Currently, our rate is $350 for a 45-minute individual coaching session and $375 for a 50-minute, one-time initial intake session. As we progress, we may decide it’s best to shorten our sessions to 30 minutes. In that case, the fee will be prorated to $230.
For team coaching rates, please contact us — as fees are dependent on your team size and needs.
We also offer group coaching sessions at a lower rate of $90 for a 45-minute session. And we provide reduced fee options for folx with lower income to increase accessibility to coaching services.
