Questions, answered honestly.
Everything we’re most often asked about getting started, fees, the online format, our team, and how the work goes. If yours isn’t here, email us and we’ll answer it directly.
Getting started.
How do I get started with therapy at Align?
Most clients begin with a free 15-minute consultation. You’ll talk with the therapist you’re matched with, or one you’ve chosen from our team page, about what’s bringing you in, what you’re hoping for, and whether it feels like a good fit.
From there, you can book your first session, take time to think, or ask to be matched with someone else. No pressure.
What happens during the free consultation?
It’s a low-pressure first conversation, about 15 minutes long. The therapist will ask what’s bringing you in. Then they’ll suggest an approach based on their experience. You can ask anything you want about their training, their experience, and what therapy with them tends to look like.
The consultation is for figuring out fit. The work itself starts in the first session.
How do I choose between therapists?
Browse our team page, read what each therapist works with, and request whoever feels right. Or say match me with the best fit and we’ll do it for you based on what you share in the consultation.
If you’d like a framework for the decision, our founder wrote a guide to choosing a therapist in California, including the questions worth asking on any consultation call. If you start with one therapist and realize someone else might be a better fit, we’ll help you switch any time you like.
What should I expect in my first session?
The first session is mostly about getting to know each other and laying the groundwork. Your therapist will ask about what’s bringing you in, a brief history with the issue, what you’ve tried before, and what you’re hoping to feel different. Something that makes us different is that we usually offer some easy coping skills to help you while we work on the bigger issues.
There’s no pressure to “go deep.” That comes later, when the relationship has more weight under it.
How soon can I start?
Most clients have a consultation within 2–3 business days of reaching out, and a first session within a week. If you’re in a hurry, let us know and we’ll do what we can to fit you in sooner.
When are sessions available?
Seven days a week, Sunday through Saturday, with morning, afternoon and evening times. Scheduling is flexible, and you can set a regular weekly time with your therapist.
Do you offer therapy in languages other than English?
Yes. Sessions are available in Spanish with Fidel Quintanilla, in Farsi with Nazzi Vazira-Bhullar, and in Hindi and Punjabi with Jasmeet Bhullar. Mention your preferred language when you reach out.
Fees & insurance.
How much do sessions cost?
Individual therapy sessions are $200. Couples and family sessions are $250. We’re an out-of-network provider, so if your plan has out-of-network mental health benefits, you may be reimbursed for part of the cost.
Do you accept insurance?
We’re out-of-network with all insurance plans. We don’t bill insurance directly. Instead, we provide a monthly superbill you can submit to your insurer for out-of-network reimbursement.
How much comes back depends on your plan, your deductible and whether you’ve met it. Before you start, it’s worth calling the number on your card and asking: “What are my out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits, and what’s my deductible?”
What is a superbill and how does it work?
A superbill is an itemized receipt for therapy services. You submit it to your insurance, and they reimburse you directly for whatever portion of the session your out-of-network benefits cover.
To be reimbursable, a superbill has to include a diagnosis code. Your therapist will talk with you about that before anything is submitted, so nothing goes to your insurer that you haven’t agreed to.
Do you offer reduced fees or a sliding scale?
We have a limited number of reduced-fee spots for clients with financial need. Ask about them in the consultation, and we’ll figure out what works.
The online format.
How does online therapy work?
You join a secure, HIPAA-compliant video session from wherever you are (your home, your car, your office) at your scheduled time. Your therapist joins. You have a full session, the same as in person, without the commute.
Many clients find it easier to open up online because they’re already in their own space.
What platform do you use for sessions?
We use SimplePractice, a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform built for therapy practices. You’ll get a secure link before each session. There’s no software to install. Click and join.
What do I need to participate?
A device with a camera and microphone (laptop, phone or tablet), a stable internet connection, and a private space where you can speak freely. Headphones help. Nothing else is required.
Where can I have my sessions from?
Anywhere in California where you have privacy and a reliable internet connection: your bedroom, your office, a parked car, a hotel room while traveling within the state.
Our therapists are licensed and registered in California, so you need to be physically in California at the time of each session. If you’ll be traveling out of state, tell your therapist ahead of time and you can plan around it together.
Is online therapy as effective as in-person?
Research consistently finds online therapy as effective as in-person for most common concerns, including anxiety, depression, OCD, relationship work and life transitions. What makes therapy work is the relationship and the work you do together, wherever you are.
Our team.
Are all your therapists California-licensed?
Yes. Every clinician at Align is licensed or registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). Our LMFTs are fully licensed. Our AMFTs are registered associates who practice under the clinical supervision of our founder, Jasmeet Bhullar, LMFT. You can look up any of us on the California DCA license search.
What’s the difference between LMFT, AMFT and other titles?
LMFT = Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (fully licensed). AMFT = Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (registered with the BBS, completing supervised hours toward licensure). LCSW = Licensed Clinical Social Worker. LPCC = Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.
All of these can provide therapy in California. Psychologists (PhD or PsyD) can also do psychological testing, and psychiatrists can prescribe medication. Our guide to choosing a therapist walks through each one.
What training does the team have?
Every clinician here trained at Pepperdine University in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, and the whole team meets for weekly supervision. Three of us teach as adjunct faculty at Pepperdine. Four are members of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). Two are EMDR-trained. Two are AASECT members working toward certification as sex therapists.
Can I switch therapists if it’s not the right fit?
Yes, any time. Try talking with your current therapist about what isn’t working first, because most things are workable inside the relationship. If you still want to switch, let us know. No notice required.
The therapy process.
How long does therapy typically take?
Most clients begin to notice meaningful change in 8–12 sessions. Lasting change, the kind where you don’t go back to the old pattern, typically takes 6–12 months of consistent work.
We don’t believe in artificially short or artificially long timelines.
How often will I have sessions?
Weekly to start. After the first three or four months, some clients move to every other week as they consolidate the work. We’ll figure out the right cadence together.
How long is each session?
Individual sessions are 50 minutes. Couples and family sessions are 75–90 minutes. That’s enough time to do real work without exhausting the room.
How will I know if therapy is working?
Most clients notice change in three places first: the way they sleep, the way they react to their usual triggers, and the conversations they have (or don’t have) with themselves.
The big shifts often come quietly. You’ll notice you did something different before you notice you’ve changed.
Can I pause therapy and come back later?
Yes. Many clients pause when life gets stable and return when something shifts. Your therapist will hold your spot when possible, or help you re-match if scheduling has changed.
What we work with.
What do you specialize in?
Anxiety and overthinking. Relationship anxiety. Family boundaries. People-pleasing. OCD and intrusive thoughts. Trauma. Sex and intimacy. Disordered eating. Identity and cultural belonging. Depression. Burnout and work stress. Life transitions and feeling lost. Loneliness and connection. Plus couples and premarital work.
We focus on the patterns adults in their 20s and 30s most often arrive with, and the patterns underneath them. The specialties page has all of them in one place.
Who do you work with?
Adults 18 and over, located anywhere in California, individually or as couples and families. We have particular experience with South Asian, Asian American, Latino/Latinx and immigrant family contexts, and we’re LGBTQ+, non-monogamy and kink-affirming. We don’t treat children or adolescents.
Do you work with couples and families?
Yes. Several of our therapists are trained in couples work, including the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and attachment-based approaches. We work with dating couples, partners, married couples, premarital pairs and family units.
Can you treat OCD?
Yes, with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard evidence-based treatment for OCD. Danielle Miller, AMFT and Jasmeet Bhullar, LMFT lead our OCD work. Danielle was previously an OCD Exposure Coach at a Los Angeles treatment center, and close to half her caseload is OCD. Four of our clinicians are members of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).
Do you offer trauma therapy and EMDR?
Yes. Julia Melvin, AMFT and Fidel Quintanilla, AMFT are both EMDR-trained and offer EMDR online, with preparation before any processing begins. You don’t have to retell everything that happened for it to help. Read more on our trauma therapy page.
Do you offer sex therapy?
Yes, as talk therapy for individuals and couples. Marjolaine Bernstein, AMFT and Jasmeet Bhullar, LMFT are AASECT members working toward the AASECT Certified Sex Therapist credential. That means they’re training toward certification and aren’t certified yet. Read more on our sex and intimacy therapy page.
What if I need more support than weekly therapy?
We offer weekly outpatient therapy. If what you’re dealing with needs residential treatment, a partial hospitalization program (PHP) or an intensive outpatient program (IOP), we’ll say so at the consultation and help you find the right level of care. We’d rather tell you early than after you’ve started.
What if my concern isn’t listed on your site?
Reach out anyway. Our specialty areas are the most common reasons clients come in, and they don’t cover everything we work with. Mention it in the consultation, or browse the Topics Index, about 160 named patterns we work with, to see if your version is there. We’ll either work with it or refer you to someone whose specialty is closer.
Privacy, safety & the practical bits.
Is online therapy confidential?
Yes. Therapy in California is protected by strict confidentiality laws (HIPAA and California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act), with narrow legal exceptions: imminent danger to self or others, mandated reporting of abuse, and court orders.
Is your platform HIPAA-compliant?
Yes. SimplePractice, our video platform, is HIPAA-compliant. Your sessions are encrypted, your records are private, and your notes never leave the secure system without your written authorization.
Will my family or insurance see what we discuss?
No. Your sessions are private. If you submit a superbill for reimbursement, your insurance receives a diagnosis code and billing information, never session content. Your family doesn’t receive anything unless you choose to share.
What if I’m in crisis between sessions?
For an immediate crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. For something urgent but not immediately life-threatening, message your therapist. Most respond within a few hours.
Therapy isn’t a crisis service, but we’ll always help you get connected to the right level of care.
Do you prescribe medication?
No. Therapists don’t prescribe; that’s the role of a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. We work alongside prescribers when medication is part of a client’s care, and we can refer you to telepsychiatrists we trust.