Q: What are your office hours?
A: I have appointments available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. I also offer Saturday and Sunday appointments, if necessary.
Q: What are your fees?
A: My fee for a 50-minute counseling session is $120 to $150. Payment is accepted at the start of each session.
For mediation, my hourly fee is $200. I require a 5-hour minimum retainer which is payable at the first meeting.
Q: Do you accept insurance or credit cards?
A: For your convenience, I accept cash, checks, and credit cards. At the present time, I only accept Magellan Health Services, Blue Shield of California, and California Victim Compensation. However, I would be happy to provide an itemized receipt which you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement on any PPO. If you are considering pursuing reimbursement through your insurance company, please be sure to check with your insurance company for its specific reimbursement policy or call me for any assistance.
Q: Are you a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist?
A: Yes, I am licensed by the State of California as a Marriage and Family Therapist. My license number is LMFT 44514.
Q: Can we talk before I make an appointment?
A: Yes, I would be happy to talk with you over the phone prior to making an appointment. This complimentary discussion will help us to determine whether my counseling services are compatible with your needs.
Q: Where are you located?
A: My office is conveniently located in Long Beach near the traffic circle. My office address is 4510 East Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 210, Long Beach, California 90804. My telephone number is 714-745-1535.
Q: What is an LMFT?
A: A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (“LMFT”) is a person licensed by the state of California to perform marriage and family therapy. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences describes the practice of marriage and family therapy as “service performed with individuals, couples, or groups wherein interpersonal relationships are examined for the purpose of achieving more adequate, satisfying, and productive marriage and family adjustments. This practice includes relationship and premarital counseling. The application of marriage and family therapy principles and methods includes, but is not limited to, the use of applied psycho-therapeutic techniques, to enable individuals to mature and grow within marriage and the family…” California Business & Professions Code Section 4980.02.
Q: Do I/we need counseling?
A: Does it seem like your family is in chaos? Are you frustrated by your child’s ongoing emotional and behavioral issues? Does it feel like you have tried everything and nothing has worked? I would like to help you move beyond the point where you feel your children don’t listen to you and your spouse doesn’t understand you. Together we can improve the relationships within your family.
I assist individuals and families create better relationships by teaching practical tools and coping skills that can be used to confront parenting and relationship issues. Through individual, family and/or group sessions, we will integrate a variety of therapies, including play therapy, that foster healing and improve relationships.
Sometimes, we discover that emotional and behavioral issues are caused by unresolved loss from abandonment, divorce, or death. My experience in grief recovery can help your child and family begin to recover from loss. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and together we can get there.
Individual and/or family counseling can help. I provide safe and trusting environment to help individuals, couples, and families to speak their truth and be guided to make positive changes in their lives. I believe that we all deserve happier lives and we can reach that by discovering sources of inner strengths with therapist’s guidance.
Taking the first step toward getting help is often the most difficult – I welcome your phone call or an email and I am happy to answer any questions you might have.
Q: How do I make an appointment?
A: When it is time for counseling, taking the first step toward getting help is often the most difficult. Please call me at 714-745-1535 or email me and we’ll discuss how I can be of help. Making an appointment is quick and easy.
After making an appointment I will explain to you the process that includes the completion of legally and ethically required forms. The forms include Informed Consent, Limits of Confidentiality, Mandated Reporting, Risks and Benefits of Therapy, Fee Arrangements, Cancellation and No-Show Policies among other pertinent information.
Q: What can I expect in the first session?
A: The intake appointment might be longer than my usual 50 minute session due to the initial paperwork, but the fee will be the same. After we have completed the required forms, I will learn about you and your presenting issues. I will provide you with a safe and non-judgmental environment so that we can build a trusting therapeutic relationship and I can help you work toward healing and more balanced life. At this time – and throughout therapy – I will also address all your questions and concerns regarding therapy and our therapeutic relationship.
Q: How long are the therapy sessions?
A: Therapy sessions are typically 50 minutes long for individual and 75 – 90 for couple sessions.
Q: How long will I be in therapy?
A: Together we will develop agreeable goals for you to accomplish and I will help you meet those goals. After you have reached previously established therapeutic goals or other related unexpected results we will begin to work toward therapy termination. This process will include practicing your new skills and helping you to utilize those skills in your daily life and subsequently we would begin processing the end of therapy. In addition to termination process, I have an open door policy that gives you an opportunity to return to therapy with me if the need arises in the future.
Q: What if I have additional questions?
A: Please call me at 714-745-1535 or email me and I’ll be happy to answer all your questions.
Kerttu Cantin, MA, PsyD, LMFT 