Frequently Asked Questions​

The first step is to call me (310) 210-2129, or email me at kristinthomsonlmft@gmail.com. If I am unavailable at that moment, I will call you back within 24 hours. The point of this phone call is to talk briefly about what is coming up for you in life that you’d like to address in therapy. Then we can look at our calendars together and schedule an appointment, and/or I will provide you with referrals to other people or services that might be helpful to you.

The most important element in therapy is trust with your therapist: You need to feel comfortable opening up about your life and your issues. And this is really only something you can determine based on how you feel during your first sessions.

The initial phone call can be a useful opportunity to ask questions about my training, expertise, and areas of specialty. It can also be a chance to gage more superficially your level of ease in conversing with me, but is not a substitute for in-person contact.

Finally, having some idea of what you’d like to work on and what you’d like to see different in your life is always helpful to bring to the table. This will allow me to share my impressions of how we might collaborate to achieve your goals and allow you to make an informed decision about how to proceed.

Every situation, every individual, every couple and family, and every context is different, so there is no single prescribed course of therapy. How much you get out of therapy directly correlates to how much you put into it, and how often or how long you come for before you see a change in your life is different for everyone. My objective is to help you find resources both internally and externally that can enhance your life outside of the therapy room, and allow you to navigate life’s challenges more effectively. I also aim to help you build healthier relationships so that your support network expands well beyond the therapy room. All that said, I tend to think Carl Rogers said it best: “The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination.”

The simple answer is yes. Therapy is a confidential process. Your visits, your personal information, and everything we talk about is private. Unless you make a written request to have any of your records released, no information about you leaves my office.

All that said, there are legal limitations to confidentiality. These are as follows:

1. State law requires all mental health providers to report suspected child abuse, elder abuse, or dependent abuse or neglect.

2. If you make a serious threat to harm another or yourself, I am legally obligated to report it to the authorities and/or warn the intended victim.

3. In some court proceedings involving child custody and those in which your emotional condition is an important issue, a judge may determine my testimony or your records are required for fair finding.

If you are concerned about confidentiality, please bring it up with me so we can discuss your concerns further.

Therapy works best when it’s done weekly initially. Especially while we are first building rapport and trust in the therapeutic relationship, I do not recommend planning to come less frequently than once per week to maximize progress toward your goals at first. 

I do not take insurance, but am happy to provide you with a monthly receipt that you can submit to your insurance company in case they provide any out-of-network reimbursement coverage. You can determine OON reimbursement by contacting your insurance directly.