Therapy Quick Start Guide

Welcome! We’re so glad you’ve decided to start therapy with us here at California Integrative Therapy. We look forward to working with you!

This page goes over some of the general parameters of working with us including scheduling, communicating, payment, technical setup (if doing telehealth), and more. If you ever have any questions, never hesitate to contact us.

Scheduling
By now you should have received an invitation to sign up for your client portal. You can always access the portal by clicking on the button at the bottom of this website. Then click on I’m An Existing Client, enter your email address, and follow the link in the email you immediately receive. This process ensures that your communication is secure and confidential. Once on your portal, you will see a Request Now button along with any existing sessions that have already been scheduled. Here you can cancel sessions and schedule new sessions.

Cancelling Sessions
Please note that we have a strict 48-hour cancellation policy. For example, if your session is on Wednesday at noon, you can cancel your session on the client portal up until Monday at 11:59am. If you ever need to cancel or reschedule a session, for whatever reason, please do so on the portal at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. Otherwise, you will be charged the full session fee. Cancellations are only accepted on the portal, not via text, email, or voice mail. Please note that within 48 hours of your scheduled appointment, the client portal will not allow you to cancel. 

Communication
Because the portal is secure and confidential, we ask that you communicate through that platform, and not through text, email, or voicemail. When you sign onto the portal, you will see an envelope icon in the upper right corner. Click there to go into the secure messaging system. If you do not see this icon, please notify your therapist.

Payment
Payment for sessions are due at the time of session via check (made payable to Tree of Life Healing), cash, Venmo (@Chris-Tickner), Zelle (info@treeoflifehealing.org). We can also enroll you in credit card autopay for an additional 3.35% convenience fee, as this is not our standard form of payment. Please notify your clinician of your preferred payment method. Balances over 30 days will automatically be billed to the credit card you have on file plus the convenience fee.

Insurance
While you won’t be able to use your insurance to pay us directly, we can provide you with a superbill, a monthly statement of what you have paid, that you can then submit to your provider for reimbursement. Let us know if you would like this, and be sure to fill in your insurance information when you complete the demographics form.

Online Therapy
If we are meeting online, there are a few things you can do in advance of your session to make sure things go smoothly so that we don’t spend session time attending to technical issues.
1. Make sure you have a strong internet connection. Sometimes rebooting your device, and asking folks on your network to stop streaming can help.
2. Make sure your camera is set up so that you are well lit, that any light source including windows behind you are not creating a glare, and that you are in the frame, ideally from your waist up.
3. Use an external microphone so that we don’t have cut-out common when using built in pc mics. Test your audio prior to the call so that you know it is working.
4. If you are doing couples work online, please sit in two chairs that move easily opposite each other, and not on a couch. This will allow you more freedom to move around and adjust your seating. Make sure you are both in frame, which might require you to move the camera back some.
5. You might consider attaching your device, particularly if using a small device like a phone or tablet, to a tv, or large pc monitor via an HDMI adapter cable. This will allow you to see us more clearly.
6. Your therapist will provide you with a Zoom link for your session.

Couples Therapy
All couples therapy sessions must include both parties and sessions cannot start until both parties are present. All communication between sessions should include all three of us. We do a lot of movement in couples therapy, and as such you might be more comfortable wearing clothing that you feel free to move around in. There is no need to dress up for therapy, be comfortable!

When You Arrive
Our address is 491 S. Marengo Avenue in Pasadena. There is ample, free 2-hour parking on the street. Longer parking is available on Bellevue. There is a keypad lock on the front door and the code is 6721. Enter through the main front door, press the call button on the wall right in front of you as you enter (your therapist will let you know which button to press for their office). You may then have a seat in the waiting room to your left or on the front porch. We’ll be down to get you at your appointment time.

That’s it! Never hesitate to reach out if you ever have questions. And once again, welcome!