Do you see clients in person?

Yes! I currently see clients in person only. I have two office locations:

The West LA office is located at 1849 Sawtelle Boulevard, between Olympic Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard.

The Beverly Hills office is located at 8500 Wilshire Boulevard, at La Cienega Boulevard.

Why in-person only?

Although telehealth and virtual therapy can be effective for many problems, in my experience the most effective and long-lasting change happens in the personal, face-to-face environment of in-person therapy. This is especially true of couples therapy. I believe it is essential for couples to have a dedicated space outside of their regular lives (and screens) to engage in new ways of thinking, feeling, and connecting with partners in a safe, supportive environment designed for that connection.

What are your rates, and do you accept insurance?

My regular rate is $350 per standard 45-50 minute session, for both individuals and couples.

Like many therapists in Los Angeles, I am not in-network with any insurance provider. However, my services are covered by most insurance plans that include out-of-network outpatient psychotherapy. I am happy to provide clients with a “superbill,” which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.

I recognize that quality therapy is expensive. As part of my commitment to offer inclusive, accessible care, I reserve a limited number of low-fee slots for lower income, uninsured, or underinsured clients via the Open Path Collective, a nonprofit organization. For more information about their process and eligibility, visit their website, www.openpathcollective.org. I do not offer a sliding scale or reduced rates except through this program.

How does the process of therapy work (for individual clients)?

To begin, we will have brief, 10-minute phone consultation. This consultation is free, and is an opportunity for you and I to discuss whether I am an appropriate fit for your needs.

If so, we will first meet for one or two assessment sessions, during which I will get a better sense of you and what you’d like to work on, you’ll get a better sense of me, and we’ll develop a plan for treatment. After this assessment, therapy sessions are usually once per week for 45-50 minutes.

How does the process of therapy work (for couples)?

After you reach out, we will have brief, 10-minute phone consultation. This free consultation typically includes both partners, and is an opportunity for us to talk about my approach and discuss whether I am an appropriate fit for your needs.

If so, we’ll typically start with a thorough assessment. I’ll meet once with both partners together, once individually with each partner, and once again with both partners. This allows us to identify key issues and plan treatment around a clear understanding of each partner’s perspective as well as the two of you together. Most couples find these assessment sessions to be very helpful even before treatment begins. After these sessions, couple therapy sessions are usually once per week for 45-50 minutes.

How long does therapy last?

The length of therapy varies widely depending your preferences and the problems you seek to work on. Research shows that for both individuals and couples, CBT, IBCT, and similar treatments can be remarkably effective within 12-20 weeks, and this is typically the length of treatment for many clients.

You and I will work together early on to get a sense of how long treatment may last, and continue discussing this as treatment progresses. Some clients focus on a very specific issue and experience faster improvement; others require or prefer longer treatment.

Which anxiety disorders do you treat in individual therapy?

The term “anxiety” captures a wide range of more specific issues. In diagnostic terms, I specialize in treating clients with panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), agoraphobia, and specific phobia, among others. You don’t need to know in advance whether any of these apply to you. Most people don’t — that’s what the initial assessment is for!

I see clients with symptoms from the mild to severe range, and many of the techniques I use are helpful whether or not your distress is related to one of these particular disorder labels. I see many clients who have more specific concerns that aren’t necessarily disorder-related — as a few recent examples, deciding how to come out to friends as gay, overcoming perfectionism at work, difficulty using public restrooms, and coping with aging parents.

What is the difference between a psychologist and other mental health providers?

I am a licensed clinical psychologist in California. This means I have a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from an accredited program, completed a dissertation and clinical internship, completed the postdoctoral clinical experience and national and state exams required for licensure in the state of California, and stay up-to-date in the field by maintaining my continuing education requirements. A doctoral degree is the highest degree in the field. A licensed clinician with the degree of Psy.D. is also a psychologist, and has similar doctoral-level training.

Other mental health providers include licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), marriage and family therapists (MFT), and licensed professional counselors (LPC). These are typically Masters-level clinicians with somewhat different areas of focus and training. Psychiatrists are medical doctors (M.D.’s or D.O.’s) who have completed a residency in psychiatry. One major difference between psychiatrists and psychologists is that psychiatrists are able to prescribe medications, whereas in most states, including California, psychologists are not. I often coordinate treatment with psychiatrists or primary care physicians if a client is currently taking medication or might benefit from it as part of treatment. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has additional information about these types of professionals.

What does “empirically-supported therapy” mean?

The term “empirically-supported” simply means that a particular therapy approach has been tested in a scientific way, and shows evidence of working for a specific problem. The strongest type of empirical support is called a randomized controlled trial (RCT). This is when people with a particular diagnosis or problem (say, panic disorder) are randomly assigned to receive either the treatment of interest (say, CBT) or a comparison treatment (such as supportive therapy that doesn’t emphasize cognitive-behavioral elements, or a medication-based treatment).

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has very substantial evidence behind it, especially for anxiety and mood problems, but also for many others. Integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT) also has substantial research evidence supporting its effectiveness for couples and relationship problems. The other treatments I often incorporate (dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, emotion regulation therapy, and emotion-focused therapy) have also been extensively tested and shown to be effective for particular problems.

How do I get started?

All you need to do is reach out for a free phone consultation! I’ll ask a few questions about your concerns, tell you a bit more about my approach, you can ask any questions you have, and we’ll discuss whether I might be a good fit for a first assessment session. You can click the button below, call me at (424) 354-9120, or email me at bmarroquin@solidgroundCBT.com.