TherapureBefore You Reach Out
Guides
You can have questions about therapy before knowing whether you want to begin. I have put these guides together to explain how I work, what sessions involve, and which practical details are worth checking first.
What Would You Like to Understand First?
Some questions are about the conversation itself: why I use EFT with couples, what parts means in IFS, or how earlier relationships enter psychodynamic work. Others are about deciding who attends, where we meet, and what your insurance plan may need.
I explain these in ordinary language rather than expecting you to choose from a list of therapy terms. The guides are general information, not personal treatment advice. You can bring a question that is not answered here to a free consultation.
How to Use These Guides
Each guide answers one question in a few minutes of reading. You can start with the one closest to what is on your mind, or read through several in one sitting. None of them ask you to prepare anything.
If a guide leaves you with a more specific question, bring it to a free consultation. That conversation is where general information becomes a plan that fits you.
Grouped by Question
Start With the Question You Brought
Choosing the right kind of therapy
If you are weighing couples therapy or individual therapy, deciding between online and in-person sessions, or wondering what a first couples session actually involves, these three cover the decision.
Understanding the approaches I use
These explain the ideas behind the work: how EFT compares with Gottman, what IFS means by parts, and why psychodynamic therapy pays attention to early relationships.
Practical questions about sessions and fees
For the logistics, read what premarital counseling usually covers, and how superbills and out-of-network benefits work with private pay.
Which Guide Is for Your Question?
EFT vs. Gottman: Two Approaches to Couples Therapy
How emotional connection and structured relationship work compare.
What Is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?
Parts, protective responses, and what happens in an IFS session.
Couples Therapy or Individual Therapy?
Choosing a format, doing both, and a partner who will not attend.
Online or In-Person Therapy?
Privacy, travel, location requirements, and changing formats.
What Is Psychodynamic Therapy?
Early relationships, less-conscious expectations, and insight in practice.
What to Expect in Premarital Counseling
Topics, pacing, and online premarital conversations.
Your First Couples Session
Questions, preparation, and setting goals in the first appointment.
Superbills and Out-of-Network Benefits
A superbill, plan questions, and the limits of possible reimbursement.
Where to Go Next
If a guide describes something you recognize, the next step is a page about the work itself. Couples Therapy and Individual Therapy describe what sessions look like with me and who each is for.
Locations explains where and how we meet, including the Manhattan Beach office and telehealth across California, Arizona, and Missouri. The FAQ collects the questions people ask most often, including fees and cancellation.
Common Questions
Before You Read Further
Are these guides therapy?
No. They are general information about how therapy works and how I practice. Reading them does not create a therapist-client relationship.
Can I read just one guide?
Yes. Each one stands on its own. If you only have time for one, choose the question that brought you to this page in the first place.
Do the guides list fees?
Only briefly. The Rates page lists current fees for sessions with me and with associate clinicians, and the guides about sessions link there.
Start with a free consultation.
A short, no-pressure call to see whether working together feels right. Naomi will confirm a time with you.