There are many types of mental health practitioners, and their training and perspective vary greatly. A psychiatrist is a physician (licensed medical doctor or M.D.) with four years of specialty training in psychiatry, including exposure to a very wide range of psychological and medical illnesses that impact mental health. Psychiatrists have additional training in neuroscience, neurology, and pharmacology, and are licensed to prescribe medication. Most are also trained in individual and group psychotherapy, though not all practice psychotherapy. Non-physician psychotherapists (licensed as M.F.T., Ph.D., L.C.S.W., or Psy.D.) may be extensively trained in psychotherapy, but generally have less exposure to a broad range of psychiatric conditions, and cannot prescribe medication. Many psychiatrists and other psychotherapists obtain additional training in psychotherapy and/or psychoanalysis after being licensed in their particular discipline.
FAQ
All of these are types of psychological therapies. Psychoanalysis is a term originally coined by Freud describing a type of treatment focused on unconscious factors that cause symptoms and character problems. Jung’s paradigm has been called Analytical Psychology, forming the basis for a treatment often referred to as “analysis” rather than “psychoanalysis”. In practice, most people use the term psychoanalysis broadly, to include Jungian, Freudian, and a diversity of other types of analytic treatments. These different theoretical schools have influenced most forms of depth psychotherapy. In general psychoanalysis and psychotherapy are on a continuum, with the analytic traditions tending to involve longer treatments and meeting more frequently. “Depth-oriented” psychotherapies and analysis/psychoanalysis are particularly interested in the influence of the unconscious on psychological life, but there are forms of psychotherapy with much less emphasis on unconscious processes (such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy).
Any psychotherapist who is interested in Jungian psychology can call themselves a Jungian psychotherapist, at any level of experience, and without earning any particular credential. In contrast, a certified Jungian Analyst is an experienced psychotherapist who has applied for competitive admission to an accredited Jungian training institute, has undergone extensive personal analysis themselves, completed many years of structured academic study and supervised clinical work, and has been examined and certified by a board of senior analysts. This results in a high level of academic training, personal development, and clinical experience.
- Please follow this link to read a description of what I emphasize as the Core elements of psychotherapy and analysis.
- For a description of how we will work together, please read follow this link for a description of My Approach.
- Sessions will be by a secure Zoom video connection. I will be happy to discuss approaches to the sessions that help optimize our focus and the depth of our discussions, to ensure it is a satisfying and effective process.
You can pay for services out-of-pocket, or using your insurance. I am a contracted provider in the Aetna and Anthem/Blue Cross (but not Blue Shield) networks, and accept a limited number of patients through these networks.
I am not an in-network provider for any other insurance companies, but if you have a different insurance plan with PPO, POS, or a medical savings account, it is possible that you would be able to obtain reimbursement for some portion of your care, but you would need to check with your insurance company to determine the feasibility of this.
I do not accept MediCare or MediCal/Medicaid coverage at this time, and I do not accept Worker’s Compensation cases.