Gargi Patel
LMFT #101986
How therapy works with me.
A practical look at format, fees, and what to expect, from first email through the work itself.
The shape of it.
Therapy with me is virtual, weekly to start, and structured around 50-minute sessions on a HIPAA-compliant Zoom link. Most clients begin with weekly sessions for at least the first few months; some shift to every other week later, depending on what we're working on.
Session 1: the consultation
Before we schedule anything, we do a free 15-minute call. You describe what's bringing you in. I tell you how I'd approach it and we figure out together whether to keep going.
Sessions 2 - 4: getting oriented
The first few full sessions are about understanding your history, what's happening now, what you've already tried, and what you actually want to be different. This let's me build a working picture of you.
From there: the actual work
Once we have a shared picture, the work takes shape around what you're moving through. For some, that's EMDR or Brainspotting on specific traumatic memories. For others, it's longer-term depth work on identity, family-of-origin, or relational patterns. For couples, it's working with the patterns you bring into the room with each other.
I check in regularly about whether the work is doing what you want it to. Therapy is supposed to be useful. If it isn't, I want to know.
FORMAT
What to expect, practically
WHERE
Virtual, on Zoom. You join from anywhere in California where you have privacy. This can be a private room at home, an office, even a parked car. I'll send the link in advance.
SESSION LENGTH
FREQUENCY
FEES
Weekly to start. Most active work benefits from a consistent weekly cadence, especially with EMDR and Brainspotting.
$250 individual · $350 couples · free 15-min consult. Out-of-network, superbills provided. More on fees →
50 minutes. Standard therapy hour.
WHO I SEE
WHO I DON'T SEE
Adolescents 14+, adults, and couples located in California.
Crisis care, medication, court-ordered treatment, custody evaluations. If you need any of these, I can offer referrals.
Is this the right fit?
I'm probably a good fit if:
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You're in California and want to do this virtually.
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You've done some therapy before and want something that goes deeper or works differently.
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You're open to body-based work in addition to talking.
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You want a therapist who takes identity, race, and family-of-origin seriously as material.
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You can pay out-of-pocket or have PPO insurance and are willing to file superbills.
I'm probably not the right fit if:
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You need someone in-network with HMO/EPO insurance.
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You're in acute crisis and need immediate or higher-acuity care.
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You're looking for short-term, manualized CBT for a single discrete symptom.
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You're under 14.