Frequently Asked Questions About Asian Therapist in Orange County

Although we specialize in serving the Asian American community, providing therapy from a multicultural & intersectional perspective, we welcome people from all races, ethnicity, and identities who’ve ever felt different and not good enough.  We believe that heartache and suffering is universal, as is the right to feel joy and live in peace. 

We offer the flexibility of both in-person and video sessions online.   Most people have a preference for one over the other depending on their schedule and needs.  Please state your preference when scheduling an appointment.  In-person sessions are held in our office in Costa Mesa.  Our video sessions are conducted through a HIPPA compliant platform. 

For individuals, session lengths are typically 45 minutes long. 

For couples, session lengths could either be 60 minutes or 90 minutes long.  90 minutes is strongly encouraged for couples work, as it allows us more time to unpack issues and work towards resolution within the session.

The gold standard of treatment is 1 session/week, at the same day and same time every week.   Research shows that weekly sessions allow for the most progress towards your treatment goals, which means you will feel better sooner.  You and your therapist will choose the day & time that works for both your schedules, and that time slot will be reserved exclusively for you every week. 

The short answer is no.  Every other week or once a month session is not in our clients’ best interest to reach their treatment goals.  The majority of the session time would be spend “catching up” instead of delving into the work to achieve your goals.  The only time we offer an alternative arrangement to the weekly sessions is when treatment goals have been met and clients do not need therapy, but are nervous to stop. The alternative schedule helps clients to transition out of therapy. For couples, it would be when the couple is stable and our work is transitioning to the practicing & maintenance phase of the work. 

There is not one definitive answer.  There are a lot of factors that contribute to the length of therapy like reasons for seeking treatment, childhood trauma, level of support, motivation, and your treatment goals.  We will know more about how much time is needed once we begin working together. Typically, clients commit to counseling for at least 6 months, and quite common for clients to stay in treatment for 1+ years. 

Most clients tell us they start to feel better after the first session because they are able to share and feel heard and understood by us.  We expect you to continue this trajectory and feel better in the coming months as you get relief from your symptoms.  But please know that therapy is hard work as we delve into painful experiences, and you might feel bad or worse before you will consistently feel better.  We will be there for you through all the ups and downs!

Here are the fees for Dr. Nina Nguy:

$275 for 45 minute session

$310 for 60 minute session

$450 for 90 minute session

No, we are not paneled or “in network” with any insurance companies.  We would be considered an Out-of-Network provider.  If you have Out-of-Network benefits, we will provide you with a statement, called a Superbill, with all the information you’d need to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. 

We encourage you to call your insurance company and ask these questions:

Do I have mental health insurance benefits?

Are telehealth/video sessions covered?

What is my deductible and has it been met?

How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?

What is the coverage amount per therapy session?

Is approval required from my primary care physician?

Because of three words: freedom, control, and privacy. 

You get the freedom to choose a therapist who best fits your needs, not just because they’re in-network.  You get to control the course of your treatment.  You and your therapist can tailor the sessions to meet your needs, and not rely on direction from an insurance company whose ultimate interest might not align with yours.  Insurance companies often dictate what we work on in sessions and how long we can work together. Often times, it’s much shorter than what you might need.  Also, your information remains confidential and does not need to be released to a third-party insurance provider.

Your session time is exclusively reserved for you.  We do not double book any session.  As such, we have a 48-hour cancellation policy.  If you need to cancel or reschedule your session time, please make sure you give us at least 48 hour notice, from the time of your session.  For example, if your session is on Tuesday at 9 am, please let us know by 9 am on Sunday, at the latest.  You’d be responsible for the full session fee if we are given less than 48 hour notice.   Texting your therapist is appropriate in this case to cancel /reschedule. 

Life happens, we get it!  In cases of emergency please let your therapist know as soon as possible.  Attempts will be made to reschedule your session to another time in that week, with no late cancelation charge. We offer phone and video sessions in case something happens last minute that prevents you from coming to your appointment.

Please text your therapist to let them know you’re running late.  Your session will start when you arrive/show up, but unfortunately session still needs to end on time to not delay your therapists’ session with other clients later in the day.

Here are the following steps:

1. Click the button below to Book a Free Therapy Consultation

2. Complete and submit form

3. You will receive a phone call within 24 hours to have the 15 min free consultation to see if we are a good fit.

4. At the end of the phone call, we will schedule a session time for you.

5. You will then receive an email to create a Client Portal to access all the necessary paperwork online.  Please read, complete and sign all paperwork at least 48 hours before your scheduled session. 

6. Show up at your session time, either in-person or online, and start the journey to feeling better!