The hardest part is starting. We make starting easier.

For most of our clinicians, yes. We're in-network across UnitedHealthcare/Optum, Cigna/Evernorth, Aetna, and Carelon (which covers a wide range of plan names — UMR, Oscar, Meritain Health, Sutter, Scripps, Kaiser NorCal with referral, and more), plus Lyra and Modern Health. Plans vary by clinician — the full list, with who takes what, is on the Find a Therapist filter. We verify your benefits before your first paid session and tell you the actual copay before you commit.

Yes. It's a 15-minute call — by phone or video — with the clinician you'd actually see, so you can decide if it's a fit before booking anything. There's no charge regardless of whether you continue. It's a consult, not a sales call.

You can pay out-of-pocket; we'll provide a superbill so you can request out-of-network reimbursement from your PPO plan. Many clients are reimbursed a meaningful share — often the majority — depending on the plan. HSA/FSA also accepted.

Therapy is individually tailored based on your goals and what you're hoping to change as a result of therapy, incorporated with research-supported treatments. We want to use treatments that work, adapted to your life and context.

Yes. Every Grounded clinician holds a doctorate (PhD or PsyD) in clinical or counseling psychology and is independently licensed in their state. No interns, no associates seeing clients unsupervised, no "coaches."

California, Minnesota, New York, and Colorado — telehealth in each. State licensure is real and we won't take on clients we can't legally treat.

Your first session is an evaluation. Your clinician learns what brought you in and what you want to change, and you both decide whether it's a good fit. By the end you'll have their first impressions and a treatment plan to follow if you decide to continue. Most people leave feeling some relief that there's a clear path forward.

It varies with what you're working on, but many clients see meaningful change within the first several weeks and complete their goals in around 12 sessions. Some focused treatments are even shorter — for example, ERP for OCD is often 12–20 sessions. Your clinician gives you a best estimate at the end of the first session and updates the plan as you go.

Usually once a week, in 53-minute sessions — weekly visits give therapy enough momentum to work. As you make progress, many clients taper to every other week before wrapping up. We set the rhythm together around your needs.

Yes. What you share is protected by federal and state law and by the ethics of our profession, with a few legal exceptions every therapist must follow: if there's a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, suspected abuse of a child, elder, or dependent adult, or a court order. Your clinician will walk you through these at the start. See our Notice of Privacy Practices for the full detail.

Always. You can discontinue at any time. When possible we ask for one final session to review the work and what comes next — a good ending is a valuable part of therapy. Our aim is to help you reach your goals and move on, not to keep you in therapy indefinitely.

Telehealth is therapy by secure, private video — same care, from wherever you are. Research finds video-based therapy as effective as in-person for most concerns, with the added benefit of easier access and no commute. All you need is a private space and an internet connection.

If you're using insurance, most plans leave you with a copay (often $10–$35), and we verify your exact benefits before your first session at no cost. Self-pay rates start at $240 for an individual session. A full course of care is often under $3,000 — see Insurance & Rates for the details.