All sessions are through Doxy.me, a free HIPAA-compliant platform. No account or download required. Your clinician sends a secure room link before each session.

Join from a quiet, private space. Avoid public Wi-Fi. All patients must be physically located within California at the time of service.

If you have technical issues during a session, your clinician will attempt to reach you by phone. Test your connection at doxy.me before your first appointment by clicking "Test my camera and microphone." Most patients find that sessions from their own home feel more comfortable and candid than in-person office settings. Phone sessions are also available if video is ever unavailable to you.

Associates hold titles such as APCC, ACSW, or AMFT. They hold a provisional California BBS license and practice under direct supervision while completing 3,000 post-graduate clinical hours toward full licensure.

All PMHS associates are supervised by Ryan Frost #51777, a board-approved clinical supervisor. The quality of care you receive is not diminished by associate status.

Associates are often more recently trained in current evidence-based modalities. Supervision means your care benefits from two clinical perspectives — your clinician's and their supervisor's. Ryan Frost reviews clinical cases regularly to make sure your treatment plan stays sound.

Counselor — master's-level clinician (MSc or MA), licensed as LPCC or registered as APCC in California. Trained in evidence-based talk therapy and mental health treatment. PMHS clinicians hold this credential.

Therapist — not a legally protected title in California. It broadly describes LPCCs, LMFTs, and LCSWs. Psychologist — doctoral-level (PhD or PsyD), licensed to diagnose and administer psychological testing. Psychiatrist — a medical doctor whose primary role is medication management, not talk therapy.

PMHS clinicians provide licensed master's-level talk therapy. For medication management or psychological testing, we coordinate referrals with appropriate providers.

Standard sessions are 50 to 60 minutes. Sessions of 53 or more minutes bill under CPT code 90837. Sessions of 38 to 52 minutes bill under CPT code 90834.

Your clinician will determine the frequency and session length that best supports your treatment goals. Most patients attend weekly sessions, particularly early in treatment.

If you have questions about how your insurance covers specific session lengths or CPT codes, contact your insurer or speak with your clinician before your first appointment. Session length may be adjusted over time as your treatment needs evolve. PHP does not limit session length for medically necessary care. If you are unsure what session length is right for you, your clinician will make a recommendation based on your clinical presentation during the intake.

No waitlist. We respond within 12 to 24 hours to get your first session scheduled.

You can also use the contact form on our Connect page to tell us a bit about what you are looking for before we speak. There is no obligation and no paperwork until you decide to move forward. If you are reaching out on behalf of a family member or someone in your care, that is fine too — just mention it when you contact us.

PMHS accepts Medi-Cal through our contract with Partnership Health Plan of California. We also offer private pay for patients who are uninsured or prefer to pay out of pocket.

Not sure whether your specific plan is accepted? Contact us before submitting and we will verify your coverage at no cost.

Private pay rates are shared transparently when you reach out. We do not believe cost should be a barrier to care. Medi-Cal patients receive the same clinical attention as any other patient. HSA and FSA cards are accepted for private pay sessions. Sliding-scale fees are available for private pay patients based on financial need — ask when you reach out and we will work with you. If your coverage situation is complicated, contact us directly and we will help you figure out your options before you commit to anything.

PMHS accepts Medi-Cal only through Partnership Health Plan of California. If you have Medi-Cal but are not sure which managed care plan you belong to, check your benefits card — it will say "Partnership Health Plan" or "PHP" if you are enrolled.

If your card does not say PHP, call PHP Member Services at (800) 863-4155 (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm) and ask: "Am I enrolled in Partnership Health Plan?" They can confirm in under a minute.

You can also fill out our form and we will verify your specific plan at no cost during your intake session. If you are not covered through PHP, we will let you know right away. We would rather tell you upfront than let a coverage gap surprise you later.

We text you within 12 to 24 hours, often sooner, to confirm you are ready to get started and that we have availability.

You will then get an email invitation through SimplePractice to complete your consent forms electronically, before your first appointment.

Your first appointment is your intake session, a full clinical session where your clinician learns what brings you to therapy. There is no separate screening call. Starting with a specific clinician does not obligate you to continue with them if the fit is not right.

What you share is protected under HIPAA and California's Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA). Limits include mandatory reporting, imminent danger, and valid court orders, all reviewed in your informed consent.

Associates participate in required supervision with Ryan Frost, held to the same confidentiality standards as your sessions. Prior to any AI use in your care, you will sign a separate consent form.

Questions about what is and is not confidential in your specific situation? Ask your clinician directly before, during, or after any session. Every exception is spelled out in plain language in your informed consent before treatment begins.

Before: You will receive a SimplePractice invitation to complete intake paperwork and informed consent electronically prior to your appointment.

During: 50 to 60 minutes. Your clinician asks about your concerns, goals, and history. Together you begin developing a treatment plan. After: If it feels like the right fit, you schedule ongoing sessions.

It is normal to feel nervous. Most patients say the first session feels more like a conversation than an evaluation. You are never required to share more than you are ready to. Your clinician sets the pace based on what you are comfortable with. There is no pressure to have everything figured out before you arrive. Showing up is the only requirement. If the paperwork feels like a lot, contact us before your appointment and we will walk you through it. Most patients complete it in under 15 minutes. The first session does not lock you in to anything — it is simply a starting point. Questions that come up after the session are always welcome and can be addressed at the next appointment or through your patient portal. Plan to join from a quiet, private space a few minutes early so you can settle in and test your connection before you begin.

Yes. PMHS provides outpatient mental health therapy for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and physical disabilities. This population is covered under Medi-Cal and Partnership Health Plan of California at no out-of-pocket cost for eligible members.

Our clinician, Dmitri Kolpacoff, spent five years at Compass LLC providing direct care to adults with IDD and physical disabilities before co-founding PMHS. That experience informs how we approach this population, including communication style, session pacing, and coordination with caregivers or support staff when appropriate.

If you are a caregiver, family member, or support coordinator looking to refer an individual, contact us directly. We will verify coverage and walk you through the intake process before any paperwork is required. No referral from a physician or regional center is needed to get started. Common presenting concerns for adults with IDD include anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and adjustment challenges following transitions in housing or support structure — all of which are treatable and covered under PHP Medi-Cal when medically necessary.

Yes. PMHS provides telehealth therapy for children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) under PHP Medi-Cal at no out-of-pocket cost for eligible members. Children with IDD are covered under the EPSDT benefit, which often provides broader access to mental health services than standard adult outpatient benefits.

Common presenting concerns include anxiety related to transitions or sensory experiences, emotional dysregulation, behavioral challenges caregivers cannot de-escalate, social isolation, and grief that may not be fully recognized by the people around the child. Session length, pacing, language level, and structure are calibrated to each individual child. For some children, caregiver coaching is the primary mode of support. For others, direct work with the child is appropriate, with caregivers included at key points.

Our clinician, Dmitri Kolpacoff, spent five years in direct care with adults and children with IDD before co-founding PMHS. A parent or guardian must provide written consent before services begin. No referral from a physician, school, or regional center is required to get started.

Yes. Co-occurring presentations, where an intellectual or developmental disability exists alongside a diagnosable mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, trauma, or OCD, are common in this population and are something PMHS has direct experience treating. Having an IDD diagnosis does not exclude someone from mental health treatment. It changes how treatment is delivered, not whether it is appropriate.

Medi-Cal and PHP cover mental health therapy for individuals with IDD when it is medically necessary, regardless of whether a co-occurring diagnosis is already on file. We do not require a prior diagnosis before the first session. We will verify your coverage and assess what is clinically indicated during the intake process.

If you are unsure whether a particular presentation is something we can work with, contact us directly. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit or whether another level of care is more appropriate.

PMHS is not an emergency or crisis service. We do not monitor messages in real time. If you are in immediate danger, contact one of these resources now:

Once safe and stable, reach out through our Get Started page to begin ongoing therapeutic support. For non-emergency peer support, call the California Warm Line at (855) 427-3369. If you are a current patient experiencing distress between sessions, use the secure messaging feature in SimplePractice to contact your clinician directly. Your clinician will follow up during the next available business hours.

This is more common than most people realize and does not mean therapy is not working. Processing difficult experiences frequently feels uncomfortable before it improves. Some sessions will be harder than others.

Consistently feeling worse or unsupported is important clinical feedback. Tell your clinician directly — that honesty leads to the most meaningful adjustments in your treatment approach.

If the therapeutic fit is not right, we will help you find someone who is. Ruptures in the therapeutic relationship are normal and expected. Effective therapy is the ability to repair them. No patient is expected to simply tolerate a poor fit in silence. If something felt off after a session, bring it up at the next one — that conversation is often where the most useful clinical work happens. You can also message your clinician through SimplePractice between sessions if something is weighing on you. Progress in therapy is rarely linear, and a hard session is not a sign that you are doing it wrong.

Yes. You do not need a reason beyond "this doesn't feel right." Therapeutic fit is one of the strongest predictors of clinical outcomes in therapy research.

If you want to work with a different clinician at PMHS, let us know and we will facilitate the transition. If PMHS is not the right fit at all, we will support you in finding someone who is.

You will never be pressured to stay, and we will never make leaving harder than it needs to be. Your continuity of care is the priority, not our retention rate. If needed, we will provide records, referrals, or any documentation to support a smooth transition. A good fit matters more to your outcome than loyalty to any one clinician.

We require at least 24 hours notice for any cancellation or rescheduling. Late cancellations and no-shows may be subject to a fee as outlined in your informed consent agreement.

Patients who miss three consecutive sessions without contact may be discharged per our patient abandonment prevention policy. If your circumstances change, contact us — we do not hold prior gaps against you.

If a barrier is affecting your attendance, tell your clinician before missing a session. Most barriers are solvable when identified early. We would rather adjust the plan than lose you from care. Consistent communication is the single best way to avoid a fee or a discharge.

No. PMHS is a 100% virtual, therapy-only clinic. Our clinicians are licensed mental health counselors and therapists, not physicians, psychiatrists, or nurse practitioners. We do not prescribe or manage medications.

If medication is something you are considering, consult your primary care physician or a licensed psychiatrist. We coordinate with any prescribing provider with your written consent.

PMHS maintains a relationship with a Bay Area psychiatrist who sees patients virtually. Ask your clinician about a referral if a psychiatric evaluation or medication management would benefit your care. Coordinated care between therapy and medication management often produces the strongest outcomes.

Yes. PMHS offers evening and limited weekend availability. Specific times vary by clinician. When you reach out, let us know your scheduling constraints and we will find a time that works.

Because we are fully virtual, there is no commute and no waiting room. Most patients find telehealth significantly easier to fit into a busy schedule than in-person appointments.

Session frequency is flexible. Weekly is the clinical standard, biweekly once you reach a point of stability. Your clinician will discuss frequency during intake and revisit it as your needs change. Scheduling adjustments can always be made without penalty. Just give your clinician as much notice as you can when your availability shifts.

Early signs include naming emotions more easily, noticing your own patterns, and having more space between a trigger and your reaction. Progress is often subtle before it becomes obvious.

Concrete markers appear over months: better sleep, fewer depressive episodes, stronger relationships, and a clearer sense of your own values and what you want.

Your clinician will check in on your treatment goals regularly. If you are unsure whether therapy is helping, bring that question into the session. It is one of the most useful conversations you can have. Often the clearest sign it is working is how you handle something now compared to six months ago.

Yes. Partnership Health Plan of California covers outpatient mental health therapy delivered via telehealth. PMHS is a contracted PHP provider, which means we bill PHP directly and you typically owe nothing out of pocket for covered sessions.

Coverage applies to individual therapy, couples therapy where clinically indicated, and child and adolescent mental health services under the EPSDT benefit for members under 21.

We verify your specific benefits during your intake session so there are no surprises. If you are unsure whether a service is covered, ask when you reach out and we will give you our best answer in advance. Verification costs you nothing and carries no obligation to proceed.

No. You can contact PMHS directly to get started — no referral from your primary care physician or any other provider is required. This applies to PHP members, Medi-Cal members enrolled in Partnership Health Plan, and private pay patients alike.

Simply reach out, and we will text you to confirm availability and schedule your intake session directly. There is no waitlist, no paperwork before that first call, and no prior authorization required for most standard outpatient therapy services.

If preauthorization is required under your specific insurance plan, we will identify that during benefit verification at your intake session — so you never walk into a surprise.

We serve all 24 Partnership Health Plan member counties via telehealth. Because we are 100% virtual, your location within California does not limit access. You can be seen from your home, your car, or anywhere private with a stable internet connection.

Our primary PHP counties include Humboldt, Siskiyou, Trinity, Mendocino, Lake, Shasta, Lassen, Modoc, Napa, Solano, Yolo, and Del Norte, among others.

Rural PHP members often face the most significant barriers to in-person care. Telehealth removes the commute entirely. If you are in a rural or underserved area and have PHP, you are exactly who we are here for. Contact us and we will confirm your county's eligibility before you commit to anything.

Yes. PMHS accepts Medicare and Medi-Medi (Medicare and Medi-Cal combined). Outpatient mental health services delivered via telehealth are a covered benefit under Medicare Part B.

Medicare patients are typically subject to a 20% coinsurance after meeting their Part B deductible. Medi-Medi patients may owe nothing if Medi-Cal covers the remaining cost share.

We verify your specific benefits during your intake session, at no cost and with no obligation to continue. Contact us with your Medicare ID ahead of time if you want a general sense of your coverage first. If you have questions about your coinsurance or deductible status, we can walk through the numbers with you directly.

A superbill is an itemized receipt containing your diagnosis code, CPT billing codes, session dates, and provider credentials. You submit it to your insurance company to request reimbursement for out-of-network services.

PMHS provides superbills to private pay patients upon request. Reimbursement rates and eligibility vary by plan. Contact your insurer before starting to confirm your out-of-network mental health benefit.

HSA and FSA cards can also be used to pay for sessions directly. Therapy qualifies as an eligible medical expense under most plans. Ask your clinician for a superbill after any session and it will be provided promptly.

Private pay rates are shared transparently when you reach out. Rates vary by session type and clinician. You will know the cost before your first session is scheduled.

Sliding-scale fees are available based on financial need. We do not believe cost should be a barrier to care. Ask during intake and we will work with you.

HSA and FSA cards are accepted. Out-of-network superbills are available upon request for patients seeking reimbursement from their insurer. We are happy to walk through exact rates by phone before you decide anything.

There is no fixed answer. Treatment length depends on your presenting concerns, goals, and progress. Short-term work for a specific issue may resolve in 8 to 16 sessions. Longer-term support for complex or chronic presentations may continue for a year or more.

Your clinician will review your treatment goals regularly. Duration is always a clinical conversation, not a preset commitment.

Some patients find they return to therapy at different points in life — after a major transition, loss, or new challenge. Prior work is never wasted; it builds on itself. There is no penalty or judgment attached to coming back after a break.

Yes. PMHS provides therapy for children, teens, and adults. There is no strict minimum age, but telehealth requires a child who can engage meaningfully in a video session. In practice, most child patients are 6 years and older.

Patients under 18 require written parental or guardian consent before services begin. A parent or guardian must be present for the intake session. California law grants certain confidentiality rights to minors 12 and older — your clinician will explain these at intake.

For younger children, your clinician will discuss whether a play-based or parent-involved approach is appropriate given your child's developmental level and the nature of the referral.

Generally, no. When one clinician sees both partners individually, a dual-relationship conflict arises that compromises clinical objectivity and confidentiality for both patients.

The standard practice is for one partner to be seen individually by one clinician while couples sessions are conducted separately, or for each partner to work with a different provider entirely. Your clinician will discuss the appropriate arrangement during intake.

If both partners want individual support from PMHS, they can each be matched with separate providers. Discuss this with us at intake and we will coordinate appropriately. This structure protects the confidentiality and objectivity each of you deserves.

Sessions are currently conducted in English. If you require services in another language, including Spanish, contact us and we will discuss interpreter options or refer you to a bilingual provider who can better serve your needs.

Medi-Cal patients have the right to interpreter services at no cost under California Health & Safety Code §1367.04. We do not discriminate on the basis of national origin or language.

If English does not meet your needs, contact us before scheduling. Language access is a clinical priority, not an afterthought, and we will not start services without adequate communication support in place. We will never begin care until you can communicate fully and comfortably with your clinician.

Your clinician will wait briefly, then attempt to reach you by phone to continue the session by voice or reschedule. Provide your clinician with a reliable phone number before your first appointment for exactly this reason.

A disconnection due to technical failure does not count as a late cancellation and will not result in a fee. Test your connection at doxy.me before each session to reduce the likelihood of disruptions.

If technical issues persist across multiple sessions, your clinician can discuss whether telephone-only sessions are a better fit for your situation. Doxy.me supports audio-only mode as well. A dropped connection is never treated as a missed or late session.

Yes, as long as you are physically located in California and have a private, stable connection. A parked car with cellular data is one of the most common non-home session locations and works well.

Avoid public Wi-Fi and any location where you cannot speak freely. Privacy is a clinical and legal requirement, not just a preference. Do not join a session while driving.

If you are in a rural area with limited broadband, cellular data or a mobile hotspot is a fully acceptable connection method. Consistent video quality matters more than connection type. If your signal is unreliable, audio-only sessions remain a dependable fallback.

No. Sessions are never recorded without your explicit written consent. Doxy.me does not record by default, and PMHS does not record sessions for any purpose including training or quality review.

If recording were ever proposed for a specific clinical or supervisory reason, you would be informed in advance and your written consent would be required before any recording takes place.

If you ever feel uncertain about whether recording is occurring, ask your clinician directly. That question is always appropriate and will never be held against you. Your privacy during every session is a clinical and legal priority, not an afterthought.

Clinical records are retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of last service under California law, or until a minor patient turns 25, whichever is longer. Records are stored securely in SimplePractice under HIPAA-compliant protocols.

If PMHS were to close, patients would be notified in advance with instructions for accessing or transferring their records. You can request your records at any time by contacting your clinician through the patient portal.

If you are an active patient and PMHS were to close, we would provide advance notice, referral support, and record transfer assistance to ensure continuity of your care. Your access to your own clinical history does not end when your treatment does.

No. Your participation in therapy is protected under HIPAA and California's Confidentiality of Medical Information Act. PMHS will not disclose your information to your employer, family, or any third party without your written authorization.

The only exceptions are the mandatory reporting obligations outlined in your informed consent — suspected abuse, imminent danger, and valid court orders. None of these involve your employer.

If you use employer-sponsored health insurance and submit claims, the insurance company may send an Explanation of Benefits to your home address. Using a personal HSA, FSA, or private pay eliminates this entirely. Ask your clinician about payment options if EOB privacy is a concern for you.

You do not need your member card, member ID, or any insurance documents to fill out our form or get your first session scheduled. Simply fill out our intake form and we will verify your Partnership HealthPlan coverage directly with PHP on your behalf during your intake session.

If you are not sure whether you are enrolled in PHP at all, we can help with that too. Many Medi-Cal members in PHP counties do not realize their managed care plan is PHP. You can also call PHP Member Services at (800) 863-4155 to confirm your plan in under a minute.

The short answer: do not let a missing card stop you from reaching out. We handle the verification process so you do not have to.

Submit a written records request through the SimplePractice patient portal or by contacting your clinician directly. Under HIPAA, we are required to respond within 30 days. A reasonable fee may apply for copying.

Note that psychotherapy process notes carry heightened protections and require a separate specific authorization. Progress notes and billing records are part of your standard designated record set and are accessible upon request.

If you are transferring to a new provider, your clinician can also prepare a clinical summary or coordinate a direct records transfer with written authorization. We will not make that process harder than it needs to be. Requests are typically fulfilled well before the 30-day HIPAA deadline. Your right to access your records continues even after your care with us has ended.

PHP covers outpatient individual therapy, couples counseling where clinically indicated, and family therapy. There is no hard annual session cap for medically necessary care. Covered diagnoses include depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, adjustment disorders, grief, and co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions. You do not need a formal diagnosis before your first appointment.

Children and teens under 21 with PHP Medi-Cal may qualify for expanded services through the EPSDT benefit. EPSDT often provides broader coverage than standard adult outpatient benefits. Contact us with your child’s Medi-Cal information and we will verify their specific benefits before the first appointment. There is no referral required to access any of these covered services. All covered care is delivered via telehealth throughout Partnership HealthPlan's 24-county service area.

No. PMHS bills Partnership HealthPlan directly on your behalf. You never submit a claim, fill out insurance paperwork, or deal with PHP administratively. We handle all of it.

During your intake session, we verify your specific PHP benefits and confirm exactly what is covered at no cost to you. If you have a secondary payer, a spend-down, or anything is unclear, we work through it with you at that time. There are no billing surprises at PMHS.

PHP members do not receive a bill for covered outpatient mental health services. PMHS is a contracted PHP provider, which means we bill the plan directly at the contracted rate. You are not responsible for the difference between our rate and what PHP pays. If a session is not covered for any reason, we notify you in advance — not after the fact.

Yes. Children and teens under 21 with PHP Medi-Cal qualify for mental health services under the EPSDT benefit (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment). EPSDT often provides broader coverage than standard adult outpatient benefits.

PMHS provides therapy for children, teens, and adolescents across all 24 PHP counties, including children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). A parent or guardian must provide written consent before services begin. California law grants certain confidentiality rights to minors 12 and older, which your clinician will explain at intake. Sessions are via secure telehealth from home. No referral from a pediatrician or school is required to get started.

Your PHP enrollment is tied to the county where you were enrolled in Medi-Cal, not necessarily where you currently live. If you moved recently and your Medi-Cal has not been updated, you may still be enrolled under your previous county’s managed care plan.

This is not a barrier to care at PMHS. Fill out our form and we will verify your current PHP enrollment status directly. You can receive telehealth services from anywhere in California regardless of your enrolled county. If your plan needs updating, we will point you to the right process. Most updates to Medi-Cal county enrollment can be completed online through BenefitsCal.com. We can walk you through that if needed.