FAQs

Answers to some frequently asked questions.

  • At this time I do not offer a sliding scale fee nor am I in network with any insurance. However, if you have out of network benefits to utilize for mental health services, you may be eligible for a reduced co-payment for therapy sessions while Thrizer fronts the remainder of the cost waiting for reimbursement from your insurance company. Check out how Thrizer could make accessing therapy easier! Contact Nicole Egan, LMFT for a free benefits check to see what you’re coverage is.

  • I am located in and work with California residents only as I am solely licensed in the state of California; therefore, I cannot work with anyone who lives outside of California. Here’s the good news! I provide virtual therapy so you can live anywhere in the state and we can still work together! Even better, you can stay comfy cozy in your PJs curled up with your favorite blanket on the couch while we meet! I also have in person availability for therapy located in San Jose, CA for those local wanting in person services because let’s be honest, since the pandemic, some of us are totally Zoomed out!

  • I work with teens 13+ years old, young adults (18-25 years old) and young professionals (25-40 years old). I also work with parents and families.

  • I provide both individual and family therapy. I offer therapy for those struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship issues and experiences of trauma.

  • I offer free 15 minute virtual consultations designed to get to know you better and what you are looking for and vice versa for you to get to know a little bit more about me and how I approach therapy. Better yet, you don’t even have to email or call me to schedule a free consultation, just follow the links on my page to book a consultation, request a time and voila you have a consultation scheduled that works for you. No more hassle of back and forth emailing or phone tag.

    There is no obligation to schedule a session with me after our consultation if you do not feel like we are a good fit. And if you need more time to make a decision after our consultation about whether or not you’d like to work together, I fully support all potential clients in taking that time and reaching out to other therapists to aid in that decision making process, it’s a big one after all. Some of the best indicators of successful therapy are the quality of the therapeutic relationship so not only do I support you in speaking with other therapists, I recommend it. I want both of us to feel like this is the right fit, and if it is not, I can help connect you with trusted referrals.

  • If we’re a good fit, next steps are scheduling our first therapy session! You can contact me directly to schedule our first session after our initial consultation, or for convenience, you can login to the secure client portal and make a session request directly on your own! Through the portal, you can easily see all of my availability and schedule something that works for you without the hassle of playing email or phone tag. Sounds great right? Once your session is scheduled, I will send you initial paperwork that needs to be completed prior to our first session. This paperwork is standard for therapy across California and covers general consents, practice policies, your rights as a client, payment and helps me learn a little bit more about you before we meet.

  • In our first meeting together, I will ask you a bunch of questions to help explore what brings you into therapy at this moment in time and we will work towards collaboratively sorting through what it is you hope to accomplish in therapy most. My main priority in our first session or two is to learn about who you are and what you need.

    For the remainder of our sessions, I encourage you to bring a list (or make a mental list) of the important things you want to dig into, process or get feedback on. This can be anything that happens between session, stuff that’s popped up from your past, new stressors or things that you just keep thinking about on repeat since we last met that you want to talk out. I’ll always put in as much effort as you do and I want you to take full advantage of the time we have together, preparedness can help tremendously with this.

  • Through all my years of providing therapy, what I have found is that consistent weekly sessions, especially in the beginning of the therapy process, are the most beneficial and effective way of getting the most out of therapy. While I do not require clients to meet weekly, I do strongly encourage it. We will continue to have conversations and discussions throughout your sessions on how you are doing, how are you progressing towards the goals you set for yourself and at that point will be able to make decisions together to increase or decrease the frequency of your sessions based on where you are at and what support you still need and want. I will provide recommendations on the frequency and length of your treatment as I deem clinically appropriate throughout our work together. My end goal is collaboration, I am here to support you in whatever that means for you alone! I wholeheartedly believe that no one size fits all in therapy, your therapy experience should be as unique and individualized as you are.

  • I require cancellations/reschedules more than 24 hours in advance before a scheduled session. I allow each client one emergency cancellation less than 24 hours in advance per calendar year, past this one allowance, you will be responsible for the full session fee if you cancel or reschedule less than 24 hours in advance. I value all my clients and their time and by making an appointment in advance, this time commitment is made to you and held exclusively for you.

  • I use a HIPAA-secure system that is similar to FaceTime or Skype. It’s called Simple Practice. To use it on a smartphone or iPad, you’ll need to download an app (just once). If using a laptop or computer, no download is needed. Before each session, you are emailed and/or texted a link and then… BAM! Click, and you’re ready to go!