Therapy in LA
October 18, 2009 11:14 AM Subscribe
Asking on behalf of a friend: She (age 26) is looking for a sliding-scale therapist in LA. She lives in the Culver City area and works downtown. Complication: she works 9-5, and her job is not flexible, so evening or weekend hours are a must. She would prefer someone who specializes in body image (she is an emotional eater and overweight) and/or in working with queer/gay individuals.
I think her income is about $40K per year, but she also supports her boyfriend; they have completely merged finances. He is a full time student and works about 16-20 hours a week on top of that for about $10/hour. She is also a part-time student on top of her full time job. She thinks she can afford about $30 an hour.
The emotional eating/ body image is, I think, the most major factor contributing to her depression at the moment. She would like to start seeing a therapist, but can't afford to spend very much right now. She has Kaiser insurance and is looking into that, but she is hesitant to see a Kaiser therapist, because she is worried that they will be clueless on queer issues and the number of sessions will be limited.
I think her income is about $40K per year, but she also supports her boyfriend; they have completely merged finances. He is a full time student and works about 16-20 hours a week on top of that for about $10/hour. She is also a part-time student on top of her full time job. She thinks she can afford about $30 an hour.
The emotional eating/ body image is, I think, the most major factor contributing to her depression at the moment. She would like to start seeing a therapist, but can't afford to spend very much right now. She has Kaiser insurance and is looking into that, but she is hesitant to see a Kaiser therapist, because she is worried that they will be clueless on queer issues and the number of sessions will be limited.
While I can't recommend anyone specific, this page allows you to search therapists by zip code and specialty. It might be useful to do a search by zip code, then look at the profiles to see if individuals meet her requirements. At the very least, it gives you some information on each therapist so you can set aside the ones you're pretty sure won't work out.
posted by corey flood at 11:27 AM on October 18, 2009
posted by corey flood at 11:27 AM on October 18, 2009
Best answer: Didi Hirsch Community MH Center
LA Gay & Lesbian Center
Southern California Counseling Center
Feel free to MeMail me for more resources if none of these turn out to be helpful. These are the first ones I thought of, closest to her area. It also could be worth contacting MFT Interns or Psychological Assistants (these are people who have their degrees and are working on their hours toward licensure) who specialize in body image and eating issues and are GLBT-friendly via an LA therapist directory (like the one on psychologytoday.com--most of these therapists are in private practice and will charge high fees, but some might be able to offer lower fees) and if she likes someone, just ask if they're willing to offer a low sliding scale. A lot of pre-licensed professionals are able to see people for super low fees, depending on where they're working.
posted by so_gracefully at 11:39 AM on October 18, 2009
LA Gay & Lesbian Center
Southern California Counseling Center
Feel free to MeMail me for more resources if none of these turn out to be helpful. These are the first ones I thought of, closest to her area. It also could be worth contacting MFT Interns or Psychological Assistants (these are people who have their degrees and are working on their hours toward licensure) who specialize in body image and eating issues and are GLBT-friendly via an LA therapist directory (like the one on psychologytoday.com--most of these therapists are in private practice and will charge high fees, but some might be able to offer lower fees) and if she likes someone, just ask if they're willing to offer a low sliding scale. A lot of pre-licensed professionals are able to see people for super low fees, depending on where they're working.
posted by so_gracefully at 11:39 AM on October 18, 2009
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Good luck to your friend.
posted by jbenben at 11:25 AM on October 18, 2009