This winter, give your tween, ages 9-12,  the gift of self-expression, connection, and creativity. “Chill & Create” is a unique, art-based therapy group designed to help tweens process emotions, explore their inner world, and connect with peers—all in a supportive and fun environment.

Program Details

📅 Dates: December 16–20
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM daily
💵 Cost: $175 (all materials included)

📍 Location: ONLINE

Why Join?

• Express Emotions Creatively: Tweens will use art as a tool to navigate feelings and experiences.
• Foster Connection: A safe space to connect with peers during the winter season.
• No Art Skills Required: This is about expression, not perfection!

Who Should Join?

• Tweens aged 9–12 who are interested in exploring art as a form of self-expression.
• Those seeking support for stress, anxiety, or the winter blues.
• Teens looking for meaningful connections during the holiday season.

Reserve Your Spot Today!

Spaces are limited to ensure a personalized experience. Register now to secure your teen’s spot in this transformative winter program.

Questions?

Feel free to reach out at:
📧 Email: Esmeralda@lifecompasscounseling.com
📞 Phone: (909) 682-5352‬

Help your tween find warmth, connection, and creativity.

In a world where technology has become an integral part of our lives, there is an undeniable allure to the convenience and accessibility it offers. From virtual meetings to online therapy sessions, we have witnessed an incredible transformation in how we connect with others. However, amidst this digital revolution, the value of in-person interactions should not be overlooked. As a psychotherapist, I am excited to extend an invitation to all individuals seeking personal growth and healing to experience the transformative power of in-person psychotherapy sessions.

The Power of Physical Presence

There is a profound and unique energy that emerges when two individuals share the same physical space. In-person psychotherapy sessions provide an opportunity for a deep, authentic connection, enabling both therapist and client to build trust and rapport. The subtleties of body language, facial expressions, and non-verbal cues often reveal more than words can convey, fostering a richer therapeutic experience.

Creating a Safe Haven

The therapy room serves as a sanctuary—a safe space where individuals can explore their emotions, vulnerabilities, and traumas without judgment. In-person sessions create an environment conducive to emotional healing, where clients can feel secure and supported. The presence of a compassionate psychotherapist, physically present, enhances the sense of safety and encourages clients to dive deeper into their healing journey.

Tailored Therapy Approaches

In-person sessions allow for the utilization of a wide array of therapeutic approaches and interventions that can be adapted to the client’s unique needs. Whether it’s experiential techniques, body-centered therapies, or somatic exercises, being physically present enables therapists to employ modalities that require physical touch or proximity. These approaches can greatly enhance the effectiveness of therapy, facilitating emotional release and promoting holistic healing.

Connection in a Disconnected World

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, many individuals experience a deep sense of disconnection and loneliness. In-person psychotherapy sessions offer an opportunity to bridge this gap by fostering authentic human connection. The presence of a compassionate therapist creates a supportive bond, reminding clients that they are not alone in their struggles. This shared experience provides solace, validation, and a sense of belonging that can be profoundly healing.

Stepping Out of Comfort Zones

Sometimes, growth and healing require stepping out of our comfort zones. In-person psychotherapy sessions can challenge individuals to confront their fears and anxieties surrounding social interactions. By engaging in face-to-face therapy, clients can develop resilience, build interpersonal skills, and experience personal growth that extends beyond the therapy room.

While technology has undoubtedly revolutionized various aspects of our lives, the essence of human connection remains vital for our well-being. In-person psychotherapy sessions provide a unique opportunity to cultivate genuine, transformative connections in a safe and supportive environment. As a psychotherapist, I invite you to embrace the power of in-person therapy, allowing yourself to embark on a profound healing journey that extends far beyond the boundaries of the digital world.

Rediscover the beauty of personal connection and take that courageous step toward holistic healing through in-person psychotherapy sessions. Your path to personal growth and emotional well-being awaits you.In a world where technology has become an integral part of our lives, there is an undeniable allure to the convenience and accessibility it offers. From virtual meetings to online therapy sessions, we have witnessed an incredible transformation in how we connect with others. However, amidst this digital revolution, the value of in-person interactions should not be overlooked. As a psychotherapist, I am excited to extend an invitation to all individuals seeking personal growth and healing to experience the transformative power of in-person psychotherapy sessions.

Happy New Year!

In December 2020, Congress passed the No Surprises Act to reduce unexpected medical bills on patients. This goes went into effect January 1, 2022. New information about this law and requirements just became available. Below you will find information regarding this law and links to gather more information

There are important requirements when seeking out of network care or if you are uninsured. The information is somewhat unclear as to how this impacts our relationship, however I am taking a proactive step to address this and provide notice and documents. 

You will find 2 forms to complete prior to our next appointment. These forms in no way change or supersede our current billing arrangements

1. A Good Faith Estimate for 2022, based on our highest clinical rates, although your rate may be lower if you have made prior arrangements with your clinician.
2. A notice of acknowledgment regarding about Good Faith Estimates

Information regarding this law and links to gather more information

According to The Center for Medicare and Medicaid services : https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers/new-protections-for-you

What are surprise medical bills?

If you have health insurance and get care from an out-of-network provider or at an out-of-network facility, your health plan may not cover the entire out-of-network cost. This can leave you with higher costs than if you got care from an in-network provider or facility. In the past, in addition to any out-of-network cost sharing you might owe, the out-of-network provider or facility could bill you for the difference between the billed charge and the amount your health plan paid, unless banned by state law. This is called “balance billing.” An unexpected balance bill from an out-of-network provider is also called a surprise medical bill.

What are the new protections if I have health insurance?

If you get health coverage through your employer, the Health Insurance Marketplace®, or an individual health insurance plan you purchase directly from an insurance company, these new rules will:

• Ban surprise bills for emergency services, even if you get them out-of-network and without approval beforehand (prior authorization).
• Ban out-of-network cost-sharing (like out-of-network coinsurance or copayments) for all emergency and some non-emergency services. You can’t be charged more than in-network cost-sharing for these services.
• Ban out-of-network charges and balance bills for supplemental care (like anesthesiology or radiology) by out-of-network providers who work at an in-network facility.
• Require that health care providers and facilities give you an easy-to-understand notice explaining that getting care out-of-network could be more expensive and options to avoid balance bills. You’re not required to sign this notice or get care out-of-network.

What if I don’t have health insurance or choose to pay for care on my own without using my health insurance?

If you don’t have insurance or you choose to pay for care without using your insurance (also known as “self-paying” for care), these new rules make sure you can get a “good faith” estimate of how much your care will cost, before you get care.

Are there exceptions to these protections?

Some health insurance coverage programs already have protections against high medical bills. You’re already protected against surprise medical billing if you have coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, Indian Health Services, Veterans Affairs Health Care, or TRICARE.

Regarding Good Faith Estimates: https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers/understanding-costs-in-advance

Getting cost estimates before you get an item or service if you’re uninsured or self-pay

Beginning January 1, 2022, if you’re uninsured or you pay for health care bills yourself (don’t have your claims submitted to your health plan), health care providers and facilities must provide you with an estimate of expected charges before you get an item or service. This is called a “good faith estimate.” Providers and facilities must provide you with a good faith estimate if you request one, or after you’ve scheduled an item or service. It should include expected charges for the primary item or service you’re getting, and any other items or services that are provided as part of the same scheduled experience.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Increasingly in our family law court system we are seeing divorces that can be identified as “High Conflict”.  Entire careers, and hundred of thousands of dollars are being made by this phenomena, and whether you consider this wrong or right, one thing we can probably all agree on is that YOU do not want to be the less that 10% of  divorces that use 80% of the family court resources.

If you are recently divorced and find your co-parenting relationship starting to deteriorate, it is important to stop divorce conflict before it goes too far. Here is my advice to you:

1. Love Your Child More Than You Hate Your Ex.

During divorce, and sometimes long after, parents are so consumed with their hurt and resentments that they retreat into survival mode. For some parents, survival mode equals attack mode. The idea that children are resilient enough to be immune is a myth.

In my work with anxiety and trauma clients, I have adult clients of High Conflict divorce, who at age 20, 30 & 40 are still suffering the emotional damage caused them by having been witness to their parent’s anger towards one another. In adults this effect manifests itself as anxiety, depression, neurosis and chronic health issues. And this damage is not intentional. Minimizing one’s own behavior or blaming a children’s fragility occurs because the High Conflict parent must focus on their own survival. The unintentional damage that loving parents cause their children seems inevitable because these parents do not have the knowledge and practical skills to parent in a crisis. Throughout a difficult divorce, parents’ unbridled emotions almost always put their children in harm’s way.

Refocusing your energy on the childhood experience is paramount to good parenting. Connecting more with your child’s needs and separating them from your own is not so easy when you are flooded with resentment for your ex-spouse. Get really authentic about how you have been inauthentic in your parenting.  Have you made some less than stellar choices under the guise of the children’s “best interest”?  If you cannot bring yourself to make amends with the other parent, find a trusted friend or family member to get clear on this.  This is hard work, I know, but it is necessary work.

Love your child more than you hate your ex, and let that love motivate you.

2. Pay Your Child Support.

It is amazing to me that anyone would need convincing on this issue, but alas… While there are legitimate cases where a parent is unable to pay (job loss, illness, family hardship), in my mediation work I have seen most cases of “failure to pay” are born out of simple spite and vindictiveness. Indeed, if you can afford to see me and pay my mediation fee of $250 an hour, then certainly you can afford to contribute to the care and well-being of your child.

Deliberate non-payment of support, coupled usually with purposeful underemployment, is just gross negligence. And to be clear, this goes for both parents. While the term “Deadbeat Dad” gets passed around a lot, increasingly, Mothers too are falling under the “deadbeat” parent laws across the nation. At the time of this writing, the United States Census shows only 57% of Moms required to pay child support for their children actually do so. Meanwhile, a simple internet search results in a plethora of websites aimed at helping Fathers avoid paying child support. Presumably, there is a demand for this service. Get it together Mom and Dad, equally.

Deliberate non-payment of support adds fuel to the high-conflict fire of divorce. If a healthy co-parenting relationship is not possible between you and your ex-spouse, at the very least separate out your anger with your spouse from your legal and moral obligation to your children. Your children know what is going on and they will grow to understand the motivation.

In his discussion of how children cope with high conflict divorce, San Francisco Psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker, Paul Livingston, writes that in these circumstances of High Conflict “children are faced with a barrage of words, events and thoughts that they are not prepared to deal with in any healthy way.“

According to Livingston and a growing body of research, children who are witness to their parent’s anger towards one another are more likely to suffer as students, experience deteriorated relationships with peers, have a lower level of self-confidence, more anxiety and feelings of depression than they would otherwise. Divorce doesn’t ruin children. Angry, divorcing parents do.

3. Do the Work You Need to do to Heal After a Divorce.

Grieve your Divorce. I don’t care how lousy your ex might have been, a divorce is the death of a dream that did not come true. It is painful, regardless of who initiated the separation. And every divorce deserves to be grieved. Pretending it is a celebration is not only unhealthy, it is inauthentic.

Keep old friends. Make new friends. Divorce can be confronting to others. Be prepared to lose some friends and support. Consider that these occurrences usually have nothing to do with you and are just representative of what happens in the world of transition… things get lost. Be open to new people, new support and new friends.

Get Professional Help. If you want to keep those friends, both new and old, don’t make them responsible for holding the entire magnitude of emotionality you might be dealing with. Moreover, your friends and family are not objective. While you might not always like what you hear from them, they are still unlikely to successfully facilitate the radical self-examination you may need to experience in order to learn and grow. And really, why go through the pain of divorce without at least some growth?

If you have children, leftover issues from the marriage, such as anger, pain, betrayal and loss of trust can interfere with how you show up as a Mother or Father. Parenting becomes the scene for unresolved marital issues and no one suffers more than the children.

My husband’s psychotherapy website includes the phrase, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” Heed those words, always, but especially in the face of divorce.

If you recognize yourself in any of this– that level of awareness is HUGE and it is the first step. Without being made wrong or being judged, consider contacting an experienced Divorce Coach or counselor to help move you through the “no longer” and “not yet”.  A lot of little lives depend on it.