Real Growth · Trackable Progress · Deeper Connections

Mental Health

Counseling for Busy

Goal-Oriented People

“Get to the heart of the problem”

It’s counseling
worth for me?

There’s a lot of information out there about mental health out there right now, but a lot of it isn’t very helpful.

Most people don’t even struggle with identifying the problem, they struggle with knowing what to do or how to follow through as things get complicated. There are some groups telling you the only cause of mental health issues is a chemical imbalance and therefore the only real solution is medication.

There are other groups that suggest that the problem is primarily about your mindset and if you just tell yourself enough positive things or have enough self-control then you will be fine.

So which is it?

Empathy and Results

Getting treatment with Clarity is simple 4 step process:

1. Request

Help us collect the basic information our onboarding team needs to make sure we’re a fit and tell you costs.

2. Assess

Meet with a team member to help us understand what your needs are.

3. Match

We find a therapist with the skills you need and who meets the needs you have from your therapist.

4. Track Your Progress

Regularly measure how you’re doing using our software and witness your progress!

Comments From

Our Patients

Daren has helped me to have conversation with myself and figure out what I truly need. Thanks to him and the highly responsive & cooperative Clarity Counseling team!

Rita Huang

Been a patient there for 9 months. Daren is very patient and caring. Hassan, the office manager is very responsible and organized! Glad the team is expanding and we actually started our couple therapy session with another LMFT, Edward and he is great too!

Highly recommend and wish to accept more insurance plans!

Zhichao Z.

My husband and I started couples therapy there with LMFT, Edward. He seems very knowledgeable and patient. He didn’t rush us during counseling unlike other therapists. Highly recommend.

Karla F.

How we are changing therapy

The search for therapy can quickly go wrong. You might search for a therapist skillful with a diagnosis you don’t have. You might also find a really nice, empathic therapist that doesn’t have the skills you need to change and heal.

Either can quickly add up to a lot of your time and money spent with a kind person who helps you feel better in the session, but isn’t helping you change your life and begin to feel better outside of the session. Succeeding in therapy is no longer needing therapy.

You need a therapist who helps you establish clear goals, regularly revisits them, and knows how to work with the issues you face. Then you need trust but verify that change is happening so that you and your therapist get regular feedback on whether therapy is helping.

If you’re facing depression, anxiety, phobias, loneliness, ADHD, PTSD, or trauma we’re here to guide you through the process of healing.

The result? Clear growth, trackable progress, and deeper connections to yourself and others.

We Don’t Do Journaling Out Loud

Some forms of therapy can be the equivalent to what we call “journaling out loud” where each session consists of talking about your week or life in an unstructured way. This happens because when we believe that’s how therapy helps, we lack relationships where we trust the person enough to talk to about our life, we want the temporary relief of the validation more than the pain of change, or the idea of going deeper is threatening and scary. When we do this we feel the same relief that you feel when journaling or talking to a friend. It’s not a bad thing at all, but it’s not what a relationship with a therapist is primarily for.

Weeks and Months, Not Years (Usually)

Success in therapy means that you are healthier and functioning well, and (unfortunately) the relationship ends if or until something happens that requires additional therapy. In most situations that can be accomplished in a time frame measured in weeks or months and (usually) not years. There are, of course, exceptions when people have complex issues and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, research and our data shows that often when people are in therapy long-term they tend to have plateaued with that provider and/or there are unaddress issues being missed. We focus on matching and tracking to make sure you see those plateaus, feel relief sooner, and spend any more time and money to feel functional again than you need to.

Healing is Hard Work

Not just because we talk about hard things, but because we have to create new neural pathways (think new brain muscles) and doing this work is the equivalent of taking your brain to the gym. Therapy that works is hard-but-good and involves figuring out where you’re wanting to go with your life or mental health. What we usually need along the journey is companionship and motivation. That’s why we help you track your progress and provide many avenues to get the support you need to succeed!

Clear Answers

How do I know if I need counseling?

This is truly a personal decision. I would recommend using our online depression, anxiety, and stress calculator (see link above “Clear Answers” section) to get a generalized sense of where your symptoms fall on the spectrum. However, the real litmus test is whether your symptoms are causing you distress or disrupting your ability to function in major life domains (relationships, family, work, etc).

Still not sure? Contact us today. If we don’t think we can help, we’ll let you know.

What happens in a counseling session?

This varies, but universally starts with a session request form to get basic information about you and the nature of your reasons for contacting us. From there we will either place you or let you know an estimate of how long you would have to wait to start.

At the first session we complete a more thorough questionnaire, we orient you to counseling and advise you of all the laws and rights that you have as a recipient of professional counseling. Lastly, we begin the conversation of what brought you to counseling in the first place and ask questions about things that may be relevant to the therapists ability to assist you.

During the first or second session goals are set, and our Clarity session structure is used to keep things organized and focused on your goals. We use various tools to measure whether what we are doing is working, and teach you skills that you need to reach your goals.

When the goals have been reached, either new goals are established or counseling is discontinued at that time – though it can absolutely resume again in the future!

What is a licensed therapist?

A licensed therapist has to have a masters or a doctorate degree. While the exact number varies by license type, all licensed therapists have completed thousands of hours of counseling while meeting weekly with a licensed therapist who helps them learn their craft and master proper legal and ethical practices. During this time, a therapist must work for a licensed therapist or a company and cannot work independently (operate their own business).

Once they’ve completed the requisite number of hours, they submit documentation of their experience. Once approved, they have to pass both a laws and ethics test, and a clinical skills test. Once those have both been passed, therapists can apply for a license and begin working working independently (or continue working for a company or non-profit).

Therapists licenses can always be looked up via: https://www.breeze.ca.gov/

Click license search, and you can view if they have ever had any complaints against them, or make a complaint to the licensing board about them.

What is a Psychological Associate therapist?

The therapist has not yet completed their education, but has completed the required core classes to begin being able to see clients. Interns are not registered with the state (yet), and their schools are responsible for supervising their practice (as well as the organization they are gaining experience with). This is called a field placement. They cannot work independently, and the ratio of hours doing counseling to hours meeting with a clinical supervisor is smaller.

Associate registrations can always be looked up via: https://www.breeze.ca.gov/
Click license search, and you can view if they have ever had any complaints against them, or make a complaint to the licensing board about them.

What are psychometrics and/or what is DASS-21?

Psychometrics means tools that measure states of mind and/or emotions. Some can even be used to formally diagnose mental health conditions, but those are typically administered by a psychologist (psychological testing).

Clarity selects various tools depending on the goals and nature of your symptoms, but the purpose is to get a general sense of whether your symptoms are getting worse, staying the same, or improving. They are a starting point for conversation and just one way that progress can be evaluated.

One tool that Clarity likes to use is DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale). It is the 21 question version (there is a 42 question version). This is a well researched tool to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress levels reliably. Every appointment reminder you receive will have a link to this scale, but it can also be completed at the start of the session (usually 3 min or less). We can then track progress over time to see how we’re doing.

Can you help with issues that aren't depression or anxiety?

Yes! We also have experience with substance use, relationship issues, and many other challenges. However, our strongest experience and training is in depression and anxiety-related issues. Contact us today.

Remember, one of our promises is to never treat someone we don’t believe we can help!