Private and secure
Sessions run on a HIPAA-compliant platform, and we keep no protected health information on this website. Your confidentiality is protected exactly as it is in the office.
Telehealth
Online therapy across California.
Secure, HIPAA-compliant therapy for any California resident. The same team and the same care, from wherever you are in the state.
- Any California resident
- Secure and HIPAA-compliant
- The same team as in person
Here's something worth saying plainly: the room was never the therapy. What actually does the work is the relationship and the honest conversation inside it, and that travels just fine down a secure video connection. A screen isn't a lesser version of the office. It's another doorway into the same room.
For a lot of people, telehealth is the difference between starting and not starting. No traffic on the 405, no waiting room, no hour carved out of a workday for the drive. And some people are just more honest from their own couch, in a place where they already feel safe. Would it be easier to talk if you never had to leave home to do it?
How it works
Getting started online is simple
No new app to wrestle with, no complicated setup. If you can open a link, you can meet with us.
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Start with a free call
It begins the same way everything here does: a free 15 to 20 minute Get to Know Us call, so we can hear what's going on and match you with the right therapist for it.
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We send you a secure link
Before your session you get a link to our HIPAA-compliant video platform. No account to create, no software to install. You click it when it's time, from your phone, tablet, or computer.
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You meet from wherever you are
Find a private spot, put in headphones if you'd like, and we do the same real, full-length work we'd do in the office. Same depth, same confidentiality, just without the commute.
One important limit, stated up front: because of how state licensing works, we can only see clients who are physically located in California. You can be anywhere in the state, from a home office in Sacramento to a kitchen table in San Diego, but if you've moved out of California, we're not able to continue care across the state line. It isn't a preference, it's the law we practice under, and we take it seriously.
If you're wondering whether online therapy is a real, lasting option or just a leftover from the pandemic, it's worth knowing that California has made telehealth a permanent, first-class part of how care is delivered here, not a temporary workaround. That's part of why we treat it as the same care rather than a lesser substitute. And research has consistently found video therapy about as effective as meeting in person for most people. What matters most, the relationship and the work, comes through the screen intact.
Whoever you meet with online is part of the same team Kay trains and supervises. If you'd like to see who you might be working with, meet the team.
Good to know
The same care, a few honest details
The same team, the same care
Telehealth isn't a stripped-down tier or a different set of therapists. It's the same team Kay personally trains and supervises, doing the same work, on a screen instead of a couch.
Mix and match
Plenty of clients do some sessions online and some in person at our Laguna Beach office, and even out on the coast for Beach Therapy. You're not locked into one way of meeting.
Questions people ask
Online therapy, answered
What's a first session actually like?
Wondering what to even say? You don't need to arrive with a tidy summary of your life. That's our job to help sort out together. Less like an interview and more like a conversation, we spend the first session getting a real picture of what's going on and what you're hoping will feel different, at whatever pace feels comfortable for you. Sessions run 50, 75, or 90 minutes depending on what you book, in person in Laguna Beach or by secure video.
How do I know who to see?
Not sure who on the team would be the right fit? You don't have to figure that out alone. That's exactly what the free Get to Know Us call is for. Tell us what's going on, and we'll help match you with the right therapist, whether that's me directly or one of the associates I supervise. Most clients find the fit becomes obvious pretty quickly once they're actually talking to someone.
Do you offer evenings and weekends?
Yes to all three. Several therapists offer evening and weekend availability, and we provide secure online therapy to anyone located anywhere in California. Exact openings vary by therapist. Learn how [telehealth across California](/telehealth) works.
Is telehealth therapy as effective as coming in person?
For most people and most concerns, yes. Research and our own experience both show online therapy can be just as effective as in-person work. What matters most is the relationship with your therapist, and that comes through the screen more than people expect.
If you need support right now
If you are in crisis, you do not have to wait. These lines are here for the moments that cannot wait, any hour of the day.
- Emergency: If you are in immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. Free, confidential, 24/7.
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.
- SAMHSA National Helpline: Treatment referrals, 1-800-662-4357.
Laguna Beach Counseling is not a crisis or emergency service. If you are in immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911. When the moment is not an emergency, we would be glad to hear from you for a free call.
Ready to meet from wherever you are?
If getting to an office has been the thing standing between you and starting, this removes it. A free 15 to 20 minute call is a low-pressure way to see whether we're the right fit for you.
Book a free call
Free and confidential. Be seen within 24 hours.
Navigating Life's Waves Together