Our approach · individual therapy
Individual therapy for older adults.
One person, one therapist, one hour. The most common way to work with us — quiet, private, paced for later life. In our Pasadena office or by secure video, anywhere in California.
What individual therapy is
A weekly hour, just yours.
Individual therapy is the most common way people work with us. You and a clinician, in a quiet room or on a secure video call, for an hour a week. No partner, no adult child, no group — just you and the work you want to do. We meet weekly to start; many clients move to every other week once things settle. Some stay weekly for years. There is no right shape.
What makes this individual therapy for older adults isn't a different technique. It's the small things — slower pacing, hearing-aid-friendly acoustics, no graduate student treating you like a textbook case. The grief of a long marriage that ended in widowhood. A diagnosis you're still absorbing. Adult children who mean well and ask too much. We've sat with all of it.
Who individual therapy fits
When one-on-one is the right shape.
You want privacy
The thing you need to talk about isn't anyone else's business — not your spouse's, not your kids'. Individual work keeps it that way.
You're working on you
Depression, anxiety, grief, a long-running pattern, the residue of something that happened decades ago. Internal work tends to do best one-on-one.
You've never done therapy
Starting alone is gentler. You set the pace, you choose what to bring up. We can always loop family in later if it helps.
You've done therapy before
You know what you want from it. We treat that experience as an asset, not a complication. Tell us what worked and what didn't.
You have specific goals
Sleep through the night again. Get out of the house more. Make peace with a sibling. Individual work can be focused and short, or open-ended.
You just need someone to listen
That's a real reason. Sometimes the work isn't fixing — it's having somewhere to put what you're carrying.
How it works
Practical shape, not a script.
The first session
Mostly listening. We ask about what brings you in, your history, what you've already tried. We orient you to how therapy works — what it is, what it isn't. No homework yet. Many people leave the first session a little tired, which is normal.
The next several
The shape settles. We agree on what we're working on and how. We use evidence-based methods adapted for older adults — CBT, behavioral activation, problem-solving, grief work, life review — and we tell you which one and why.
Cadence
Weekly to start. Once things stabilize, every other week is a common move. Some people taper to monthly check-ins. You're never locked in. We re-check the cadence with you out loud, not silently.
Common questions
About individual therapy.
How long is a typical session?
A standard session is 50–60 minutes, weekly to start. Some clients move to every other week once things stabilize. Others stay weekly for years. The right cadence is the one you can sustain and that keeps the work moving.
Do I need to know what's wrong before I come in?
No. Most people don't. The first session is mostly listening — we ask the questions, you answer at your pace, and we work out what to focus on together.
Can I do individual therapy by video?
Yes. We see clients over secure video throughout California. We'll walk you through the tech setup the first time. Telehealth works well for most individual work — for some clients it works better than in-person.
Does Medicare cover individual therapy?
Yes. Medicare Part B covers outpatient psychotherapy with licensed clinical psychologists and clinical social workers. Most Medicare Advantage plans also cover it. Call (626) 354-6440 and we'll verify your benefits before your first session.
What if my partner or family wants to come?
That's a different format — see couples counseling or family therapy. Many clients do both: individual work for themselves and a separate couples or family meeting when it helps. We'll talk through what fits.
Other formats
If individual isn't quite the right shape.
Couples counseling
The two of you in the room. Late-life partnership work, including remarriage and end-of-life conversations.
Family therapy
You and the people who love you, sitting down together. Caregiving, role shifts, the hard conversations.
Group counseling
A small group of peers and a clinician. When we have an open group running.
The first session is mostly listening.
You don't have to know what to say or where to start. That's our job.