Frequently Asked Questions

While I do not accept insurance, some clients use getbetter.co to assist them with insurance reimbursement.  Please click on the tab for Insurance or EAP Reimbursement here or in the main menu. My clients are frequently pleasantly surprised by what may be covered after checking with  their providers and workplace programs. 

It is a good thing that the answer is no, diagnosis without full assessment is not only unethical, it is dangerous!  Imagine your confidence if you were diagnosed over the phone without first being fully checked-out and assessed by the doctor; would you be inclined to pursue a recommended surgery after such a premature diagnosis?  BetterTreasures offers our clients an insight producing experience in our thorough assessment process; and you wouldn’t want to miss that!

BetterTreasures offers a wide variety of treatment options offering flexibility and convenience while addressing a diversity of budgets and needs.  From free services on our website, to paid ventures in workshops, couples or individual therapy, to marathon sessions, we have a fit for you.  If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out.  We sponsor some services and may be able to offer additional help.  

Individual 50-60min sessions: $200
Couples 90min sessions: $260
Marathon sessions offer a discount to the session rate and have great feedback and benefits in convenience for scheduling and treatment massing effects.  Marathon sessions are customizable based on your unique needs.  Packages have ranged from $500-$2000.

Workshops are another great way to get good bang for your buck.  Workshops range ($275+).
Similar to Marathons, some clients prefer in-home workshops or workshops in your community. We love working with you to match what works best for you.  Give Dr. Mason a call (415) 370-4256 or shoot us an inquiry.  

If you are looking for improved coping, better stress and conflict management, improved communication, relationships, and mood; coming to therapy is a great first step.  Really good therapy ends in your continued efforts and practice outside of the treatment room.  When something is not going well, speak up and say something; often that is all that is needed to find a course correction and you are back on track to make gains.  While benefits are not guaranteed, and chances are high that painful and uncomfortable feelings will arise, the rewards of therapy often  extend to others in your familial, social, or community circle as you begin to model and inspire change.  Should you find yourself in treatment, but feeling worse instead of better, it may be time to switch to a different provider or add an adjunctive treatment.  Either way, speaking with your therapist to identify if the fit is off, or if something else is going on, is the best course forward and often leads to big leaps in therapeutic gains often with the same provider! If you have the resources to practice skills built in-session, and you can stick with your practice, chances are very good that you will find improvements beyond health, well-being, mood, interests, cognition, and interpersonal relationships.

Psychologists are expertly trained to collaborate with patients on identifying discreet achievable goals along with the best fit of treatment approach.  We are specially trained to assess what is unique about you and should be considered when matching you with an evidenced-based treatment plan.  Psychologists specialize in tailoring a well-suited plan that (with your hard work outside of treatment) has the best chance to get you where you would like to be.  Therapists often put our (psychologists) plans to work for you when you show up in their offices.  Therapists may or may not have Master’s level training. While assessments may be performed by a master-level clinician; they must be supervised by the psychologist.  Neither a therapist or a psychologist is better than another, but psychologists (check to see if your clinician has received their doctorate and is licensed) are likely to have had additional and ongoing academic and highly specialized training.   Clinicians identifying as psychologists, in the state of California, must be licensed and have graduated from a nationally accredited doctoral program. 

Better Treasures approach reflects a deep appreciation for and utilization of current clinical research in neuroscience and technology, a cross-section of interpersonal neurobiology, the neurobiology of attachment, mindfulness, somatics, and meditation practices. Clients begin with concrete, health-focused psychological assessment and clinical interviews which serve to guide and form-fit each treatment protocol, founding and supporting deep and sustainable psychological growth.  Evidence-based and relevant findings in the bio-behavioral sciences inform every treatment and capture the latest real-life skills practices and applications to harness remarkable advances and capitalize upon psychological growth and relational gains. In effect, our dedication to relational sciences offers you greater access to the best of life’s Better Treasures.

It’s a commonly asked question but surprisingly, a good portion of this depends on the patient’s resourcefulness in practicing the desired skill set.  It doesn’t take long to adopt tiny practices/habits which indisputably add up to big progress!  Moreover, by a thorough clarification of problems and the desired outcome during the initial assessment, your doctor is best equipped to estimate a treatment calendar as well as delineate the time estimated to achieve treatment gains.  As a guideline, optimizing personal, social, and environmental resources (including motivation and time) to devote, encourage, and support continuous practice will put you in the best possible position for expeditiously meeting each discreet treatment goal.  

One common, but possibly misleading myth about therapy is that history or longevity of problem predicts therapeutic investment.  This is simply not true.  Often very simple changes catalyze large scale treatment gains.  And despite any insight afforded in-session, out-of-session practice is where you truly cash-in.

Wow! Great question! So, so much!  For instance, did you know that currently (as of 2017) there are only 3 types of empirically validated couples therapies?  Gottman Method, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and Internal Family Systems therapies for couples steadfastly produce positive outcomes whereas research identifies that in general, ‘couples therapy’ actually increases risk of relationship dissatisfaction and demise. Dr. Mason has extensively trained in all three therapies!

How does using the Gottman Method for Couples therapy work? First, it begins with a true assessment of the relationship strengths and challenges unique to the individual partners’ combined dynamic.  Additionally, during therapy, individual blind-spots and Internal Working Models are not only illuminated, but couples are taught how to build bridges using skills honed in session to–perhaps for the first time–correctly and effectively engage one’s partner, whose blindspots/challenges/vulnerabilities impede successful navigation through the perpetual sandpits inherent in all relationships. 

It’s key to remember that regardless of what relationship you enter, your conflict quotient remains the same: 60% of interactions are conflict related. Better to develop the skills to put your relationship into the Positive Perspective (a state where interactions tend toward acceptance, and flow-state vs. quibbling and irritating). Therapists who use Gottman Method when working with Couples establish routines that can reboot the passion in the most lifeless relationships.  

In these routines you target:

  1) ritualizing updates of your partner’s inner world in a way that increases you and your partner’s felt sense of being known, accepted, and valued; 

2) establishing gratitude practices for one another to inoculate your relationship from the dreaded and deleterious (one of the most dangerous of the 4 Horseman) contempt; and 

3) automating a conscious intention to ‘lean-in,’ catch and respond positively to your partner’s bids for connection versus unconsciously potentially falling into behaviors exemplary of failed relationships.

And another thing. Usually, when couples begin therapy, they’ve been struggling with relationship problems for an average of 6 years.  During that time, resentments settle in and like the roots of a ficus tree, work in so deep into the fabric of your history together, that it is nearly impossible to root them out.  Similarly to EFT, the Gottman Method has a tool called Aftermath of a Fight; it has an uncanny way of sizzling these resentments out of your relationship.  While initially a difficult tool to use independently, your practice in therapy will set you up well to sustain this maintenance tool long after the therapy and effectively prevent resentments from taking root.

Finally, unlike any other therapy today, the Gottman Method has brilliantly tooled conversation guides to steer you through a variety of conflicts ubiquitous to every relationship.  Learn the tools and you are able to cleverly navigate through nearly any conflict hand-in-hand, and heart-to-heart with your partner.  And while working with conflict can be among the most transcendent practices of the therapy, it would be incomplete without addressing the spirit of partnership: making dreams come true and creating a life together rich in shared meaning!

Gottman Method Therapy is returning promising outcome research in reconstructing relationships whose trust and commitment have been wrecked by affair.  Many of Better Treasures clients have remodeled relationships starting with Marathon work and with weekly maintenance to proof their new relationship from the vulnerabilities that lead to betrayal. 

Behavioral science is now so clear about what tiny habits in cognition start the cascade into building walls between you and your partner while also opening windows to unfaithful emotional and physical connections.  

Today there is misinformation about establishing a transforming transparency necessary for fortified and well-nourished partnership.  Initially, this level of transparency can be anxiety producing for those of us working through shame, anxiety, and low-confidence–many times tightly masked by high-achievement, high-performance, social gregariousness–whatever the case maybe, many couples are not comfortable in vulnerable states.  

And honestly for many there are a variety of good reasons!  The amount of criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling in today’s culture is mirrored in our relationships and not just with others, a not-so-hard look puts us face-to-face with our own damaging, punitive, and harshly critical self-talk. 

Adopting the skill set to approach your partner about failed bids to connect, knowing how to expertly repair an argument or interaction that went off the rails so as to prevent resentments, or instituting rituals for the smooth release of stress are all essential in healthy and satisfying relationships, but are also quintessential in our self-talk/relationship with self! 

So, Gottman Method therapy and its bent to non-violent communication and efficacious conflict management (along with alot more) shows tremendous benefits to clients in its ripple-effect throughout one’s personal, social, and environmental arenas.  In the event that you opt out of the relationship, at a very minimum, you take home the skills to enrich every other relationship in your life, including the one with yourself!  

Another good question; it may seem obvious, but often it is not.  Many clients seeking self-improvement toward enhancing their social attractiveness, self-value, confidence, and interpersonal skills are greatly benefitted by seeing a therapist who also specializes in couples.  If traumatic incidents are interfering with your ability to get close or stay close; if suffering stems from anxiety or depression, if experiences or perceptions of failed efforts thwart your interpersonal successes, a therapist who sees couples may be uniquely suited to help you upgrade your skills, effectively manage stress, communicate and cope. When the hurt seems to bubble up beyond your control, Individual therapy may be your avenue for healing and growth.

If your difficulties, pain, and discomfort rest in the realm of relationship, AND your partner is also motivated and open to utilize therapy, Couples therapy may be the best therapy for you.  Many partners often fear (or hope!) that the the therapist will align with one of the partners versus the other.  While this can happen in any one moment of a session, it should not be happening routinely and should be addressed directly and as soon as possible; reassure your partner’s fears to increase their motivation for therapy. 

If you are already in Couples Therapy and your therapist suggests a few individual sessions; try to find a therapist who is trained in the Gottman Method.  Therapists who use the Gottman Method are uniquely able to support individuals receiving couples therapy because of specialized training in elements essential to couple satisfaction. Therapists who use the Gottman Method will be able to work with you to enhance versus detract from your Couples Therapy investment; I cannot more highly discourage hiring an individual therapist who is not specialized in working with couples. 

In the event that your partner is not amenable to participate in a Couples Therapy, your choice of therapist may be an essential factor in whether or not your relationship is headed for termination.  My advice is to choose a therapist who is proficient in coaching effective interventions based on the neurobiology of attachment, somatics, mindfulness, and regulation.  These are the skills essential to positive coping during times of relationship distress.

Always happy to help you find what seems to make the most sense for you.  Reach out to speak with Dr. Mason, in a complimentary 10 minute call, or schedule a 30minute consultation where all your questions may be addressed. 

In the first session, you should expect that your doctor will describe the therapeutic process, listen for and clarify your expectations.  You’ll be able to share about the problems you are facing, the level of distress you are experiencing, and how this is effecting your usual level of functioning.  Most of the time, the doctor will also ask about your history, including your health, social, familial, and relationship history. You’ll want to ask questions about the treatment and also identify what changes you would like to see as an outcome of the therapy.  Similarly, in Couples therapy, the initial session should address both partner’s concerns and questions.  

Most of the time, you don’t need anything other than payment and a willingness to be seen, but having a list of questions or goals is a good start.  Occasionally, and if you are more familiar with psychotherapy, you may certainly complete the doctor’s intake questionnaire in advance of your appointment.  It is not necessary to answer questions that may leave you feeling over-exposed in an initial contact.  However, in time, revealing more offers benefits to creating a healthy and healing narrative.  Remember that taking good care of you is the launching place for best practices in self-care and sets the therapy up for good success as well.  

So, having an explicated goal in mind is the best place to start in therapy; everything else, in good time. Additionally, it is often very helpful to have some historical background about the problem as you see it. Many clients bring pictures of medications or a current medication log; essential for any medical or psychological treatment. 

Many clients enjoy keeping notes on the sessions, prepping for the sessions with questions or comments, and do so in their own therapy notebook.  Don’t worry if you forget it though, Dr. Mason has backup for you.  It is recommended that you keep a folder of all of your therapy handouts; that way everything is in place when you want to refer to something we practiced in session.

No one, including the Great and Powerful Oz can guess what your treatment outcome will be.  Unfortunately.  However, you can best meet your treatment goals by open and forthcoming communication with your doctor–especially in the event that you are feeling something is off with your treatment or service.  Clients are pleasantly surprised to discover a deepening of the therapeutic effect after advocating for themselves; this type of work is expected and appreciated by your therapist–if not, perhaps you’ve not been seeing the right therapist for you.  

I also want to encourage clients.  It is very important that you understand that therapy often brings up difficult, painful emotions.  Although it should not be like this every-time, perhaps.  And you should feel that your therapist is actively assisting you to tolerate and recover; if you leave feeling too raw that is not a good thing.  Speak up if this is the case.  

While many clients do experience emotionality during sessions, sessions are also frequent homes to laughter, celebration, and excitement.  In my experience, there is a delightful balance which is a mirror to a healthy life on the outside of the therapy.  In my practice it is exceedingly rare for clients to experience therapy as a dark place; therapy should be full of light, joy, enthusiasm, insight, exploration, humor, and yes also sadness, anger, and upset as well.  Hopefully, you will begin to trust in the process of these feelings and truly begin to treasure what you may learn from them.    

See couple’s therapy for more information on the exciting researched outcomes of Gottman Method Couple’s Therapy, Post-Affair Recovery, and Marathon Couples Therapy. Also check out the outcomes of the Gottman Institute’s Bringing Baby Home and 7 Principles Workshops.  Take heart, bring courage, and embrace change!!

Many clients demonstrate their motivation to achieve treatment outcome efficiently by preparing questions throughout the week.  Many times, questions will clarify or cover any challenges encountered during independent practice of recommended homework or exercises.  While many benefit from journalling thoughts and questions, it is not required.  However, as stated, it often benefits the focus and efficiency of the therapy.

Homework is a wonderful way to save money and expedite generalizing treatment gains over into real life.  Our clients may choose from videos, journaling, handouts, and skills practices to solidify the changes they want to adopt. You’ll report back what worked and where things went sideways so you’ll receive the feedback to correct course.  When you receive high quality support, you’ll notice the synthesis of improved communication  across all interpersonal and relationship domains.

An early interest in the minds and motivations of the human psyche led me to pursue psychological, sociological, and behavioral science studies.  The personal benefits of psychotherapy were indisputable and I marveled at the butterfly-effect it had on one’s social or familial group, waves of healing and growth opportunities with distributed gains for many.  There is this unquenchable enthusiasm for championing the adoption of behavioral change, and along with it a deeply felt respect for the tremendous and courageous efforts of each individual client.