Shine a Light Counseling CenterGroup practice
California
Adolescent mental health- Anxiety - Couples counseling- Depression- LGBTQIA, gender, & sexuality topics- Loss, grief, and bereavement-
Shine a Light Counseling Center
Vetted
Group practice
Practice Information
We are a nonprofit counseling center, with a mission to make quality therapy affordable. We have a diverse staff of counselors offering help for a wide range of issues. We believe in the goodness within you, and we'd love to join you on your journey of self-reflection. With safe and wise guidance, we know you can find answers to relationship problems, healing for emotional wounds, and empowerment to tackle life's challenges.
Our staff understands the profound process of self-discovery that quality therapy can provide. We know that the fit between client and therapist is an important part of that alchemy. So we focus on how to provide you with not just tools for growth, but authentic mentoring relationships. We want to help you reach your goals, nurture the neglected parts of yourself, and emerge with the confidence and skill you need to make your life and your relationships thrive.
FAQS
What services does your practice offer?
We are here to serve the whole community. We see individuals, couples, families, teens and children. And when we say "families" we mean that in the broadest sense. Whatever your identity, we want to support you. We are trauma-informed, and social-justice aware. We welcome all genders, sexualities, races and ethnicities. Our office is in a Victorian house in the SOMA district of San Francisco. We provide both in-person and telehealth counseling.
What are your practice's specialties?
Our counselors work with a variety of different approaches to therapy. We can help you solve tangible problems. We can help you free yourself from past experiences. And we can help you find a better relationship with yourself as you navigate the problems for which there are no easy answers. Some of the main modalities our therapists use include: Mindfulness, Attachment Theory, Internal Family Systems, Psychodynamics, Gestalt, Hakomi, and all things humanistic.
Why should I choose your practice?
We can find a therapist that is the right fit for you. You don't have to get stuck with a therapist that can't help you, or that doesn't understand you. At Shine a Light, we match you with someone we think will be a good fit for you, based on what you tell you want. If the fit is not great, we can transfer you to someone who is. You are the expert on whether your therapist is actually being helpful. We are willing to listen and make the adjustments you need.
How does payment work at your practice?
We have a sliding scale that allows you to get short term therapy at a very affordable rate (starting at either $50 or $90, depending upon the length of your therapist's experience.
If you have private insurance, our sliding scale may be less expensive than your plan's coverage. It will depend on your plan's deductable and co-payment amounts. Plus, we can see you right away. If you had trouble finding a therapist on your insurance panel, you are not alone. It can be frustrating to search for a good therapist who accepts the small fees that most private insurers pay their providers. So finding someone from your plan's list can be hard, and time-consuming.
We also can bill medi-cal, if you are a Medi-Cal subscriber. Medi-Cal folks can get therapy for free. No co-payment! We can bill Anthem and Carelon Medi-Cal plans.
Head of Practice's Licensure
California: 27228Languages
English, Finnish, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, FarsiSpecialties
Adolescent mental health - Working with adolescents, teenagers, and parents on social, academic, and/or emotional challenges throughout teenage years; addressing anxiety, family conflicts, peer relationships, school stress, transition to college, social media pressures, self-esteem, hopelessness about the future, emotional disregulation
Anxiety - Coping with excessive worry, nervousness, or stress; intense discomfort in social settings (social anxiety); sudden and intense feelings of panic (panic disorder)
Couples counseling - Addressing relationship challenges and life transitions; strengthening communication and feelings of security, desire, connection, and love
Depression - Providing support and promoting healing of hopelessness, low motivation and energy, sadness, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of interest and pleasure in life
LGBTQIA, gender, & sexuality topics - Exploring topics of sexuality, gender, and identity; coping with discrimination and oppression; navigating relationship, family, and cultural challenges
Loss, grief, and bereavement - Emotionally preparing for the anticipated passing of a loved one; managing feelings and reactions to a death or loss of significance; support during the process of healing and acceptance
General expertise
Treatment approaches
Clientele
- Adults (24+)
- Children (<12)
- Couples
- Families
- Parents
- Seniors (65+)
- Teenagers (13-18)
- Young adults (18-24)
Locations & Hours
Insurance
- Beacon Health Options
- Carelon
- LA Care
- Medi-Cal
- Medicare
- University of California Los Angeles Student Health Insurance (Anthem Blue Cross)
- University of California Riverside Student Health Insurance (Anthem Blue Cross)
- University of California Santa Barbara Student Health Insurance (Anthem Blue Cross)
- University of Southern California Student Health Insurance (Aetna)
Out-of-pocket fees
- Individual sessions:$90 (50min)
- Sliding scale:$50 - $90
Additional session information
Out-of-network billing options
This provider can support you in getting reimbursement from your insurance company if you are seeking out-of-network reimbursement. Here are the out-of-network billing options they provide:
Payment options
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
- Debit Card
Therapist's note
We offer a sliding scale. The lowest fee available is $50 with our trainee therapists, or $90 with our associate therapists.
Therapy Groups
DBT Skills Group For Female Identifying Teens Santa Cruz
Shine a Light Counseling Center is starting a new DBT Skills Group for Female Identifying Teens starting September 09, 2024 4:00 to 5:15PM. This will be a weekly group for 6 weeks on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:15PM
DBT Group for Adults ONLINE
Group is open to adults 21 and over. Ongoing Enrollment. This is a low-fee group: participants must demonstrate financial need based on income.
The Heartful Man: Men's Group
Join us in co-creating an authentic, safe space with other men to share from our hearts, listen, learn and be supported.
Psychotherapy Process Group
This group would be especially helpful for folks who are: -Facing loneliness and isolation -Working on relational difficulties -Seeking diverse perspectives and ready for feedback -Looking for a sense of belonging -Wanting to experiment with new behaviors