Psychotherapy
for Los Angeles, CA Patients
BrainHealth Solutions provides psychotherapy at our Costa Mesa clinic for Los Angeles adults living with depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma and grief, inside a psychiatrist-led practice built for people who already have a diagnosis and still are not well.
What Is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a structured, confidential process of working with a trained clinician to understand what you are experiencing and build practical skills for managing it. Our clinicians draw from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy and mindfulness-based approaches. What makes therapy at BrainHealth Solutions different from a standalone counseling office is the setting: a psychiatrist-led practice where therapy can be combined with medication management, TMS, SAINT® or Spravato® when talking alone is not enough.
What Happens in Talk Therapy
Sessions identify the thoughts, behaviors, relationships and stressors that keep symptoms in place, then work deliberately to change them: examining unhelpful thought patterns, practicing new coping strategies and processing painful experiences at a safe pace.
Progress is measured by daily function, not by how the hour felt: sleep, work, relationships and motivation. If something is not working after a reasonable trial, the approach changes; "wait and see" is not a treatment plan here.
Because the practice is led by psychiatrist Dr. Robert Bota, your therapist and your prescriber are on the same team, and a diagnostic second opinion is available when the original diagnosis does not fit.
Is a Psychiatrist-Led Practice Worth the Drive From Los Angeles?
Weekly therapy works best close to home, so be realistic: BrainHealth Solutions has one clinic, at 3151 Airway Ave, Bldg R, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, about an hour south of Los Angeles on the I-405 depending on traffic, and no Los Angeles office. The LA patients for whom the trip makes sense are usually those whose depression, anxiety, OCD or PTSD has persisted despite treatment, who want therapy coordinated with a psychiatrist, or who are already coming to Costa Mesa for TMS, SAINT® or Spravato®. Dr. Bota founded UC Irvine’s first TMS program and has led more than 20 clinical trials; that research culture shapes how progress is tracked in therapy too.
What to Expect From Your Visits
Step 1: A brief screening call
A short call introduces the clinic, answers your questions and helps determine whether psychotherapy alone or combined with other treatment is the right next step, and whether regular visits to Costa Mesa are practical for you. You can also simply text the office first.
Step 2: Comprehensive evaluation
A thorough, non-judgmental conversation at the Costa Mesa clinic covering symptoms, prior diagnoses and treatments, medications you have tried, medical and family history, relationships, sleep, substance use and goals. A diagnostic second opinion can be part of this visit.
Step 3: Building your treatment plan
You and your clinician set specific, realistic goals and agree on a cadence, often weekly or biweekly at first. If the plan also includes medication, TMS, SAINT® or Spravato®, it is coordinated within the same practice, which can mean fewer separate trips.
Step 4: Ongoing sessions
Sessions typically run 45 to 60 minutes. Between visits you may practice skills or track patterns so the next session is more productive.
Step 5: Progress reviews
Progress is revisited at regular intervals, your feedback is welcomed, and the approach is adjusted when something is not working.
What Therapy Here Feels Like
The first appointment is a conversation, not a questionnaire marathon. You are asked what has already been tried and what you want to be different, and you leave with a plan rather than a vague next step.
Sessions are structured around goals. CBT work might involve examining a specific thought pattern and testing a new response during the week; psychodynamic work might trace a recurring relationship pattern to its roots. Between-session practice matters more when visits involve a longer drive.
From Los Angeles, a 45 to 60 minute session plus about an hour each way on the I-405 is a half-day commitment. Patients who manage it often pair therapy with a medication or treatment visit on the same day, or move to a biweekly cadence once they stabilize. One patient wrote that Dr. Bota “talks to you, and takes his time on every visit.”
Session
Duration
Typical psychotherapy scheduling at the Costa Mesa clinic:
- Sessions: 45 to 60 minutes
- Cadence: weekly or biweekly at the start, spaced out as you stabilize
- Evaluation: a longer first visit covering history and goals
- Combined care: therapy visits coordinated with medication, TMS or Spravato® appointments to reduce trips
Challenges in Therapy and How We Handle Them
Therapy has no physical side effects, but it does have predictable rough patches. Knowing them in advance keeps people from quitting at the wrong moment.
Common and expected
- Feeling worse for a short period when painful material is first opened
- Fatigue after emotionally heavy sessions, worth planning for if you are driving back to Los Angeles
- Frustration when progress is slower than hoped
- Discomfort with homework or practicing new behaviors
These are discussed openly, and pacing is adjusted so that processing stays within what you can tolerate.
Signs the plan needs to change
- No measurable change in daily function after a fair trial of sessions
- Symptoms that suggest a different or additional diagnosis
- Depression severe enough that a faster-acting treatment such as TMS or Spravato® should be considered
Because the practice offers those options itself, a plateau in therapy leads to a conversation with your psychiatrist, not a referral into another waitlist.
What Psychotherapy Can Achieve
Decades of research show that structured psychotherapies such as CBT are effective for depression, anxiety disorders, OCD and PTSD, with many patients improving within 12 to 20 sessions. Combining therapy with medication outperforms either alone for moderate to severe depression.
The goal is lasting skills rather than dependence on the therapy hour. Patients leave with tools they use after sessions end, and with a team they can return to if symptoms recur.
Is Psychotherapy Right for You?
Psychotherapy at our Costa Mesa clinic may be a strong fit for Los Angeles adults if:
- You have a diagnosis such as depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD or ADHD and want more than a prescription
- Symptoms interfere with work, school, relationships or your ability to enjoy anything
- You are already being treated at BrainHealth Solutions with medication, TMS, SAINT® or Spravato® and want therapy on the same team
- You can make regular trips to Costa Mesa, for example because you work in or near Orange County
Psychotherapy at BrainHealth Solutions is for adults. Child and adolescent psychiatric care is available through Dr. Mahtab K. Yousefi.
Therapy may be combined with
- Medication management with a psychiatrist on the same team
- A psychiatric second opinion when the diagnosis does not fit
- TMS, SAINT® or Spravato® for treatment-resistant depression
Benefits of Psychotherapy for Los Angeles Patients
Los Angeles patients who come to BrainHealth Solutions have often been told to “give it more time” by providers who never had time for them. The practice was built to be the opposite of that experience.
Evidence-based modalities
CBT, psychodynamic therapy and mindfulness-based approaches, matched to your diagnosis and goals rather than one method for everyone.
Measured by daily function
Sleep, work, relationships and motivation are the yardsticks, and progress is reviewed at regular intervals.
Therapist and psychiatrist on one team
Medication questions, side effects and diagnostic doubts are handled inside the practice, with shared records, and visits can be coordinated to save trips.
A path forward if therapy plateaus
TMS, SAINT® and Spravato® are available from the same clinicians, so a plateau is a decision point, not a dead end.
Second opinions welcome
If your diagnosis or plan has never felt right, a diagnostic review can be built into your evaluation.
Insurance accepted
Many plans are accepted, including Medicare and Anthem, and the team verifies coverage before your first visit.
For Treatment-Resistant Depression and Anxiety
If therapy and medication have both been tried and you are still not well, that history matters: it is the definition of treatment-resistant depression and the entry criterion for TMS, SAINT® and Spravato®. At BrainHealth Solutions, psychotherapy continues alongside those treatments, helping consolidate gains once the biology of the depression has shifted.
Cost of Psychotherapy for
Los Angeles, CA Patients
Psychotherapy sessions at BrainHealth Solutions generally range from $175 to $275 per session, with initial evaluations at the higher end. Final fees depend on appointment length, the clinician you see, how often you meet, and whether therapy is part of a broader plan that includes medication management or advanced treatment. With insurance, patients typically pay a mental-health copay or coinsurance per session. BrainHealth Solutions accepts many plans and offers CareCredit for self-pay; we quote only after reviewing your benefits.
Insurance and financing
BrainHealth Solutions accepts insurance and self-pay. Many major plans are accepted, including Medicare and Anthem, and CareCredit financing spreads self-pay costs over monthly payments. Submit your plan through the insurance-check form on our site, or ask on your 15-minute screening call, and our team confirms what your plan covers before you commit to anything.
Why Patients Trust BrainHealth Solutions
A psychiatrist who built UC Irvine's first TMS program
Dr. Robert Bota, MD, MSG, DFAPA is a board-certified psychiatrist and Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He trained in TMS at Harvard University and the University of South Carolina, founded and directed the first TMS program at UC Irvine, and has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications.
Research-driven care, not a franchise protocol
Dr. Bota has been principal investigator on more than 20 clinical trials in depression, schizophrenia, PTSD and Alzheimer’s disease, and the practice participates in brain-imaging research with Kernel neurotechnology. Treatment plans are informed by that research and reviewed as your symptoms change.
A clinical team, not a single provider
Care at BrainHealth Solutions is delivered by a team that includes psychiatrists Dr. Tina Allee and Dr. Mahtab K. Yousefi (child and adolescent care in English and Farsi), Spravato® specialist Dr. Dragos Serseni, TMS technician Anna Venezio and office manager Peter Bota.
Insurance help that patients talk about
Many plans are accepted, including Medicare and Anthem, and CareCredit financing is available for self-pay. One parent wrote that the team “even helped get insurance coverage when others said it wasn’t possible.” Use the insurance check on our site or ask on your screening call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have a therapy office in Los Angeles?
No. BrainHealth Solutions has one clinic, at 3151 Airway Ave, Bldg R, Costa Mesa, beside John Wayne Airport, about an hour south of Los Angeles on the I-405 depending on traffic. All therapy sessions take place there.
Is weekly therapy in Costa Mesa realistic if I live in Los Angeles?
It depends on your schedule. Weekly sessions plus the drive are a real commitment, and many LA patients start weekly and move to biweekly as they stabilize. If you are already coming to Costa Mesa for medication, TMS or Spravato®, pairing visits on the same day helps.
Can my therapy visits be scheduled with my other appointments?
Yes. Therapy and medication visits are coordinated within the same practice with shared records. The clinic is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM; ask on the screening call about combining visits.
What should I do when therapy is not enough?
Tell your clinician. At BrainHealth Solutions that conversation leads directly to options: medication management, a diagnostic second opinion, or TMS, SAINT® and Spravato® for treatment-resistant depression, all within the same practice.
How long does psychotherapy take?
Many structured therapies show results within 12 to 20 sessions; longer work is appropriate for complex trauma or long-standing patterns. Cadence is adjusted as you stabilize.
How much does psychotherapy cost?
Sessions at BrainHealth Solutions generally range from $175 to $275, with initial evaluations at the higher end. With insurance, most patients pay a mental-health copay or coinsurance.
Does insurance cover psychotherapy?
Most plans cover outpatient psychotherapy with a mental-health copay. Many plans are accepted at BrainHealth Solutions, including Medicare and Anthem, and the team checks your benefits before the first session.
Take the First Step Toward Relief
Schedule a 15-minute screening call with BrainHealth Solutions and find out whether psychotherapy at our Costa Mesa clinic, alone or with other treatment, is the right next step for you.
BrainHealth Solutions, 3151 Airway Ave, Bldg R, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 · (949) 441-5542 · Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Same-day appointments may be available. The screening call asks only for your name, contact information and a callback time; there are no long intake forms before you speak with us.
