Individual Therapy
Individual therapy is a private, dedicated space for you — to understand yourself more deeply, heal what has been holding you back, and build the life you want.
What is Individual Therapy?
Individual therapy is a one-on-one relationship between a client and a licensed therapist, focused entirely on you — your history, your goals, and your unique way of moving through the world. Unlike group therapy or couples counseling, individual therapy creates a depth of exploration that is tailored exclusively to the individual, providing a confidential, nonjudgmental space to process what has been difficult and build a genuinely better relationship with your own inner life.
At TrueMe® Counseling, individual therapy is never passive. Our approach is active and collaborative — meaning you are not simply heard and reflected back at. From the very first session, you receive direct feedback, practical tools, and a clear sense of direction. We don’t just help you understand what is happening. We help you change it.
Individual Therapy Support
Individual therapy is one of the most versatile and effective forms of mental health support available. Whether you are navigating a specific crisis, working through patterns you have carried for years, or simply ready to understand yourself more deeply and live more fully — individual therapy meets you exactly where you are and walks forward with you.
Common signs Individual Therapy may be for you:
- You are overwhelmed and struggling to cope
- Your mood or outlook has shifted in ways that concern you
- You keep running into the same walls in relationships or work
- You are going through a major life transition
If you identify with 2 or more of these, you may be a good candidate for our testing and assessment.
OUR CLINICAL APPROACH
How we treat you — and why it works
Most therapy fails because it’s generic. At TrueMe® Counseling, our licensed therapists use a structured, evidence-based framework built around your specific needs, history, and goals — not a one-size-fits-all program.Whether you’re across the street or across the state, we’re here — in person or virtually throughout California.
Clinical Assessment & Root-Cause Mapping
We begin with a thorough clinical assessment — identifying your specific challenges, personal history, thought patterns, and underlying triggers. This isn't a generic intake form. It's the diagnostic foundation that everything else is built on.
Cognitive Restructuring
Using CBT and other evidence-based modalities, we help you identify and challenge the distorted thinking patterns keeping you stuck — whether that's anxiety, depression, low self-worth, or relationship difficulties. You learn to respond to life differently, from the inside out.
Behavioral Intervention
Insight alone doesn't create change — behavior does. We use structured techniques to help you break the cycles, habits, and avoidance patterns that have been holding you back. This is where meaningful, real-world transformation begins.
Personalized Treatment Planning
No two people are the same — and neither are their treatment plans. Your therapist builds a roadmap tailored specifically to your needs, goals, and pace. Every session is purposeful, intentional, and designed to move you forward.
Progress Tracking & Plan Adjustment
Healing isn't linear — and your therapist knows that. Progress is regularly reviewed and your treatment plan is adjusted in real time to ensure you're always moving in the right direction at the right pace for you.
Resilience Building & Long-Term Independence
The final stage equips you with a personalized, lifelong toolkit — regulation strategies, early warning recognition, and sustainable coping skills — so that when life gets hard, you have everything you need to handle it. The goal is independence, not dependency on therapy.
YOUR THERAPY JOURNEY
What to expect in therapy
Starting therapy can feel intimidating — especially when you’re already carrying so much. Here’s exactly what the process looks like, step by step.
Free consultation call
Before anything else, you’ll have a brief, no-pressure call to share what you’re going through and ask any questions you have. There’s no commitment — just a conversation to make sure we’re the right fit for you.
Your first session
Your first session is a relaxed, open conversation — not a test. Your therapist will take time to understand your history, your current experience, and what you’re hoping to achieve. Many clients leave their first session already feeling a sense of relief just from being heard.
A personalized treatment plan
Your therapist will work with you to create a plan tailored specifically to your needs — not a generic program, but a personalized roadmap designed around your unique history, goals, and what you’re going through right now.
Ongoing sessions & real tools
Each session builds on the last. Using CBT and other evidence-based methods, your therapist will help you identify the thought patterns and behaviors holding you back — and equip you with practical tools you can use in real life between sessions.
Tracking your progress
Healing isn’t always linear — and your therapist knows that. Progress is regularly reviewed and your plan is adjusted as needed to ensure you’re always moving in the adirection at the right pace for you.
Life beyond anxiety
The goal of therapy isn’t just symptom relief — it’s lasting transformation. You’ll finish therapy with a deeper understanding of yourself, a toolkit you carry for life, and the confidence to face whatever comes next.
Meet Our Therapists
TrueMe® Counseling is a team of licensed MFTs and PhDs with decades of combined clinical experience.
Marina Edelman LMFT #51009
Founder of TrueMe® Counseling | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Cheryl Baldi,
LMFT #39801
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Dr. Rachel Chistyakov, PsyD, LMFT #150001
Licensed Psychologist
Sharalee Hall,
LMFT #135374
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Chris Calandra, AMFT#129479
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Suzanne Perry,
AMFT #132904
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Hayley Willis, AMFT #132776
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Jasmine Johnson, AMFT #137660
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Kylee Garfield, AMFT #145651
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Sean Palmer, AMFT #
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
FAQ - INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
Frequently Asked Questions About Individual Therapy
Honest answers from our licensed therapists — before you take the first step.
1. What is individual therapy and how does it work?
Individual therapy is a one-on-one relationship between a client and a licensed therapist, built around a single purpose: helping you understand yourself more deeply, process what has been difficult, and build a genuinely better relationship with your own inner life. It works through the consistent, focused attention of a skilled clinician who is trained to hear not just what you say but what is underneath it — the patterns, the histories, the beliefs that are shaping how you think, feel, and move through the world. Sessions are typically fifty minutes, held weekly, and guided by your goals and what you bring into the room. At TrueMe® Counseling, individual therapy is never passive — it is an active, collaborative process in which you receive direct feedback, practical tools, and a clear sense of direction from the very first session.
2. How do I know if individual therapy is right for me?
If something in your life — your mood, your relationships, your sense of yourself, your ability to function — feels harder than it should, and your own efforts to address it have not produced the relief or change you were hoping for, individual therapy is worth pursuing. You do not need to be in crisis. You do not need a formal diagnosis. You do not need to have experienced something dramatic enough to justify taking up a therapist’s time. In our clinical experience, the people who benefit most from individual therapy are often the ones who come in not because everything has collapsed but because something quieter is consistently getting in the way — and they are finally ready to understand what it is.
3. What can I expect during my first individual therapy session?
Your first session is a chance for your therapist to get to know you — your history, what has brought you to therapy, and what you are hoping to get out of it. It is also a chance for you to get a feel for the therapist’s style and ask any questions you have. There is no pressure to share more than you are comfortable with. The first session is the beginning of a conversation, not an exam. You will leave with a clearer sense of what the work will look like and a therapist who is already invested in helping you move forward.
4. How long does individual therapy take to produce results?
For many clients, something meaningful shifts within the first four to eight sessions — a new way of understanding a pattern, a reduction in the intensity of symptoms, or a concrete skill that is already making daily life more manageable. Deeper change — the kind that rewires longstanding patterns or resolves the roots of chronic anxiety or depression — takes longer and requires consistency. The clients who see the most lasting results are almost always the ones who stay with the process long enough for insight to become genuine change. Your therapist will check in regularly about progress and always ensure you have a clear sense of what you are working toward.
5. Can individual therapy be combined with couples or family therapy?
Yes — and this combination is often highly effective. Individual therapy focuses on your internal experience, history, and personal growth. Couples or family therapy focuses on the relational dynamics between people. Many clients at TrueMe® Counseling engage in individual therapy alongside couples or family sessions — doing their own deeper work while also addressing the shared dynamics with the people who matter most to them. Your therapist can help you determine whether a combined approach is the right fit for your situation.
