Deciding
Who you need, what the letters mean, what the first session is like, and when to switch.
ADHD medication in California: the seven rules that decide whether it gets filled
Seven rules decide whether an ADHD prescription gets filled in California: telehealth, CURES, no refills, 90-day scripts, transfers, shortages, Medi-Cal Rx.
CALIFORNIA GUIDEBehavioural parent training for ADHD: what it changes
Under blinded measurement it does not reduce ADHD symptoms. It does improve parenting and conduct problems — which is a bigger deal than it sounds.
CALIFORNIA GUIDECalifornia mental health law, by situation
Every statute page on this site, arranged by the moment you need it: a crisis, a hospital bill, a job, a lease, a school, a family member. With section numbers.
TYPES OF THERAPYCBT, EMDR, psychodynamic — which type of therapy do I pick?
You don't have to pick the method — you pick the person. What each acronym means in one sentence each, and the three cases where the method does matter.
CALIFORNIA GUIDEDBT: what it is, and what it isn't
Standard DBT has four components, not one. A skills group alone is not DBT. What the trials found, and how to tell a real programme from a label.
90-DAY PLANDiagnosed with ADHD as an adult: the first 90 days, in order
A 90-day plan for adults newly diagnosed with ADHD in California: the document to get, the medication decision, therapy, work and school rights, what to skip.
HELPING A PARENTHelping a parent get therapy
You cannot force it, and you do not have to. Scripts that work with a stigma generation, the Medicare route, and the line to hold if they refuse.
THE SEARCHHow to find a therapist in California without losing two weeks to voicemail
A concrete 5-day plan: pick your lane by budget, contact five at once with a copy-paste script, use consult calls, decide by session three.
SWITCHINGIt's not working with my therapist. Do I stick it out or switch?
Up to half of people don't click with their first therapist. The three-session rule, the difference between discomfort and misfit, and a script for leaving.
LICENSE DECODERLMFT, LCSW, LPCC, AMFT — what the letters after a therapist's name actually mean
All four do talk therapy. The real differences: training lens, price, and the associate discount. A plain-English decoder for California's licenses.
CALIFORNIA GUIDELoving someone with bipolar disorder
Family-focused therapy has better evidence than almost anything else in this illness. What families are for clinically, and what to do between episodes.
CALIFORNIA GUIDELoving someone with BPD
Carer burden is higher than in other serious mental illness. What has been tested, what has not, and the free 12-week programme for relatives.
MEDICATIONPsychiatric medication: who prescribes, how to start, and the PCP shortcut
Your own doctor can prescribe most mental health medication — no psychiatrist wait required. Who does what, when you need the specialist, real costs.
PSYCHOLOGISTSPsychologists: what the PhD/PsyD actually gets you
Psychologists train 5-7 years and hold the testing monopoly. When the doctorate matters, when an LMFT is the better call, and how to verify any license.
RECOVERY STORIESRecovery stories: where the real ones are, how to read them safely, and how to tell yours
Four collections of real first-person recovery stories, two of them Californian; why coping stories help; a six-question test for a testimonial that is an ad.
TIME OFFReturning to work after mental health leave
Your employer may ask for a release. They may not make a fitness-for-duty exam a condition of return. What reinstatement owes you, and how to plan week one.
TRACKERThe California ADHD shortage tracker
A dated weekly reading of FDA's shortage entries for the ADHD class, with a change log, what it does not tell you, and what to do when a fill is delayed.
WHO YOU NEEDTherapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist — who do I actually need?
The 60-second answer: talk therapy → therapist. Testing → psychologist. Medication → psychiatrist. The questions to ask each office.
DECISION TOOLTherapy for adult ADHD: which kind works, what it must include, and how to screen a therapist
CBT built for adult ADHD has trial evidence, with or without medication. What the sessions must include, how many, what does not count, and the six screening questions.
CALIFORNIA GUIDETherapy for bipolar disorder: what actually works
Manualised therapy added to medication cut recurrence (OR 0.56). Group and family delivery beat individual. What each approach does, and what none of them do.
FIRST SESSIONWhat actually happens in a first therapy session
Paperwork, "what brings you in," a few history questions, and logistics — that's the whole first session. What to say, what not to worry about.
YOUR RIGHTSYou can get a therapist without your parents. Here's how it works in California.
In California you can say yes to your own therapy at 12. What's private, what's not, what it costs (often $0), and how to actually start.
TEENSYour teen refuses therapy. Here's what actually moves the needle.
Forcing rarely works; waiting feels wrong. The middle path parents actually have — leverage, framing, formats teens accept, and when to override a no.