Sessions are 50 minutes long and typically occur once a week, especially at the beginning.

Because I do relational, depth-oriented work, regular sessions help us build the trust and consistency that meaningful therapy is built on. That said, frequency can be adjusted to fit your needs and schedule as needed.

Yes to both! I offer in-person sessions for those located near Newport Beach, CA, and virtual therapy for clients located anywhere in California.

Please note that legally and ethically I can only work with clients who are physically located in California at the time of our sessions—even if you live in California but are traveling out of state.

Yes! I am partnered with Alma to be considered in network with most commercial insurance plans. Currently I am in network with the following insurances:

• United Healthcare/Optum

• Aetna

• Cigna

To verify if I take your insurance or schedule an initial consultation call, you can go to my Alma directory listing at this link: https://secure.helloalma.com/providers/chelsea-sutter/

For insurance plans which I am not able to bill through Alma, I'm considered an out-of-network provider. This means I don’t bill insurance directly and you would pay out of pocket. If you have out-of-network benefits, you may be able to receive reimbursement for the cost.

While this can feel like a barrier at first, it also gives us more freedom to tailor your care to your unique needs—without the limitations or time restrictions often set by insurance companies. Many clients find that this creates a more personalized, flexible, and private therapy experience.

Appointments are $200 for a 50-minute session. I also reserve a limited number of reduced/sliding scale fee spots on an as-needed basis. If this would make therapy more accessible for you, let me know during our intro call and we can talk through options together.

If you’re in need of a reduced fee, but unsure of how to determine a rate that would work for you, I like to refer to the economic justice model, ”The Green Bottle”, developed by Alexis J. Cunningfolk, as a guide. You can check it out here.

If your plan offers out-of-network benefits, you may be able to get partial reimbursement by submitting a superbill (a detailed receipt I can provide). There are online services that can also help simplify the process as well.

I’m happy to share a guide with questions to ask your insurance provider so you can find out exactly what’s covered.