Navigating panic, overwhelm, & grief
personal + relational therapy for queer, trans, disabled, neurodivergent, and grieving folks online in California
You’re here because chronic stress is impacting every part of your life.
We live in a system that uplifts the hustle. We live in families that deny feelings. It’s hard to understand what you’re feeling because you are feeling everything and nothing all at once. Your relationships to others is starting to mimic your relationship to your body and mind: strained.
You landed here because you are looking for a way out of the irritability and panic, and other methods aren’t cutting it anymore.
You’re not new to therapy-speak, and the harm that comes from diagnosing other people’s feelings without context.
You’ve lived it - you’ve been called dramatic, sensitive, or needy.
Really though, you needed support, comfort, or someone to see you.
You’re here now because you’re feeling incredibly irritable and emotional, and this shit is getting in the way of the life you want to live.
You feel panic, overwhelm, rage, or sometimes, nothing at all.
You’ve tried everything, followed all the advice, and nothing makes you angrier than when someone tells you to chill out.
-
Folks who are impacted by homophobia and transphobia, whose relationships to gender, sexuality, and acceptance are nuanced. Those whose queerness may be visible or invisible, whose relationships are impacted, and who are managing religious or racial trauma. Folks who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Pansexual, Trans, Gender Expansive, Nonbinary, Queer, Intersex, Asexual+ and Two Spirit.
*I am poly/kink aware and sex positive but I am not a sex therapist. If this is something you are seeking, will gladly help you find a sex therapist!
-
Folks who are impacted by systemic ableism, whose relationships to physical health, mobility, and care are nuanced. Those whose disability may be visible or invisible, whose energy levels change, who are managing medical trauma. Folks who are Physically Disabled, Chronically Ill, Sick, Epileptic, Mobility Aid Users, Assistive Device Users, Hard of Hearing, Blind, and Vision Impaired.
*I currently am not able to offer interpreting services for folks seeking services in ASL. For any HOH and D/deaf folks who would like these services, I will gladly help you find someone who does!
-
Folks who are impacted by systemic ableism, whose relationships to mental health, emotions, and thought patterns are nuanced. Those whose disability may be visible or invisible, whose relationships are impacted, who are managing psychiatric and relational trauma. Folks who have TBI or brain injury, learning and cognitive impairments, neurocognitive disorders, ADHD, Autism, Psychosis, Borderline Personality Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder.
*If your main experience relates to OCD or Dissociative Disorders, I currently refer out to providers who are experts in these areas. Please don’t be afraid to reach out and I can connect you to these clinicans!
You or your loved one are:
-
Maybe you feel alone, isolated, or disconnected. Maybe you feel guilty, ashamed, or unsure of who you are. Maybe you know exactly who you are but systems of oppression are fighting against you. Whether your identity is something you can hide or it is present in every part of your life - therapy can be a space to unpack and dismantle the expectations placed on you.
-
Maybe you feel panic, overwhelm, or irritability. Maybe you’re experiencing distressing thoughts, sensations, or memories. Whether you know what happened or feel that these symptoms are unexplained - therapy can be a space to grieve, process, and move through traumatic stress symptoms.
-
Maybe you feel stuck in a loop of arguments or notice your relationship has drifted away. Maybe you’re struggling to set boundaries, ask for something different as a care receiver, or connect within your chosen family. Whether you are wanting to build more intentional relationships on your own or want to make space for you and your people - therapy can be a space to identify missed connections, uplift your strengths, and build interdependent care relationships.
& you are seeking care for:
You desperately want to feel better within your mind, your relationships, and this terrible hellscape of a world. And you recognize you can’t do it alone.
I’m Callista / Cal
(they/them)
I’m a queer & nonbinary therapist, artist, and person who has lived experience in therapy. I don’t pretend to know everything. I won’t call you resilient or throw treatments at you. We will focus on how therapy feels.
Accessibility Note:
If the thought of reading my entire website is overwhelming or you would like a single-scroll accessible page, TL;DR includes a concise summary of who I am and what I offer:
Cultivating mutual care relationships with each other, our bodies, and minds
grieving and making space for emotions
understanding and reauthoring what happened
learning to navigate symptoms
repairing or restructuring relationships
receiving and giving care authentically
We will honor your lived experience and support you in building a life that feels meaningful to you.
Maybe that looks like:
1
Let’s connect - phone or video consultation
2
Personalized, relational therapy for you
3
Build the life & relationships you find meaningful
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Yes! If you are interested in working with me, please reach out using the client interest form, emailing me directly at callistacoxtherapy@gmail.com, or scheduling a free phone or video 15 minute consultation.
-
I currently do not work with insurance. I am an out-of-network provider. I am able to help you prepare a superbill (receipt) to submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. Please note that reimbursement is typically only accepted by PPO insurances.
In order to provide superbills, I have to assign you a diagnosis. I will always make sure to include you in the process of adding a diagnosis to your file to make sure that it represents your experience.
This page goes over frequently asked insurance questions, including questions to ask your insurance company.
-
$175 for individuals
$195 for relationships (2-5 people)
These rates are for 50 minute sessions. I offer prorated fees for 80 minute sessions if requested.
-
Yes, please indicate your fee range for sessions when scheduling the consultation or take a look at this helpful guide. We will re-evaluate how the fee we decide on feels at the 6 month mark.
Low Fee: $70 for individuals and $80 for relationships, through Open Path Psychotherapy Collective, a nonprofit that ensures access to therapy for those who cannot use insurance or pay current rates. I currently have one spot open.
Reduced Fees: $100, $125, $150, and $175. I currently have spots available.
-
I currently only offer online sessions across California.
If you would like to receive in-person therapy in California, I am happy to refer you to colleagues within the Stillpoint Therapy Collective who offer sessions in San Francisco, Santa Monica, & Los Angeles. I also am connected to many resources in San Diego and Los Angeles and would be happy to connect you to a local therapist in SoCal.
-
Clients may cancel up to two sessions per year for any reason with no charge.
Beyond those two sessions, any absences (late cancellation or no show) will be billed at the full session rate if they are cancelled within less than 3 hours before session time. We can attempt. to reschedule within the week, however this is not guaranteed.
All clients are welcome to come to session as they are, whether that means with all of the lights off and the camera aimed at the ceiling, laying in bed, sitting outside, or parked in their cars. I want therapy to be a safe space to be yourself and to make space for our access needs. I also have a dynamic disability that impacts my ability to work - I may show up to session with heating pads, ice packs, or sunglasses. As I honor your need to cancel, I will also cancel sessions if I am feeling unwell.
-
I am careful in documentation & navigation of the current political climate. I do not use AI for any kind of note-taking or clinical work. I do not document information about disabilities, neurodivergence, gender, sexuality, or specific traumas.
I also do not document a diagnosis unless there is an agreement between us that you’d like me to for insurance superbill purposes. We will decide together what diagnosis fits what is happening for you.
-
If you haven’t seen it already, this page explains common reasons why you might come to therapy.
The reason you come to therapy is up to you - I provide a safe space for you to reflect, heal, rage, and reclaim. Project LETS, an important grassroots peer support program puts it best in their Mental Health 101 article here.
Therapy should not be an echo chamber and a diagnosis should not be the answer to all questions. There are many things therapy is not, especially those listed in this questionnaire: “Is There Something Wrong or Questionable In Your Treatment?”
You are the expert in your experience. I love this article written by a therapist, “You’re Probably Smarter Than Your Therapist: How to Get What You Came For Anyways.” Therapy should be give and take, relational, and worth your time. See also: “50 Signs of Good Therapy.”
-
We can meet over the phone or video for 15 minutes. If texting or emailing is more accessible for you we can do so.
We will go over what brings you to therapy, answer any questions you may have, confirm logistics (phone or video sessions, fees, and policies), and then I will ask if you want time to think about working with me before scheduling.
If I am not the best match, I will always offer referrals to make sure you are connected to someone.
