FAQ's

What services does Daybreak Counseling Center provide?

Daybreak Counseling Center offers professional, evidence-based psychotherapy and counseling for individuals, couples, families, teens, and young adults. Our therapists specialize in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, couples and relationship issues, grief and loss, life transitions, school and teen stress, self-esteem concerns, and more. We tailor our approach to your unique needs using person-centered, holistic, and integrative methods.

Where are you located and do you offer online therapy?

We have two convenient counseling offices:

  • Long Beach, CA – 4182 N. Viking Way, Suites 201-203, Long Beach, CA 90808

  • Cerritos, CA – 17315 Studebaker Rd. #209, Cerritos, CA 90703

Yes — we also offer telehealth (online therapy) services throughout California so you can meet with a therapist from home or wherever you are located in the state.

What types of therapy do you offer?

Our clinical team uses a range of therapeutic approaches, including:

  • Client-centered therapy

  • Cognitive-behavioral techniques

  • Trauma-informed care

  • Couples and relationship counseling

  • Grief work and life transitions support

  • Teen and young adult therapy

  • Mindfulness and insight-based strategies

We match each client with the most suitable modality for their goals and challenges.

Do you accept health insurance?

Yes — we accept the following insurance plans:

✔ Cigna
✔ United Healthcare (including Optum)
✔ Health Net / Health Net Medi-Cal / MHN (Managed Health Network)

We are out of network for most other plans, but we provide superbills clients can submit to their insurer for reimbursement. We recommend contacting your insurance provider to verify specific mental health benefits, session limits, and reimbursement rates.

How do I schedule an appointment?

You can request an appointment by:

📞 Calling our Long Beach office at (562) 566-4257
📞 Calling our Cerritos office at (562) 366-1596
📩 Filling out our online appointment request form — we will contact you to confirm your first session and answer questions.

What should I expect in my first therapy session?
In your first session, your therapist will:

• Create a warm, confidential space
• Ask about your concerns, history, and goals
• Discuss how therapy works and what to expect
• Collaboratively begin shaping your treatment plan

You’re welcome to ask questions and share at your own pace — there’s no pressure to disclose everything immediately.

Can therapy at Daybreak help with anxiety or depression?

Yes. Our team has extensive experience helping people manage and reduce symptoms of anxiety, overwhelm, stress, depression, burnout, and low mood. We focus on both practical coping skills and deeper personal understanding so that clients feel more grounded and empowered.

Do you offer therapy for couples or relationships?

Absolutely. We provide couples counseling to support improved communication, conflict resolution, emotional connection, and shared goals. Our therapists utilize approaches tailored to your relationship’s unique dynamics and needs.

Do you work with teens and young adults?

Yes — we offer therapy specifically for teens and young adults dealing with identity, school stress, family issues, self-esteem concerns, social anxiety, life transitions, and more.

Can I choose which therapist I work with?

Yes. We encourage clients to select a therapist they feel comfortable with. If for any reason the fit isn’t right, we’ll help you find another therapist on our team who better aligns with your needs and goals.

What are your office hours?

Our Long Beach and Cerritos locations typically offer flexible scheduling, including evenings and telehealth appointments to accommodate work, school, and personal commitments. For exact hours or to schedule, please call our office.

Will my therapy be confidential?

Yes. All psychotherapy sessions are confidential. We follow legal and ethical standards to protect your privacy, with only a few rare exceptions required by law (e.g., imminent risk of harm).

What is your approach to therapy?

At Daybreak, we take a client-centered, holistic, and collaborative approach. We see you as a whole person — not just a diagnosis — and we work with your story, strengths, goals, and lived experience to support meaningful growth, healing, and self-understanding

How can Therapy Help me?

A number of benefits are available from participating in therapy. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find that counselors can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:

  • Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
  • Developing skills for improving your relationships
  • Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
  • Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
  • Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
  • Improving communications and listening skills
  • Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
  • Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
  • Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence

Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you've faced, there's nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you're at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.

Why do people go to therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?

People have many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, spiritual conflicts and creative blocks. Therapy can help provide some much needed encouragement and help with skills to get them through these periods. Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes in their lives.

What is Therapy like?

Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly).

It is important to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, your therapist may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process - such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, noting particular behaviors or taking action on your goals. People seeking psychotherapy are ready to make positive changes in their lives, are open to new perspectives and take responsibility for their lives.

What about medication vs. psychotherapy?

It is well established that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved solely by medication. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy addresses the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what's best for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action.

Do you take insurance, and how does that work?

To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, the first thing you should do is call them. Check your coverage carefully and make sure you understand their answers. Some helpful questions you can ask them:

  • What are my mental health benefits?
  • What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
  • How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
  • How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
  • Is approval required from my primary care physician?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and psychotherapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the therapist's office. Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called “Informed Consent”. Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.

* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threated to harm another person.

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