ABOUT ME
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with prior graduate work in psychology (MA; College of William and Mary) and family studies and human development (PhD; University of Arizona). My clinical, teaching, and research experience has provided me with a diverse knowledge base to pull from for assessment and treatment planning. My approach to therapy is integrative, combining best practices from family therapy, neuroscience, and psychology.
I earned my Master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of San Diego and completed my training at UC San Diego’s Department of Family Medicine, Collaborative Care program. In this integrative behavioral health unit, I worked on patient care teams with primary care physicians and psychiatrists to address a wide range of behavioral health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, family and relationship problems, trauma, stress reduction, and healthy lifestyle changes. After obtaining my license to practice independently, I was hired as the Collaborative Care Program Lead Therapist, overseeing the triage and management of all referrals, in addition to providing direct mental health services. It was in this role that I developed a deeper understanding of the biological, psychological, and social underpinnings of mental and physical health issues. I developed a special interest in how traumatic experiences impact not only our psychological and spiritual being, but can also lead to life-altering physical illnesses. As a result, I completed training and certification in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). I have continued to train in trauma-focused modalities. To this day, I focus less on a single technique and more on integrating many approaches to meet the needs of the individual client.
In addition to practicing as a marriage and family therapist, I am a professor with teaching experience in developmental psychology and family therapy. I currently teach Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Research Methods in the undergraduate Psychology Department at Cal State San Marcos. I previously taught seminars in family therapy in the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program at UCSD and the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at USD. Teaching helps me to remain current with the latest advances in treatment, and keeps me connected with young minds. I find great joy in working with students as they develop their own interests, passions, and career goals. It has also been a privilege to teach therapeutic modalities to psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners.
When not engaged in my work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, traveling, listening to live music, and enjoying our beautiful city. I am also the proud parent of a very loving and playful French bulldog named Keith Richards, who you may see around the office from time to time
SCHEDULING, LOCATION, AND FEES
Hours & Scheduling
I see clients by appointment only, both daytime and evening hours. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am now offering telehealth sessions, in addition to traditional in-person sessions. I look forward to speaking with you about scheduling an appointment.
For current clients, please note that calls, messages, and emails will be returned within 24 hours during business days; 48 hours during weekends. In case of emergencies, please call 911 or San Diego County Access and Crisis Line: 888-724-7240
Location
My office is centrally located, just west of the 5 on Carmel Valley Rd in Del Mar. The location is easily accessible to the following communities: Del Mar Heights, Carmel Valley, Sorrento Valley, Torrey Hills, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, Torrey Highlands, and University City.
2262 Carmel Valley Rd, Suite E, Del Mar, CA 92014
Fees
My fees depend on the length of time and type of service provided. My standard fee is $180 for a 50-minute session. EMDR and couple/family sessions often require extra time and so I have discounted the 80-minute session to $225 to make this option more attractive to those who need it. I offer two appointments a week at a sliding scale fee for people with financial constraints. Please feel free to ask me about this.
Accepted Forms of Payment
I accept cash, check and all major credit cards.
Can I use my insurance, flexible spending plan, or Health Saving Account?
I am considered an “out-of-network provider” for most PPO plans. This means that you will pay me directly and your insurance company will reimburse you for all or part of the cost. Coverage varies greatly but plans typically reimburse 50% to 90% of the fee once you have met your deductible. For most insurance plans, I can assist you by submitting claims on your behalf on a monthly basis and the insurance company will mail a check directly to you. Otherwise, I will provide you with a superbill, which you can submit for reimbursement at your convenience.
To learn about your options, it is best to contact your insurance carrier directly and ask the following questions:
Do I have out-of-network mental health coverage?
What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
How do I request reimbursement?
Is there a limit to the number of sessions per year my plan covers?
What is my deductible?
Do I need to get approval from my primary care physician?
If you have a flexible spending plan or HSA – Health Saving Account, your services may also qualify for reimbursement. Please contact your plan directly to learn what options are available to you.
Self-pay clients will receive a “Good Faith Estimate” upon scheduling
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance (i.e., those who may have insurance, but are not submitting an out-of-network claim or superbill) an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
*Jenee James PhD LMFT would like to thank J. Dixx Photography for the professional photographs on the About Jenee, My Approach, EMDR, and Resources pages*