You do not have to live near Laguna Hills to work with a Shanti Orange County therapist. Telehealth counseling brings our therapists to you anywhere in California with a reliable connection.
Who Telehealth Serves
Telehealth fits many situations:
- You live in Northern California, the Central Valley, or rural OC far from the office
- Mobility, caregiving, or work schedules make driving difficult
- You want continuity when traveling within the state
- Anxiety or stigma makes an office visit a second-step goal, and video can be a bridge
HIV case management and some groups may still involve in-person or phone coordination, and intake explains what can be remote for your program mix.
How to Start (Same as In-Person)
- Call (949) 452-0888 or email [email protected]
- Tell intake you prefer telehealth and share your California address
- Complete enrollment forms (often via Simple Practice within 24 hours)
- Receive a secure link for your first session
Read First visit for the full intake story.
Technology Tips
- Use a private room; kitchen tables work if others are not listening
- Headphones improve confidentiality
- Test Wi-Fi or cellular data before session one
- Keep charging handy; a dropped call can be resumed, but planning helps
If technology is a barrier, tell intake. Sometimes phone-based options or in-person visits are better.
Insurance and Fees
Telehealth generally follows the same insurance and $65/$100 low-cost structure as in-person mental health counseling, but plans differ. Intake verifies your coverage for telehealth at your home address.
Combining Remote Counseling With Local Resources
You might use Shanti telehealth for therapy while accessing local HIV testers listed on Community resources. HIV case managers can help clients living with HIV coordinate when you are in Orange County part-time.
When In-Person Is Better
Some people prefer reading body language in the room. Others need psychological testing and evaluation that requires in-office measures. Your therapist can discuss a hybrid plan: video most weeks, occasional Laguna Hills visits.
Laguna Hills office: 23461 South Pointe Dr., Suite 100, with free parking.
Begin From Anywhere in CA
Call (949) 452-0888 (Mon–Fri, 9 am – 5 pm PT). Telehealth is not a lesser version of care. It is the same relationship, meeting you where you are.
What Telehealth Does Not Change
The parts people worry about are the parts that stay the same. Confidentiality protections apply to a video session exactly as they do in the office. The clinician is the same clinician. The fee structure is the same, $65 with an unlicensed therapist or $100 with a licensed one, and many insurance plans including CalOptima are accepted for eligible services.
The intake path is identical too: you reach out, enrollment paperwork typically arrives through Simple Practice within about a business day, you complete it, and we usually schedule within another day or two. Most callers are seen within one to two weeks, though timing can vary.
Where Telehealth Genuinely Wins
- Distance. Sessions are available throughout California, so a client in Sacramento or Fresno can work with the same Laguna Hills team.
- Continuity through change. Moving, a new job, a semester away at school. The relationship survives the logistics.
- Chronic illness and fatigue. When the drive itself is the barrier, removing it is the whole intervention.
- Privacy in a small community. Not everyone wants to be seen walking into a building.
Where the Office Still Wins
Telehealth is not universally better and it is worth being honest about that. Psychological testing is a multi-session, in-person process by nature. Group work often lands differently in a room. And some people simply concentrate better somewhere that is not their kitchen.
Our in-person office is at 23461 South Pointe Dr., Suite 100, Laguna Hills, with free parking on site. Círculo Latino, the free monthly Spanish-language circle, meets the first Tuesday of each month from 5:30 to 7 pm.
Insurance Rules Follow Your Address
This is the one genuine complication. Telehealth coverage depends on where you are located and on your specific plan's telehealth policy, not on where the clinician sits. Two clients with the same insurer can get different answers because they live in different counties.
There is no way to resolve this from a web page. Bring your member ID, plan name, and date of birth to intake and we will confirm before you schedule video sessions.
Practical Setup
Somewhere you will not be interrupted, headphones if the household is close quarters, and a backup plan for when the connection drops, usually just a phone number to call. Tell your clinician at the start of the first session if being on camera is difficult; that is workable information, not a complaint.
Call 949-452-0888, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm PT, or email [email protected].
