Welcome to Piedmont Psychotherapy

Piedmont Psychotherapy is the private psychotherapy practice owned by Jennifer Valera, LCSW.

In our office located in Oakland off of Piedmont Avenue, my associates and I serve children, adolescents, adults and families. Together, we provide sliding-scale and insurance-reimburseable psychotherapy services to the greater San Francisco East Bay Area, also serving the Spanish and Mandarin-speaking communities.

Contact Us:
Jennifer Valera, LCSW (510) 292-6385
Sarah Campbell, MFTI (510) 499-0608
May Chao Heller, ACSW (510) 332-2530

Office Hours:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
from 9:00am to 7:00pm.
Contact us for available appointments.

Using Insurance,
some considerations:

1. Working with insurance means that the therapist is required to share some private health information with the insurer. You should know that submitting a mental health invoice for reimbursement and asking for authorization of services, carries a risk to the privacy of treatment.

2. Before our first appointment, please call your insurer directly to establish my provider status. Be aware that some insurers may contract with other companies to provide mental health services. Additionally, a copay or deductible may be due.

3. Please mention that you would like to work with an insurance company during our first phone contact and we can determine together what this will require.

4. Bring your card to our first appointment.

Using a Health Savings Account:

HSAs are privately funded savings accounts which allow the beneficiary to contribute funds with a tax advantage. Many clients pay their therapy bills through their HSAs. Please check the guidelines of your HSA to determine if this might work well for you.

Jen is an In-Network Provider for:
Blue Sheild, United Behavioral Health, Mental Health Net, Magellan and MediCal/Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services.

Working with PPO-type insurance:
PPO-type insurance generally allows the client greater freedom to choose their therapist. The client sends in their monthly statement/receipt of therapeutic services and the company reimburses the client for out of pocket expenditure, along the guidelines of their contract with the client. Should the client elect to access this system, we are available to assist in managing the paperwork. Please call your PPO directly to inquire about reimbursement of therapeutic services for out-of-network providers.

Clients who carry insurance, for which the therapist is not "in-network," should remember that professional services are rendered and charged to the client and NOT the insurance company. Clients must pay the full monthly fee for services out-of-pocket, for later reimbursement.

Please note that not all issues or conditions, which are the focus of psychotherapy, are reimbursed by insurance companies. It is your responsibility to verify the specifics of your coverage.