FAQ

Wherever my computer is (in a private setting of course).

And the same goes for you. That’s the wonder of telehealth. You can get a session in during your lunch break at work or while propped on the couch in your sweatpants after a long day.

No need to worry about commuting and finding a parking space and interacting with anyone but me. No time wasted, only time invested in you.

All you need is a computer, tablet or smart phone, a strong internet connection, a private place, and to live in California. 

I have a flexible schedule because I make my own hours. Clients generally schedule with me around lunchtime, first thing in the morning or after work Monday through Friday, but if you’re a morning person or have a brief time window, I’ll do my best to make it work. 

Sessions are generally fifty minutes. For clients who are in maintenance phases of treatment, not meeting weekly or every other week, but could benefit from a brief check-in I do offer twenty-five minute sessions. 

Many insurance companies give out-of-network reimbursements for mental health services. I encourage you to check with your insurance provider to understand what reimbursement options may be available. I am happy to provide you a monthly “superbill” (an itemized receipt of services) as needed. I am not in-network with any insurance companies at this time. 

If submitting to insurance for reimbursement feels like too much of a hassle, you can check your insurance coverage through Advekit.

This is an awesome service that figures out your out of network benefits, deals with the hassle of interacting with your insurance provider, and only has you pay your co-pay upfront rather than pay the whole cost of the session then wait for reimbursement. I get charged a small processing fee for the service, but it’s completely free to you! 

fifty minute session: $225/session*

twenty-five minute check-in session: $115/session 

*I do offer a sliding scale fee of $200/session to those who need it

So glad you asked! Click HERE and set up a free 15-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit.

I have a 24-hour cancellation policy. Clients who do not cancel more than 24 hours in advance are subject to the full fee of the appointment.

If you email, message, or leave a voicemail within this timeframe, your appointment is considered cancelled.

I understand life happens, I’m not a monster. Should you have an emergency and be unable to cancel before 24 hours, I will waive the cancellation fee.

I work exclusively with adults on an individual basis. So, I don’t work with children, teens, or couples. Most of my clients tend to be in the 25- to 55-year old range, but I also see folks outside of that.

Yes! It’s important to me to ensure that everyone feels seen, heard, and welcomed.

I am aware as a cis, white, able-bodied woman that I have a significant amount of privilege. As both a human and therapist of privilege, it is my responsibility to be aware of those privileges, do the work to understand my own internal biases, educate myself, and frankly just be better.

I do not pretend that things like systemic racism don’t exist, and I strive to ensure that you do not do emotional labor to educate me during therapy. I create space for those conversations and acknowledge how we may be different so we can work together to create the life you want while taking into consideration your unique cultures, traditions, religious beliefs, backgrounds, and experiences.

I am also always open to feedback and strive to respond in an open, respectful manner.

During our initial consultation, I will ask what your pronouns are and use them.

#BlackLivesMatter
#TransLivesMatter

For the safety of those seeking therapy and due to the physical limitations of telehealth, there are limits on who is best suited for therapy services online. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts with a plan or intention of self-harm, have recently been hospitalized for mental health concerns, are experiencing psychosis (hearing voices, etc.), or are in severe distress, then I would not be the best fit for you via telehealth. In those cases, in-person therapy may be better suited.

A good way to tell is to hop on a 15-minute phone consultation or video call with me, and we can chat about why you’re seeking therapy and what you hope to get out of therapy. This will give me a good idea if I’m the best person to help you.

You can generally get a feel for whether you are comfortable with me after that 15 minutes.

It depends. And yes, I’m aware that’s an annoying answer.

The long answer is that I generally encourage meeting weekly for the first 4-6 sessions to set the foundation and create momentum. From there, some clients move to every other week and then monthly. We’d have regular check-ins about your progress and goals, as well as whether you should continue therapy and with what frequency.

Before the first session, we’ll have had a short chat on the phone or via video conferencing, so I’ll already have an idea of what you hope to work on. When we schedule the initial session, I’ll send you digital documents to sign, including my informed consent, privacy policy, telehealth policy, intake questionnaire, and credit card authorization form.

The intake questionnaire will help me gain a little more insight into your history and goals. This way, we don’t spend our first session with me asking a lot of random yet important questions.

My goal in the first session is to get to know each other and discuss your goals for therapy. I may ask you some clarifying questions about what’s going on in your world right now and use that to plan and discuss what therapy might look like. You’ll have space to ask questions. And then we’ll dive right in. I like to introduce a fun tool called the Life Map in the first couple of sessions, which highlights what we’re moving toward and what patterns are keeping us stuck.

Therapy usually happens for 50 minutes during a seven-day period. If that’s the only time we are working on ourselves and developing new skills, it will take a LOOOONG time for progress to be made. So yes, I do assign homework. However, I do not make you wear a cone of shame if you don’t do it.

We work together to identify what might be helpful and reasonable for you to practice between sessions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; said as one word ‘act’) is the main therapy I do. ACT is a modern form of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) that focuses on our thoughts (cognitions) and behaviors. ACT is all about learning how to be aware of our full experience (even the stuff we don’t want to experience), so we can notice patterns, create space for discomfort, and then take concrete steps toward the people and things that matter to us in a way that’s consistent with who we want to be (instead of being a constant war with our minds).

Honestly, I love ACT. It fits with my framework on life and maps spectacularly onto the science around how our mind creates thoughts and connections between things (I swear it’s more fascinating than it sounds). ACT also has a large research base to back it up.

In addition to ACT, I incorporate many other therapies, techniques, and skills that I know work. This includes behavioral activation, habit change skills, mindful awareness practices, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and exposure therapy work. We won’t do all of this in our work together, only what’s most likely to help you and the reason for you coming to therapy.

I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Bowling Green State University in 2017. Before that, I received my Master’s in the same thing, same place, in 2014. I have been seeing clients since my days in graduate school circa early 2013.

I have worked in various hospital settings, chronic pain clinics, weight loss clinics, nursing homes, outpatient services, primary care mental health integration, group practice, and now private practice. 

I am an expert and peer-reviewed ACT trainer in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, said as one word ‘act’). In addition to therapy, I train other mental health professionals in ACT, have co-authored books for mental health professionals (one even won an award), and have consulted on grant-funded research.

Whatever makes you more comfortable. Honestly.

Most clients call me Jessica or Dr. Jessica, while a couple prefer to call me Dr. Borushok. It’s up to you. I like and answer to all of them.

Just not Jessie, never Jessie. My mom used to call me Jessie Bessie growing up, and I still cringe when someone calls me that.

My last name can seem tricky because it has a silent “u” in it. 

Boar (like the animal) + Shock (like I surprised you with a puppy) = boar-shock

I also like to joke that I “bore” you, then I “shock” you, but I’ve been told that’s not the best selling point for a therapist.

Thanks for asking! My pronouns are she/her/hers. What are yours?

I’m left-handed. I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. My singing voice can best be described as “enthusiastic.” I have the cutest dog in the whole world (you may see his tail pop up in my camera view from time to time). 

I’m writing an Urban Fantasy novel as a creative hobby (but no one can read it yet; first drafts are basically the literary equivalent of a dumpster fire).