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About Us

Fuller Psychological and Family Services (FPFS) is the clinical training and community mental health outreach arm of the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. We are located on the campus of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Fuller’s School of Psychology was the first clinical psychology professional school in the United States established in a theological seminary, and in 1974 became the first seminary-based psychology school to receive American Psychological Association* accreditation. The clinic opened in November 1964 as the “Pasadena Community Counseling Center,” a year before the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology opened.

Click here for more about the history of the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and FPFS.

*Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

INTEGRATION

One way in which FPFS is unique is that its very existence is predicated upon treating mind, body, and spirit in an integrated manner. Simply put, this means that people are more than just physical beings. It also means that psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety often manifest as physical symptoms such as fatigue or pain. Further, it means that our spiritual health can impact and be impacted by our physical and psychological symptoms. These beliefs are inextricably linked to the establishment and ongoing vision of FPFS, a vision strongly influenced by both the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and Fuller Theological Seminary.

It is from these roots that FPFS has grown to encompass and treat clients from a variety of spiritual and religious traditions. Our student therapists and licensed therapists are trained to integrate issues of faith into treatment in a sensitive manner. Sometimes this means issues of faith are salient concerns during therapy. Often it means that psychological and physical symptoms or interventions are focused on and issues of faith are not directly addressed. Regardless of what the therapy addresses directly or indirectly, our therapists believe that people should be viewed and treated holistically – mind, body, and spirit – and that therapy provides an opportunity for each client to safely explore what the integration of these three dimensions of their being means for him/her.

FPFS TODAY

FPFS therapists provide thousands of hours of therapy and assessment services each year to hundreds of clients in Pasadena, Los Angeles, and surrounding communities. Most of our therapists are students from the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology’s Clinical Psychology Program and Marriage and Family Therapy Program. They are closely supervised by a network of licensed professionals employed by FPFS to help ensure they operate in an effective, safe, and ethical manner. In this way, FPFS contributes to the development of future mental health professionals while also addressing the mental health needs of local communities.

FPFS therapists provide therapy services to individuals (childrenadolescents, and adults), couplesfamilies, and groups, to address a variety of symptoms associated with issues including but not limited to anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, guilt, and bereavement. Additionally, a unique benefit that FPFS offers is the provision of psychotherapy services in five languages: Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, to reflect the significant diversity present in the communities we serve.

FPFS also provides personality and neuropsychological assessment services. Personality assessment can help you understand why you think, feel, and act as you do. Personality assessment results can be used to help you improve your relationships, understand your strengths, and help you identify opportunities for improvement. Neuropsychological assessment can help detect the presence of neurodevelopmental disorders, which usually occur during childhood but also manifest in adults. These disorders include but are not limited to ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning disorders, intellectual disabilities, dyslexia, processing issues, depression, and anxiety. Our neuropsychological assessment services have helped hundreds of parents better understand the uniqueness of their children, and in the process helped parents get the support they need to help their children thrive.

Finally, because FPFS utilizes beginning students, advanced students, and licensed clinicians, we are able to provide therapy and assessment services at affordable rates to fit your particular situation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you take insurance?
FPFS accepts only a few insurance carriers. However, If you have a health plan that is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), your clinician can provide you billing information that will allow you to seek reimbursement from your PPO.

Do you take Medicare?
Some of our licensed professionals accept Medicare. Please call for more information.

What forms of payment does FPFS accept?
We accept cash, check, or credit card.

Do you extend credit?
No.

Are your therapists licensed?
Some of our therapists are licensed Clinical Psychologists or licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. Most of our therapists are graduate student trainees pursuing either a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology or a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. Many of our therapists have already earned an advanced degree and continue to work at FPFS to gain additional experience prior to licensure.

All pre-licensed therapists are under the supervision of a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and/or a licensed Psychologist.

Why do you use prelicensed therapists in your clinic?
FPFS is a part of the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and plays a vital role in helping educate and train our students. The use of pre-licensed therapists allows us to help train future therapists while offering a range of affordable fee options to our clients. All pre-licensed therapists are under the supervision of licensed professionals, ensuring safe, effective, and ethical treatment.

What are your fees for individual therapy?
Please check our website for our latest fee information.

What are your fees for couples and family therapy?

Please check our website for our latest fee information.

Which diagnoses or problems do your therapists work with?
FPFS therapists work with most diagnoses, including those related to depressionanxiety, adjustment, childhood development, and trauma. Typical problems our clients discuss with us include problems at work, with friends, with family, with romantic relationships, and at school.

Are there diagnoses that FPFS will NOT work with?
We do not directly treat disorders such as bipolar disorders, eating disorders, or substance-related and addictive disorders. Such disorders require that clients be under the direct care of a physician and/or under the care of an outpatient treatment facility. However, we will treat the depressive, anxiety, and adjustment symptoms that often accompany those disorders.

Do you prescribe medication?
FPFS therapists do not prescribe medications. We will provide you referrals to a psychiatrist, and our therapists will work with your psychiatrist.

May I request a particular therapist?
Yes. Although we cannot guarantee the therapist you request will be available, we will do our best to try.

Do you welcome LGBTQ couples and individuals?
Yes. We treat individuals without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, health status (including medical condition, claims experience, receipt of health care, or medical history), physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran's status, marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Do you provide Christian counseling?
FPFS therapists are unique in that they are trained to integrate spiritual issues into your therapy sessions. If you wish to have counseling provided from an explicit and directive Christian perspective, please let your therapist know.

I am not a Christian. Will you still treat me?
Of course. We are here to help you in a way that honors and respects your freedom to believe and feel what you wish. We honor all faith traditions, and our therapists are trained to meet you where you are—not to judge you, preach to you, or convert you. Should you wish to talk about your faith, you will find FPFS therapists prepared to honor mind, body, and spirit—regardless of your religious beliefs.

Do you treat clients who have been ordered by the courts to receive therapy?
We have clients referred to our clinic from various sources, including the court system. However, unless subpoenaed, we will not communicate directly to the court, and we will not provide documentation for you to give to the court (other than simply verifying the dates that therapy took place). It is important that you understand what the court is expecting from you, so please be prepared to discuss that at your first session. If you were given a Minute Order, please read it carefully in advance.

Do you work with children? 
Yes, we love working with children! However, before seeing your child, it is important that your clinician understands who has legal custody of your child. For married couples, we require the written consent of both parents. However, if the parents have divorced, their rights to make decisions on behalf of their children are subject to the order given by the family court. In such cases, our therapists are required to review (and retain) a copy of the custody order prior to the commencement of the treatment of a minor child, and obtain signatures of both parents if both have legal custody.

Do you provide couples therapy?
Yes. We provide premarital couples therapy, marital therapy, and therapy to couples who simply want to improve how they communicate with each other.

Do you provide family therapy as well?
Yes. We enjoy working with families, and we have therapists specially trained to do so.

How long will therapy last?
That is a good question. Unfortunately, there is no single or simple answer because every situation is different. As you and your therapist meet and get to know each other, he/she will be in a better position to discuss this question with you.

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS RELATE TO NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT:

What assessment services do you provide?
We provide comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations.FPFS’s assessment program specializes in clinical evaluations of children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of learning, behavioral, and emotional disorders (e.g., ADHD, dyslexia, other learning disabilities, processing issues, depression, anxiety, etc.).

What do you charge for an assessment?
FPFS charges $2,500 for each assessment. This is below the prevailing rate for assessments of this quality, breadth, and depth, and underscores our commitment to provide accessible services.

Who performs your assessments?
Our licensed assessment supervisors utilize trained student assessment clerks (students who have their MA in Clinical Psychology and are working on their doctorate) to do most of the testing. They closely supervise the students and are very involved throughout the process.