Can I Keep My Therapist If I Split Time Between California and New York?

Yes—if your therapist is licensed or otherwise legally authorized to provide care where you are physically located during each session, and telehealth remains appropriate for your needs. I’m Erica Basso, LMFT, and at Elevé Therapy & Co, I offer online therapy in California and online therapy in New York, so clients working with me can continue care while moving or traveling between these two states. I’m currently the only therapist at our practice licensed in both states.

Written by Erica Basso, LMFT
Last reviewed: October 8th, 2026

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Can My Therapist See Me in Another State?
3. Why I Became Licensed in California and New York
4. Who Can Benefit From Therapy Across Both States?
5. How Do I Keep My Therapist When Traveling Between California and New York?
6. What Do Sessions Cost, and How Do Time Zones Work?
7. Conclusion
8. FAQ

Introduction

You’ve found a therapist you trust. Then you get into graduate school in New York, make plans to return home to California for the summer, or start spending more time on the opposite coast. Alongside everything else you’re figuring out, you wonder whether you’ll have to find someone new and tell your story all over again.

At Elevé Therapy & Co, we support adults navigating anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, and life transitions. If you’re already working on these concerns through therapy for anxiety, a change in location can raise practical questions about continuing that work. This guide explains when continuing is possible, how my dual licensure helps, and what you need to know before your next session.

Quick Answer: You can keep the same therapist while splitting time between California and New York when that therapist is legally authorized to treat you in both locations and virtual care is appropriate. I’m Erica Basso, LMFT, licensed in California and New York, and I offer private-pay telehealth sessions for adults physically located in either state. Your location during the appointment matters, even if you’re only visiting.

Can My Therapist See Me in Another State?

The important question is where you will physically be during your appointment. Your permanent address, the state where you started therapy, and the location listed on your driver’s license don’t replace that check.

For example, if you usually live in California but join a session from New York, your therapist needs legal authorization to provide care in New York. New York’s Office of the Professions states that a practitioner must hold a New York license or be otherwise authorized when providing services to a patient located there. California’s Board of Behavioral Sciences likewise explains that a California clinician treating someone in another jurisdiction must meet that jurisdiction’s requirements. See the New York telepractice guidance and California telehealth FAQ.

At the beginning of each telehealth session, I confirm where you are located. For my clients, you need to be physically in California or New York at the time of service. Knowing your current location also helps us plan for local emergency resources and contacts.

Myth: If I’m a California resident, I can join my California therapist’s video session from any state.

Fact: Your physical location during the session matters. Your therapist must check their authorization to practice where you are, including during a temporary visit.

Why I Became Licensed in California and New York

Travel between California and New York has been a recurring theme among the clients we serve. Some attend college or graduate school on one coast and return home to the other. Others split their time between the two states for work or because that’s how they want to live. Before I became licensed in New York, I had to stop seeing long-term clients because of these changes in location. What stood out to me was the loss of an established relationship: the concern that a new therapist might not be a fit, the daunting task of continuing to search, and the prospect of retelling their story.

Finding a therapist takes effort. When you’ve worked with someone over different seasons of your life—sometimes for years—there is value in being able to pick up where you left off. You can bring in what’s happening now without having to explain all the history behind it again. That experience is why I pursued New York licensure once I became eligible. Now, moving to New York or returning to California doesn’t automatically mean that our work together has to end.

Key Takeaway: My decision to become licensed in both states grew out of wanting to preserve established therapy relationships when clients’ lives took them between California and New York.

Who Can Benefit From Therapy Across Both States?

This option may be useful if your life regularly takes you between the two coasts. The following are examples of situations it can accommodate, rather than stories about individual clients:

• College and graduate students: You attend school in New York and spend breaks or holidays with family in California, or the reverse.
• Professionals who travel: Your work takes you between the two states, and you want to maintain your appointments.
• People relocating: You’re moving from one state to the other and would prefer to continue an existing therapy relationship.
• People living bicoastally: You divide your time between California and New York for work, relationships, family, or lifestyle.

You can learn more about our online therapy in California and online therapy in New York. At Elevé, I am currently the only therapist licensed in both states, so choose Erica Basso if this flexibility is important to you.

How Do I Keep My Therapist When Traveling Between California and New York?

Continuing therapy doesn’t require getting every part of your travel routine perfect. A few practical checks can help you avoid discovering a problem right when your session is supposed to begin.

Step 1: Check your therapist’s authorization. If you work with another therapist, ask whether they can provide care while you are physically in the destination state. Being part of a practice that serves both states doesn’t necessarily mean every individual clinician can.

Step 2: Confirm the appointment in local time. California and New York are three hours apart. An appointment at 1 p.m. Pacific is at 4 p.m. Eastern; you need to attend at the corresponding time wherever you are.

Step 3: Find a private place to join. Staying with family, sharing a dorm room, or traveling for work can make privacy harder. Choose somewhere you can speak freely and use a reliable connection.

Step 4: Share your current location. I confirm your location at the start of each appointment. Tell your therapist if your plans change and you will be outside the states where they can provide care.

For sessions with me, the essentials are being physically in California or New York, being able to attend at the scheduled time, and having a setting suitable for therapy. If you’ll be in a different state or country, we need to discuss the plan rather than assume a session can proceed.

Key Takeaway: Changing coasts doesn’t necessarily require changing your appointment. Check your location, your local appointment time, and your privacy before joining.

What Do Sessions Cost, and How Do Time Zones Work?

My private-pay fee is $200 per session, whether you attend from California or New York. This article describes my out-of-pocket offering; it does not promise insurance coverage or reimbursement. For a broader explanation of payment options, read How Much Does Therapy Cost in California?.

You are responsible for meeting your scheduled appointment time in your current time zone. If the corresponding local time no longer works with classes, work, or other commitments, discuss scheduling with me; a different appointment depends on availability. For more on fitting virtual appointments around your commitments, read Therapy That Fits Your Schedule. Keeping the same therapist also doesn’t mean the work has to stay exactly the same. A move may bring new concerns into therapy: changing relationships, adjusting to school, or noticing how work pressure follows you between cities. If that last concern resonates, What Does Therapy for Burnout Look Like? explains more about that work.

Note: This article provides general education, not individualized treatment or legal advice. Telehealth suitability and applicable requirements must be considered for your circumstances. If you are in crisis in the U.S., call or text 988; for immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911.

Conclusion

If you’re moving or spending time on the other coast and don’t want to start over with a new therapist, that makes sense. There is value in continuing with someone you know and trust, particularly when you’re already managing a transition. My California and New York licensure makes it possible to offer continuity, a familiar therapeutic relationship, and flexibility between these two states. If you’re new to Elevé, you can book your first therapy session with Erica Basso directly. An optional brief call is available if you have questions before starting.

If you’d like to learn more first, read about my approach and meet our therapists.

Bottom line: You can make decisions about where you live, study, or work while exploring ways to preserve a therapy relationship that matters to you.

FAQ

Can I see my California therapist while I’m in New York?

Yes, if your therapist is licensed or otherwise legally authorized to provide services to you in New York and telehealth is appropriate. A California license alone does not automatically provide that authorization. I hold licenses in both states and offer online therapy in New York.

Can I keep my therapist when I go home for college breaks?

Yes, when your therapist is authorized to provide care in the state where you’ll be during the session. Students working with me can continue sessions while physically in California or New York, including during breaks and holidays. Confirm the appointment time in your local time zone.

Can I attend therapy from another state if my permanent address is in California?

Your permanent California address does not by itself authorize your therapist to treat you while you’re elsewhere. Your therapist needs to consider the requirements where you are physically located during the session. Discuss travel plans rather than assuming your usual appointment can proceed.

Are all Elevé therapists licensed in California and New York?

No. Erica Basso is currently the only therapist at Elevé Therapy & Co licensed in both California and New York. Check the individual clinician’s availability on our team page before booking.

How much does bicoastal therapy with Erica Basso cost?

Private-pay sessions with me cost $200 per session. That fee is the same whether you attend from California or New York. You can request your first session without a required therapist consultation.

Can I keep the same therapy appointment when I travel to New York?

Yes, if you can attend at the corresponding local time and are in an authorized location. For example, 1 p.m. in California is 4 p.m. in New York. If that time no longer works, ask about alternatives; new appointment times depend on availability.

Keep a familiar connection across both coasts.
Erica Basso, LMFT, offers virtual therapy for adults physically located in California or New York. Private-pay sessions are $200.

• Primary button: Book Your First Session → https://elevetherapyco.com/contact
• Secondary button: Meet Erica → https://elevetherapyco.com/team

Related Posts

1. Anxiety Treatment in California: Your Options, Explained
2. How Much Does Therapy Cost in California? (2026 Guide)
3. What Does Therapy for Burnout Look Like? (Why ‘Just Rest’ Isn’t Enough)
4. What Is CBT? How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Helps Anxiety