Mental Health Continuity Care (MHCC)
Healing doesn’t end when therapy does.
MHCC offers continued access to your therapist for guidance, grounding, and steady care between sessions.
Healing continues in the small moments
when you need to talk something through, check in, or
feel reminded that you’re not doing this alone.
“Therapy should not be theory-driven, but relationship-driven.”
Irvin D. Yalom
Think Direct Primary Care for Therapy
What is Mental Health Continuity Care?
MHCC is a membership-based model designed for people who want continued mental health support without the barriers of traditional therapy.
You can reach out, check in, and maintain continuity — even when you’re not in active weekly therapy.
Life doesn’t always follow a therapy schedule. Work changes, families grow, routines shift — and sometimes you just need a place to check in, reflect, or steady yourself without starting over.
With MHCC, you have:
Direct access to your therapist between sessions for guidance, reflection, or support.
Scheduled sessions that fit your current pace and season of life.
Messaging and Phone access for brief check-ins, updates, or planning.
Care coordination when referrals or higher levels of care are appropriate.
Continued collaboration toward long-term stability and growth.
It’s a way to stay connected, grounded, and supported — not just when things fall apart,
but as you build and maintain your wellbeing.
Trusted Across California
“For me, MHCC feels like having a therapist who actually fits into real life. Some months I need more contact, some less — but I never feel like I’ve fallen off the map. It’s made therapy feel more like partnership than appointments.”
— Kim M., Costa Mesa
“I joined MHCC after finishing regular therapy because I didn’t want to lose that sense of connection. I don’t message all the time, but just knowing I can if I need to keeps me grounded. It feels more personal, more real.”
— Suzan R., Modesto
“It’s hard to explain, but this setup has made therapy feel less fragile. Before, when sessions ended, I’d feel like I was on my own again. Now there’s this sense of continuity — like someone’s still paying attention even when life gets busy.”
— Matthew K., Lake Forest
MHCC is Mental Health Support Designed for You!
MHCC is for people who value an ongoing relationship with their trusted therapist — someone who knows their story, understands their patterns, and stays alongside them as life unfolds.
It’s for those who see mental health care as something to be maintained, not fixed. A long-term connection that provides continuity, reflection, and guidance as life naturally changes.
Life doesn’t always follow a therapy schedule. Work changes, families grow, routines shift — and sometimes you just need a place to check in, reflect, or steady yourself without starting over.
MHCC is ideal for those who seek:
Consistent access to their therapist without always needing a full session.
Ongoing care that continues between or beyond active therapy.
A relational approach that deepens understanding over time.
Guidance and accountability that support lasting stability and growth.
A sense of relationship that allows growth and reflection to unfold over time
With MHCC, you don’t need to reintroduce yourself every time you need support. You already have a trusted place to turn — a familiar relationship that stays with you through the years.
How It Works
1. You already have a connection — or you’re ready to build one.
If you’re an existing client, MHCC simply deepens the support you already have. It’s about extending care with someone who knows your story, your goals, and what helps you stay steady.
If you’re new, we’ll start with a 2–3 session assessment period to make sure the fit feels right on both sides. You’ll get a sense of our approach, and together we’ll decide whether MHCC is the right long-term structure for you.
2. We take care of the paperwork.
Everything runs through your SimplePractice portal. We’ll sign a few forms to expand your plan and store a card securely on file for monthly renewal.
3. You reach out when you need to.
MHCC gives you structured, ongoing access. Whether you’re scheduling a session, checking in, or asking for guidance between visits, you’ll know exactly how to connect and what to expect.
4. We keep it flexible.
You can adjust your level of contact as life changes. The goal is continuity — steady, responsive care that moves with you.
FAQs about
Mental Health Support through MHCC
-
No. MHCC doesn’t replace traditional therapy. It’s designed to provide ongoing access and support between or beyond regular sessions. While it may include therapeutic work, its focus is maintaining connection, reflection, and support over time, not intensive weekly treatment. If a higher level of care is needed, we’ll recommend standard therapy or appropriate referrals.
-
We do not accept insurance. MHCC is private-pay only and does not submit any billing or interact with insurance companies. This keeps your care simple, confidential, and relationship-driven.
We can provide a superbill for your MHCC membership. We use code 90899. Your insurance company likely will not reimburse for this. However, we encourage you to ask them directly.
-
Yes, typically — if your account covers therapy services. Check with your plan administrator.
-
MHCC membership -
$149 / month - individual
$249 / month - couples
Billed on or about the 10th of every month.
Enrollment fee -
$495 - individuals
$595 - couples
The enrollment fee covers the costs of getting you all set up for ongoing care. Your first 2-3 assessment sessions (individuals), 3-4 sessions for couples, are included in this fee.
Current clients who have had at least 4 sessions in the last 3 months will not need the assessment sessions and the $495 enrollment fee is waived.
-
We always aim to respond within 24 hours or the next business day if it is after hours. However, every effort is made to respond within a few hours if possible.
MHCC is not for crisis response. If you are in need of immediate help please go to your nearest emergency room or call 911.
-
Yes. We love new clients! New clients complete a 2–3 session assessment period first so we can both confirm fit and build a plan that works.
There is a $495 enrollment fee. Your 2-3 assessment sessions are included in that fee.
-
You can add appointments at your standard session rate or transition back to a regular therapy cadence if clinically indicated.
-
Yes—with your written consent. We can share relevant information with your medical or psychiatric providers to support your care.
-
It depends on your situation and depends on the level of care you are needing. MHCC provides ongoing access and support, but it isn’t a replacement for therapy if weekly sessions are clinically indicated we will discuss that with you and guide you appropriately.
-
Yes! You can reach out to your therapist anytime. We will respond within 24 hours or the next business day. Usually sooner. You’ll receive a clear outline of when and how to use this access effectively.
-
Absolutely. You can make changes prior to your next billing date and you won’t be charged.
Just a heads up. If you decide to cancel and then choose to reenroll at a later date the $495 enrollment fee will apply.
-
MHCC is NOT…
Crisis or emergency care. If you’re in danger or need immediate help, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.
Insurance-billed care. MHCC does not bill insurance nor will we communicate with your insurance provider.
Medical or psychiatric services. No prescriptions or medication can be prescribed or managed.
Documentation for legal, disability, or court-mandated purposes.
Unlimited availability. There is no guarantee or promise of minimum amount of contact, phone calls, messaging, meetings or care.
Coaching. MHCC is designed specifically for mental health care and support.
“We’ve built a mental health system that runs on schedules and insurance codes instead of human need. And then we wonder why people give up trying to find help. It’s not a failure of motivation; it’s a failure of design. We desperately need a model of care that stays close, connected, and meet people where life actually happens.”
Karl Stenske
Hi, I’m Karl
What matters is the Therapy Relationship
I’ve always believed therapy should evolve. The idea that support stops the moment a session ends has never felt right to me. Healing doesn’t happen in fifty-minute boxes. It unfolds in the quiet spaces between them.
When clients echoed my own feelings of how hard it was to access care when they needed it most, or how disconnected they felt waiting for their next session, I knew something had to change. That’s why I created Mental Health Continuity Care (MHCC).
With the mental health crisis continuing to grow in this country and around the world, I believe the answer isn’t less contact with mental health professionals; it’s more meaningful, personal connection. People are more isolated than ever, and while access to digital tools has expanded, real connection has narrowed. I believe the answer isn’t more distance, it’s more relationship. Not less contact with mental health professionals, but more consistent and meaningful connection over time.
As someone who has always sought depth and authenticity in relationship, I understand the importance of truly being known. Not only by friends and family, but by the care providers who walk alongside us. MHCC was built from that belief: that being seen, remembered, and understood over time changes everything.
That belief shapes every part of my work.
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over fifteen years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families. My clinical focus includes attachment wounds, trauma, adoption, and disconnection in relationships. I draw from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), trauma-informed care, and attachment, integrating practical tools with relational depth.
Before founding MHCC, I spent years in both private practice and agency leadership, developing programs, training clinicians, and speaking nationally on adoption, attachment, and relational healing. These experiences shaped my conviction that therapy should be both personal and accessible. Care that meets people where they are and continues to walk with them as life unfolds.
MHCC is the model I’ve always wished existed. One that honors the ongoing relationship between therapist and client, allows for real accessibility, and treats mental health care as something living, human, and continuous.
Affordable Therapy without Insurance
Irvine, CA
My office is conveniently located in Irvine, California near the Irvine Spectrum.
Karl Stenske Therapy
15615 Alton Pkwy #450
Irvine, CA 92618