FAQs

The first step is a free phone consultation, which will last 15 minutes. During this time, I will hear from you details of why you are reaching out and some background information, which will help determine if my services would be the best fit for you. If your health needs would be best served by a different provider, I can provide suggestions.

Please visit the Contact Me page to schedule the free consult.

Yes. I’m glad that you have already established a therapeutic relationship. I will gladly work with your current therapist to ensure comprehensive and collaborative care. In fact, because of the value I believe psychotherapy adds to a treatment plan, if you are not seeing me in psychotherapy I strongly request that you have an outside therapist with whom you are working.

No. We will work together to decide if medications would be a helpful part of your treatment plan. However, for many patients, psychotherapy and complimentary treatment can be very effective. There is good research on the success of psychotherapy and even how it changes our brain chemistry.

Integrative psychiatry focuses on mental well-being and wellness rather than just illness. It means looking at the entire person - the biological, genetic, lifestyle, social, and psychological factors - when thinking about what might be contributing to symptoms and using that kind of holistic approach when formulating a treatment plan. This can include medication, botanicals and supplements, psychotherapy, mindfulness approaches, nutrition, physical activity, sleep interventions, acupuncture, massage, and more.

Our first appointment will last approximately 70-90 minutes. We will review your current lifestyle and emotional symptoms, your past history and treatment, details of your environment and social life, and relevant family information. We will go over any medical conditions you have and medications you are taking. We will spend a significant amount of time going over your diagnosis, prognosis, possible treatment options with pros and cons, medications and their safety if relevant, and work to create a comprehensive treatment plan.

In some cases, it is possible that my expertise may not be the best fit for your particular treatment needs. In that scenario, I will provide a written report with recommendations and suggestions for alternate clinicians who might be a better match.

If this is a second opinion or one-time consultation, I will provide a written report either to you or to your primary care physician or obstetrician with recommendations for treatment.

The type of psychotherapy that would benefit you most depends on your specific goals. It could include insight-oriented treatment, cognitive and behavioral skills, mindfulness based therapies, a focus on interpersonal and relationship issues, and more. As part of the development of a treatment plan in our first few sessions, we will outline your goals and how to best achieve them.

Besides individual psychotherapy, group treatment can be a valuable part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Small group sessions will be offered in the near future.

Perinatal psychiatry, sometimes also called reproductive psychiatry, is a specialized type of mental health that works with women who are in the process of conception, pregnant, or postpartum. Because of the hormonal changes and other biological differences during this period of time, specialty care is valuable.

For psychotherapy to be effective, consistent appointments are essential. For the majority of women, this means weekly. In rare cases, every other week appointments could be effective, particularly if there are logistical issues. Sometimes, for added support and more accelerated progress, twice per week is necessary.

My goal is to provide personalized care without dictation of treatment by an insurance company or administrator. Therefore, at this time, I do not accept any insurance plans.

If you have a PPO plan, you may be eligible for reimbursement from your insurance company for out of network services. If so, I am happy to provide a monthly invoice (AKA superbill) to submit. I recommend you contact your insurance company and check. Here are several questions to consider asking:

** Do I have an annual deductive for outpatient mental health services with a psychiatrist?

** How much is my co-pay or co-insurance per visit?

** How many visits do I have annually?

** Are there limitations on the conditions/diagnoses that can be reimbursed?

You can also consider using your FSA (Flexible Savings Account) for reimbursement of service fees.

I have a secure email portal for communication between appointments.

If you have any paperwork/forms that require completion, I request that you schedule an appointment in advance of any due date so that we can discuss them in the office together.

I do not charge for phone calls less than ten minutes. Otherwise, you will be billed prorated to your hourly fee. Please note that insurance companies do not reimburse for phone charges. Generally, if a phone call more than 10 minutes is necessary, it is best to schedule an appointment to discuss any questions or concerns.

Yes. Appointments can be scheduled on weekends or evenings by special request.

Yes. A partner can be helpful, particularly in the initial consultation, to provide additional information. I will request that part of the appointment be one-on-one. It can also be helpful to bring a partner to a subsequent appointment if there are treatment recommendations about which your partner has concerns or questions, so I can help provide the clinical reasoning behind our treatment plan.