Services Provided

The first step of treatment is a thorough understanding of the unique difficulties and struggles for each individual client. This is includes a comprehensive evaluation and review of your psychiatric history, medical history, developmental and family history, and social environment. For adults this typically takes place during one to two 60 minute sessions. For children and adolescents, this generally extends over two 60 minute sessions and includes protected time to talk to the child and their caregiver(s), the caregivers alone, and the child alone. Frequently collaboration with other sources may be requested, such as from other mental health providers, schools, or other evaluations or reports.

Please see the FAQ for more information about what the intake process is like.

To start the intake process, click here.

My approach to talk-therapy starts with creating a space based on respect and compassion, one where you can gain resilience and strength. Put differently; we all have injuries and vulnerabilities that we otherwise hide and protect. Learning that we can face those difficult places and finding that we do not have to do so alone, is a path to healing and growth.

Rather than adhere to a single form of therapy (of which there are hundreds), my work centers on a dynamic approach to shift with you based on what is needed in the moment; At times drawing from insight oriented work, internal family systems (IFS), existential and interpersonal modalities, somatic, mindfulness, and cognitive and behavioral therapies. Very often, family and couples therapy can be invaluable; here, I often use techniques from Gottman couple’s therapy, structural family therapy, and emotionally focused therapy.

For talk-therapy, I typically meet patients weekly to bi-weekly for one hour sessions. This frequency is necessary to maintain consistent momentum towards the goals that we create together. As we progress, we decide together if we reduce the frequency of sessions, or when to end treatment.

Sometimes, medications are helpful to support mental health. I do not take this decision lightly and it will always be your choice to agree or not agree to any option we discuss during treatment. My clinical approach centers around current evidence-based treatments, and I adhere to the mantra of “start low, go slow”.

When starting a new medication or adjusting the dose, I generally require seeing a patient every 1-3 weeks out of an abundance of safety and caution, particularly for children and adolescents. I will always strive to hold to the lowest affective doses, and avoid chronic use when possible. Above all we will pay attention to your personal experience as we progress with treatment. At a minimum, I require checking in with a patient every 3 months.

Controlled substances: I can prescribe stimulants for ADHD, and very, very rarely prescribe other controlled substances for specific conditions such as phobias, panic attacks, or short-term sleep aids. I do not prescribe benzodiazepines for frequent or long-term use, and I do not prescribe opioids. 

Ryan Height Act: State and federal regulations for prescribing controlled substances post-COVID are still a moving target. But currently, if you are a new patient after 12/31/24, you may need an in-person visit before a physician is able to prescribe controlled substances. Which, of course, is a strong motivator for me to settle on a physical office soon…

Pharmacogenomics: Some patients may struggle to respond to first-line treatments or gold-standards of care. There are many approaches to address this, and pharmacogenomic testing is one possible choice, but not for everyone. This can be an effective and beneficial guide to isolate which medications are less likely to work, or more likely to cause side effects. Read more about this test with Genesight, here.

A person is so much more than their diagnoses! Individual experiences often go beyond the limited capacity of the DSM (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) to name specific conditions, but the framework it provides can still be useful. Most often, my work centers around difficulties related to the following (not an exhaustive list):

Please note that due to working as an individual provider with limited resources, there are inherent restrictions to the services I can provide and some situations will require a higher level of care. Examples are included below, but please note that other complications exist that I cannot treat based on clinical judgment:

• Psychiatric emergencies
• Active or persistent suicidal thoughts or behaviors or self-harm, or thoughts or behaviors to harm others
• Complicated or treatment resistant bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
• Active eating disorder symptoms such as restricting, binging or purging
• Alcohol and drug use disorders
• Dementia

I also do not provide custody, forensic, or disability evaluations, case management, court ordered treatment, or similar services. 

I am unable to see patients with Medicare.