I believe that patients are not a collection of symptoms but rather, have a combination of biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and cultural factors that contribute to their distress. I make diagnostic and treatment decisions using this model of “whole person” care.
In order to provide optimal care, I prefer to take time to collect a thorough history rather than conduct a rushed evaluation or follow-up visit. Traditionally, insurance plans expect an initial psychiatric encounter to last 30 - 45 minutes and follow-up encounters to last 10 - 15 minutes. In my practice, I find these time periods too brief to allow for quality, patient-focused care.
My initial evaluation lasts anywhere from 60-120 minutes and follow up appointments between 30-45 minutes. Historically, medical insurance companies have reimbursed psychiatric services at much poorer rates (if at all) than other areas of medicine.
For these reasons, I do not accept private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.
Finally, I consider medication to be one tool in the vast array of strategies to improve your mental health and more broadly, overall quality of being. Medication in combination with therapy has been proven time and again to be the most effective method of psychiatric treatment.
My mission is to help my patients recognize the root cause of their problems through a combination of medication, therapy, mindfulness and wellness techniques.
Ultimately, I seek to empower you to live your best possible life on your terms.
