Our First Appointment
In our initial appointment we will discuss your concerns regarding your thoughts and feelings, your thinking and emotional functioning, and how it affects your daily life. I will ask about your physical health and medical history as well as your family and social (school and work) history. Based on this information, I will share my understanding of what might be helpful to you.
If medication is recommended as part of your treatment, we would discuss potential medications and their risks and benefits. If we agree on medication, we would meet within a few weeks of starting the medication and then would meet at least once every 3 months. This frequency depends on your and my concerns but the standard of care is to meet at least once every 3 months. We can always meet more frequently if we think it beneficial.
Follow Up Appointments
At each appointment we will discuss how you are feeling and functioning and together make decisions regarding your medication. In addition, at each appointment I will check your vital signs as some medications can impact blood pressure, heart rate, and weight. Certain medications, though not many that I prescribe, require blood work before starting the medication and then at specific times during treatment, often after increasing the dosage. We will always discuss the possible need for blood work before deciding on a medication.
At each quarterly appointment you will be given enough prescriptions to last until the next appointment. If you have any questions or concerns between appointments you can always call or text me. I do not use an answering service, I am not part of a call group or physician exchange. I give each patient my personal cell number and it is always included in the outgoing message of the office phone. I encourage patients to contact me by call or text with questions or concerns: each question or concern is important.
If you're interested in psychotherapy (talk therapy) alone, we can set up a schedule that works best for you.
If you're interested in psychotherapy (talk therapy) alone, we can set up a schedule that works best for you.
Payment Policies
I accept checks, Venmo, and cash as payment for services at each appointment. At every appointment, I will provide you with an itemized statement that includes the diagnosis code, type of appointment, and the payment I received from you. You can then submit this invoice to your insurance. I receive explanation of benefits information from Regence and PacificSource insurers, which indicates reimbursement to patients who have submitted their invoices.
I do not contract with, nor am I a provider to any insurance companies. I am not a Medicare or Medicaid provider. This means Medicare and/or Medicaid will not reimburse you for my services. This allows me to focus on treating patients without the limitations mandated by insurance companies.