I evaluate and treat adults for psychotherapy and/or medication management. I enjoy working with patients who struggle with depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and ADHD. Furthermore, I treat patients with issues of low self-esteem, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, poor job and academic performance, and loss and grieving.

One or more of the following may apply:

If you want to receive an individualized assessment and work in a collaborative way regarding your care.

If you want to feel empowered to enhance your mental wellness with nutrition changes, dietary recommendations, exercise strategies as well as medication management.

If you would like to adopt a holistic approach to your mental wellness, including optimization of self-care, nutrition, sleep hygiene, and exercise.

If you are open to the elimination of potentially harmful substances or behavioral practices which may be contributing to your symptoms.

If you are interested in the integration of nutritional interventions, supplement use, or other holistic tools in companion with conventional psychiatric treatment, such as medications and counseling, as both prevention and treatment of illness.

I am considered an out of network provider with all insurance plans. I do not submit billing or file insurance claims on your behalf, but I will provide you with the necessary paperwork to submit claims to your insurance company for some reimbursement. The financial responsibility belongs to the client at the time of service.

I incorporate the principles of integrative holistic medicine, evidence-based nutrition, and exercise strategies, as well as mind-body approaches, into my work as a Psychiatric Physician Assistant and Licensed Professional Counselor. I utilize my unique skills to thoroughly evaluate a person’s symptoms, understand the cause of the issues, and formulate individualized treatment recommendations.

I strongly emphasize the importance of working as a team in collaboration with my patients. I encourage open, and honest communication and fosters an authentic relationship with each of my patients. Adjunct counseling is a part of every medication management appointment, but stand-alone therapy can also be provided if desired.

The wait list is extremely variable – sometimes as short as 1-2 days, and as long as 4 weeks in rare instances. An appointment time is always reserved just for you, and, unlike other providers, I never overbook. Your time is protected, always. I only schedule two patients per hour at a maximum for medication management appointments to make sure enough time is given to every person.

Confidentiality and control over your information: More and more patients avoid using their health insurance altogether due to concern of keeping their personal information private. Almost universally, HMOs, managed health care and insurance companies will require your provider to give you a diagnosis, which then becomes a permanent part of your health record. More importantly, many HMOs, managed health care and insurance companies demand detailed, intimate, and private information about your mental health history before they authorize payment.

Inadequate mental health benefits: Many people find that their mental health benefits are grossly inadequate. It would be unthinkable to deny coverage for needed heart surgery, yet millions of Americans with mental illnesses face similar discrimination when they seek private insurance coverage for necessary mental health services. They are routinely denied coverage for needed services because their private insurance plans fail to cover the services or promote inequities in co-payments and deductibles for mental health services. Insurance companies often impose strict limitations on the number of mental health visits you may have per year — regardless of the amount of distress you may be experiencing.

Long wait times for in- network providers: Many patients are forced to wait weeks, sometimes months, before an in-network provider can see them. Again, this occurs regardless of the amount of distress you are experiencing.

Inadequate or rushed care when seeing in-network providers: Many patients find that, in addition to long waiting lists to see in-network providers, they experience substandard or rushed psychiatric care. It is not uncommon for some psychiatrists, for example, to see 8-10 patients per hour for medication management! This fast pace is what is now standard practice and is in my opinion not the best practice for your mental health needs and care.

Your medication-management visits can be as frequent as every couple of weeks (in the initial weeks of medication treatment) or as infrequently as one visit every three to six months. In general, when a new medication is begun (or with a change in dosage), a follow-up medication visit should be scheduled within two to four weeks. When you are relatively stable and comfortable on your medication, the most common interval for medication visits is once every three months.

Telehealth or telemedicine is a relatively new term to describe appointments conducted virtually on a computer, laptop, tablet or even a phone. Telehealth is an internet browser based system where participants connect both with audio and visually. This type of appointment is convenient for many and ideal if you live far away or have difficulty taking time off work. You also never have to miss an appointment in times of inclement weather, feeling ill or even child care concerns. If you are scheduled for an in person visit and need to change it to telehealth, you can change it anytime by contacting me. About 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time, you will be sent a secure link via email to join the virtual session. A few minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time, just click the link to join your session. The platform used is HIPPA compliant and secure so you never have to worry about security issues. Your privacy is always top priority. Connecting with me is just a few clicks away!

Please make personal checks payable to Integrated Health and Wellness. You can also choose to use a credit card, debit card, or HAS card for payment options.