Services
I offer in-depth psychiatric evaluation and treatment, monitored for effectiveness. I take a more comprehensive approach than many psychiatrists, making sure to include full consideration of all the key issues, people, and major influences on a patient’s life. I specialize in the assessment and treatment of complex psychiatric and medical-psychiatric problems, including treatment-resistant cases.
The services I offer include:
- Psychiatric evaluation
- Psychiatric treatment, including psychotherapy
- Medical-psychiatric treatment coordination
- Child, adolescent, and family treatment
- Consultation, including physicians
- Psychological/neuropsychological evaluation in collaboration with a neuropsychologist
Psychiatric evaluation
All my work begins with an evaluation (brief or extended depending on the requirements of the situation) to determine the nature of the presenting problem(s) and the kind of intervention(s) that is required. Included may be:
- Psychiatric treatment involving medication, psychotherapy, or both
- Involvement of family members, including child, parents, and/or spouse
- Coordination with other services, such as educational, vocational, nursing/elder care
- Collaborative evaluation and treatment conducted together with a psychologist/neuropsychologist
Together you and I will identify and address the important psychiatric, medical, psychological, and social issues.
Psychiatric treatment:
I provide treatment that is interactive and problem-focused. It may include psychotropic medication (psychopharmacology), psychotherapy, or both. I create and implement a treatment plan and track treatment progress.
Medical-psychiatric treatment coordination:
Psychiatric and medical conditions are often intertwined. I have extensive experience and a keen interest in both these areas. I often organize and supervise a treatment team made up of collaborating professionals. The patient and often his or her family are integral members of the team. My book Comprehensive Care for Complex Patients: The Medical-Psychiatric Coordinating Physician Model describes this collaborative method of treatment in detail.
Child, adolescent, and family treatment:
I am board certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as well as General Psychiatry, and have years of experience working with children and families. Parents are never excluded from my work with children or adolescents, whether or not family issues are prominent.
Children and adolescents are not little adults. They are biologically and psychologically unfinished, even through adolescence. Their thinking and judgment is age specific, evolving through at least their early twenties. This age group is susceptible to most psychiatric disorders, and are somewhat uniquely burdened with issues like ADHD and learning disabilities. A description of my philosophy and work with children and adolescents appears in Chapter 6 of my earlier book, Evidence from Within: A Paradigm for Clinical Practice.
Psychological/neuropsychological evaluation:
Some situations require sophisticated psychological or neuropsychological assessments to help pinpoint a patient’s needs. These must be administered by a trained psychologist or neuropsychologist. As needed, I will find and work with this type of professional.
Consultation to other health care professionals:
I am available to consult to other health care professionals, including physicians. These consultations may be brief or extensive, depending on the complexity of the situation.
Additional resources: Approximately 10 years ago I organized a group of highly skilled practitioners to create the Center for Collaborative Medicine, Psychiatry, and Psychology. We meet regularly to discuss issues and cases. Included at different times are primary care physicians, other psychiatrists, and medical specialists. We meet regularly, are familiar with each other’s work, and are available for consultation and referral.
