New Patients

If you think you might be interested in making an appointment or have questions you would like answered, please send me an email regarding your interest or questions. Or, if you prefer, you may call the office to speak with someone directly. If no one answers, leave a message and someone will get back to you.

The first appointment, the “evaluation”, gives us an opportunity to identify the presenting concerns, to discuss possible diagnoses, and to establish a treatment plan. I typically make recommendations at the end of that appointment which may include therapy (individual, family or couples therapy or parent guidance), medication management, further assessment (eg, neuropsychological assessment, medical workup, bloodwork), or some combination of these.

When I evaluate children or adolescents, I may review paperwork including rating scales prior to the appointment. The first part of the appointment is typically with the parent(s) or caregiver(s) and the child or adolescent all together. Then I try to spend some time alone with the parent(s) or caregiver(s) (mainly to hear their concerns alone and to get a detailed family history) and then time alone with the child or adolescent. We all meet together at the end of the appointment to discuss my impressions and recommendations. 

In fact, the evaluation is an ongoing process and it typically takes several appointments, or more, before we can have a thorough understanding of all of the factors that may be contributing to an individual’s difficulties or distress.