Both. I prefer that we meet in-person in my McLean, VA office for our first session. After that we can decide together what works best for treatment.

No. At the time of your appointment you have to be located in the state/region the provider is licensed in based on the Medical Board requirements. I am licensed in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia only.

Yes, you can be referred to me by your therapist for diagnostic evaluation or for considering medications as part of your treatment. In that case, I will collaborate closely with your therapist.

Before our first visit, you will receive forms to complete, sign and send back via patient portal. Our first 1-3 sessions are consultation appointments, part of the Initial Psychiatric Evaluation. During this period, we will collaborate to gather information to decide if you need treatment, and what type.

By the end of the initial assessment period, we will determine if we would like to continue working together. If so, I will become your therapist and/or treating psychiatrist. If at any point during treatment, we determine that you would be better served by receiving treatment from a different provider, this will be discussed and referrals will be provided.

You have a right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Please refer to the GFE Policy for further information.

If you have “out-of-network” coverage with your insurance plan, then most insurance companies will reimburse you a percentage of the fees paid out of pocket. You are strongly encouraged to contact your insurance plan in advance of your appointment to find out your coverage terms.

There may be times when medications alone can be helpful, but the vast majority of the time, combination care (medication and therapy) shows the best results.

The first visit (Initial Psychiatric Evaluation) is usually 90 minutes long. Follow up visits range between 25-45 minutes depending on what we are working on.

If we decide to engage in psychotherapy (with or without medications), we would meet weekly for 45 minute appointments.

If we are only managing medications, we would meet monthly for 25 minute appointments.

The length of time of treatment is variable depending on what we are working on and how you are doing or feeling.

For psychotherapy, meeting weekly for at least 15-20 sessions or 6 months is recommended, as that time frame is most likely needed to produce growth and change.

For medication management, the goal is usually to stabilize your condition with the lowest effective dose of least amount of medications with ongoing evaluation of if and when you can safely come off medications.

All information shared in session is kept completely confidential as mandated by HIPAA. I may share certain information with a third party only with your express written agreement and consent, AND if the I deem that doing so is in line with your treatment plan.

There are some situations in which I may be legally required to take action that could include revealing some information about your treatment. Examples of such situations include imminent risk/threat of self-harm, imminent risk/threat of harm to others, and child or elder abuse.

Please refer to my Privacy Practices document for full details on all privacy practices. A copy of privacy practices is given to all new patients and is also available upon request.