Steps to Take Before Your First Appointment

• Refer to this website to see if I offer what you are seeking. Not all psychiatrists do the same thing. My practice is mainly psychotherapy, sometimes along with medications. I welcome almost any issue you can talk about, whether recent or lifelong, straightforward or complex. On the other hand, problems mainly treated with medication are not my focus.

• Review my fees and billing to see if these work for you. While I’ve always published my fees, this page now includes the Good Faith Estimate required by the No Surprises Act.

• Note my current COVID protocols. I am only seeing new patients in person, not by phone or video. Please show me your vaccination card (or a photo) when we first meet; I’ll show you mine as well. Masks are optional — if you prefer to wear one, I will too. For more details, click here.

• If all of that checks out, give me a call. I have no staff and will return your call myself. A short conversation will confirm whether we seem to be a good match. If so, we’ll make an initial 1-hour appointment.

• After you have an appointment scheduled — not before! — click the two buttons below. The first leads to a detailed “read me” file about getting started. You can download it if you like. The second is a brief intake form. Once you fill it out online, the system will automatically send to me in a secure, encrypted format. Please submit this form at your earliest convenience, ahead of your first appointment.

• I also have a short online mental health questionnaire, also HIPAA-compliant and secure. It’s a valid screening tool that takes less than ten minutes and generates a short report, both to you and to me. It’s optional, as it may or may not address the reason for your visit. You may try it whether or not you’ve spoken with me yet:

• Last but not least, please let me know in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule your first appointment. I save the time exclusively for you, and look forward to meeting you.