My Approach

I work with children, adolescents, young adults, and adults through middle adulthood. The mainstays of my treatment are psychotherapy and medication management, and the care I provide is evidence-based and practical. My orientation and training in working with children and adolescents helps me to connect with persons of all ages, to work within the family unit, and to appreciate the past history of each patient. I approach every patient with compassion and curiosity and believe that our therapeutic alliance is of utmost importance.

I start with a comprehensive evaluation intended to help me understand a patient’s unique needs and strengths. When I meet a new patient, I strive to gain an understanding of who they are, including their emotions, life framework, culture, biological state and any other factors that may be leading to the present situation. I often involve psychotherapy, and I only recommend medications if medically indicated, and generally in conjunction with therapy. I attempt to keep medications as simple as possible. I am a strong advocate for providing biological, psychological, and social education and information to patients and families, and may introduce structured and didactic knowledge about the presentation of a given illness and its treatment. I work to motivate patients to engage in treatment, improve adherence to treatment and to cope with the difficulties of an illness as it affects not only the patient but the greater family unit. I work collaboratively with you to develop a treatment plan that is individualized for you. I will offer recommendations and also work with you as a team to improve your well-being, create change, and support lasting recovery.

With regard to psychotherapy, I believe every meeting and interaction has the potential to be therapeutic. Psychotherapy is helpful for depression, anxiety, relationship issues, issues at school or work, stressful life transitions, personal challenges, grief and loss. Psychotherapy helps people understand themselves and their lives better, which is in and of itself powerful.