Commonly Treated Conditions
Depressive Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Substance Use/ Addiction
Bipolar and Mood Disorders
Sleep-Wake Disorders
Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Feeding and Eating Disorders
Mens Health Issues
Chronic Fatigue
Perinatal Psychiatry
Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders
Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation
Our process begins with a comprehensive initial assessment. Over the course of approximately one hour, we will discuss your concerns, symptoms and relevant history to develop and mutually agree upon an appropriate treatment plan. We will gather information about your medical history which may include vital signs, ordering or evaluating blood work, and reviewing medical records from your primary care or other healthcare providers. In many cases, underlying medical conditions or medications can cause symptoms that mimic psychiatric disease. We will be sure to consider the overlap between medical and psychiatric diseases when developing our plan. Next, we will go on a detailed exploration of your mental health history, including any past psychiatric diagnoses, treatments, and hospitalizations. All this information will help us develop a treatment plan. We will discuss potential benefits and risks of various treatments and provide you with the education you need to make an informed decision. The initial assessment forms the backbone for our treatment plan.
Medication Management
Proper medication management is important for several reasons. If together, we decide that medications are right for you we will: 1. Personalize your care. While the medications we prescribe are well-researched and mostly FDA approved, people still tend to have varying responses. It is very important that you find a provider who understands your concerns and thinks outside of the traditional textbook teaching, when safe and appropriate. 2. Optimize your . This means adjusting medications and dosing as necessary to ensure you are prescribed a safe and effective dose to obtain relief from your symptoms. MINIMIZE SIDE EFFECTS. Unfortunately, all medications have side effects. Some, however, can be used to our advantage. For example, some antidepressant medications can also help alleviate pain symptoms. Some medications for your mood can also help you sleep better, gain, or lose weight. Within medication categories, not all are created equal. We will listen to you and make the necessary adjustments to help you feel better. TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH. While we practice modern Western medicine we understand there are many other helpful supplemental treatments aside from prescription medications. We will support you and explore these together as some of these supplements can interact with prescription medications. We also believe in the power of exercise, mind-body techniques, and a healthy diet with nutritional supplements. We recommend exercise for everyone, at all ages and depending on your condition, we can tailor a plan to your unique needs. There is a great deal of quality research that demonstrates how exercise can increase the release of natural endorphins to help your mood, reduce stress, improve sleep, and more.
Substance Use and Addiction Disorders
"Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences. Prevention efforts and treatment approaches for addiction are generally as successful as those for other chronic diseases" (American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2023). David has extensive experience in identifying the severity of your condition and developing an appropriate treatment plan, from both a medical and psychiatric standpoint. Many times we can treat your condition here in our clinic, while others might require coordination and referral to a hospital or other facility. Our process begins with a medical screening that may involve blood work and physical exam. We will then work together to manage the medical aspects that often include safe detoxification, harm reduction strategies, and medical interventions to address the physical consequences of substance use. SUD is also categorized as a psychiatric disorder. Most often it co-occurs with other psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety or personality disorders. This is why many people “self-medicate”, which is a negative coping strategy. There are several medications that we use to treat your substance use disorder: BUPRENORPHINE (SUBOXONE, SUBUTEX). This medication can reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings to help recover from opiate abuse. NALTREXONE (VIVITROL). This medication blocks some of the euphoric effects and reduces cravings for alcohol and opiate use. ACAMPROSATE (CAMPRAL). This medication can help reduce cravings and support abstinence from alcohol VARENICINE (CHANTIX). This medication can help reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms by acting on nicotine receptors in the brain. While there are no FDA-approved medications for Stimulant, Benzodiazepine, Kratom, or other substance use Disorders, we design treatment plans and tapering strategies to help you live a clean and healthy life.
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
-Viktor Frankl