Services I Offer...
WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST in my practice. I have tried to include a great deal of information here and I hope this will be useful for you to decide if ———what I can offer——— may meet your needs.
I am a Board Certified Psychiatrist, trained in both psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. My practice is now completely a telehealth practice. I do not currently prescribe controlled medications, pending the DEA finalizing the rules for controlled substances and telehealth. I only treat women in the age group of 25- 75. At 25, one is no longer a dependent on their families, and after the age of 75, a geriatric psychiatrist is advisable.
My early training at Yale was psychoanalytic, within a biopsyhcosocial ( now called body/mind) and systems based ( family) model. I have always practiced psychotherapy, as well as prescribing medioctaions, when needed. I have been in practice for over 40 years. In the past, I developed and ran programs in private psychiatric hospitals ( adolescents and young adults), develpoed and was the medical director of an outpatient evaluation center, and created and ran a mutilcenter out patient practice for adolescents, as well as adults and families. I also consulted to schools for many years.
For the last 40 years, I have had a part-time or full time private practice. Since 2010, I have exclusively focused on the issues facing woman. Why? Women are naturallly prone to developing psychological difficulties, more likely to seek help, and more willing to do what it takes to get healthy. Also, I feel that my earler practice years - working with adloescents and families- have led to my being especailly interested and adept at working with the problems facing women.
The unique demands on woman today, to “wear so many hats” at once, including the pressure to carry the emotional and financial burdens of family, often multigenerational, are daunting. This is further compliicated by a woman’s hormonal changes throughout the life cycle. Over my years of practice, and thru my own life expereinces, I naturally developed a calling to focus my practice in this manner.
I enjoy providing life enhancing care to women who wish to meet specific personal goals, who are willing to work hard to achieve those goals, and who can do well with a remote caregiving platform. Screening for suitability will be provided during a no fee—-20-30 minute phone consultation, Which should occur before you complete any paperwork!
WHAT DO I OFFER? Generally, I provide shorter term therapy, with a focus on one or more newer issues, ideally with women who have not yet seen any mental health practitioners, and ideally are not taking any psychotropic medications, yet. Why? This is the best situation for a good evaluation and a good outcome.
Before prescribing or offering any therapy or medications, I provide and require that you participate in a thorough - 3 session- evaluation. I do this because a good evaluation is crucial to the best outcomes.
My practice is structured to FIRST offer a 3 session evaluation process with feedback. Everything else that occurs is determinned by the results of that evalaution and our discusssions of your goals. This is very different model than most practitioners follow. I have used it in the past with good results.
After the evaluation, I may offer treatment to you, or refer you to a more appropriate setting or type of treatment. I may suggest medication or more testing. You may be reassured that you do not need treatment, or you may a hospitalization or a day porgram. You may also need couples or famiy work.
I do not believe that one size fits all. Too often people enter therapy immediately, bypassing the important step of a thorough evalaution, and end up entering a long term therapy without a plan.
That said, I do offer long term exploratory therapy for those interested in this work. This is best suited to very verbal persons who are currently quite stable, but curious about their lives, and looking to change long-term patterns of maladaptive behavior
I prefer not to start any medications before an attempt has been made to attain symptom relief without them. I feel it is important to work on the root causes of problems. That said, sometimes it is essential.
I believe in the body’s innate ability to heal, in a healing environment. Treatment should restore or newly create the necessary elements for balance and mental health.
I offer personalized, targeted mental health care via telehealth for women living in Florida, although I am licensed in NY and NJ, which may be convenient for persons who travel north often, or who actually live in two states.
Typical Conditions I treat are:
depression, anxiety, eating disorders, ocd, phobias, Coping and navigating health issues, grief and loss, stress reated physical conditions such as headaches or IBS, illness/health anxiety, coping with Chronic illness, Pms, PMDD, perimenopause and menopause, coping with pregnancy and post partum issues, aging and any career, relationship and family issues.
I Do PROVIDE SECOND OPINIONS AND CONSULTATIONS - as an outgrowth of my Evaluation Model.
I do not provide medication management for non- medical mental health practitioners, unless I have an ongoingworking relationship with them.
CONDITIONS I DO NOT TREAT ARE:
I do not see anyone who has ever been psychiatrically hospitalized or is actively suicidal or who has made any suicide attempts in the past. These problems are more safely treated in an in- person setting.
I ALSO DO NOT TREAT:
substance abuse, any psychotic illnesses, schizohrenia or schizoaffective disorder, personality disorders, complex ptsd, court ordered or court involved problems, dissociative disorders, disability evaluations, custody evaluations, or geriatric care ( a specialty in itself).
(I am not a perinatal psychiatrist but I can offer simple interventions and advice, or refer you to someone who is. I attend weekly meetings on zoom at MGH in perinatal psychiatry and I can faciliatate what you may need.)
I cannot prescribe controlled medications, such as stimulants or benzodiazepines, due to my being a telepsychiatrist . I am awaiting the new Dea policies re: telehealth for clarification of the rules I must comply with ( due 12/2025). I do not see anyone who has ever been psychiatrically hospitalized or is actively suicidal or who has made any suicide attempts in the past. These problems are more safely treated in an in- person setting.