Treatment for Anxiety and OCD in the Bay Area
Mental health treatment should be much more than just taking pills. For real healing, it’s important to understand what’s happening in your brain and body, and we will consider any number of resources or practices to help you get to a freer, more vibrant life.
I offer comprehensive assessment and diagnosis and will make anxiety and OCD treatment recommendations that may include education, lifestyle changes, therapy, medications, or referrals for neuromodulation.
Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation
All patients new to the practice will undergo a comprehensive assessment in order to form an appropriate care plan.
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Questions about your mental/physical/medical health history
Description of your various behaviors and symptoms
Noting the effects of these behaviors and symptoms on your work/school performance, social relationships, romantic relationships
Laboratory and other diagnostic testing when appropriate
Review of any prior treatments
Review of any outside records
At the conclusion of the assessment, I will provide you with my recommendations for treatments and next steps.
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Prescription medications
Personalized referrals to individual or group psychotherapy
Education / referrals for Neuromodulation or Brain Stimulation treatments if appropriate
Information / referrals regarding any relevant clinical trials or research studies
Recommendations for improved wellness in areas such as diet, sleep, breathing, mindfulness, and exercise
Tailored resource recommendations including books, online videos, apps, or wearable devices that may be helpful to you
Education and harm-reduction strategies for therapeutic use of psychedelic or other medicines that may promote non-ordinary forms of consciousness (Please Note: This does not in any way constitute a recommendation to use illegal substances.)
Urgent or “Outside Normal Hours” Evaluations
Sometimes I receive requests for urgent evaluations because someone may be in a particularly high degree of distress or feel that they cannot wait to be seen until my next opening during regular business hours. While this is not guaranteed and not always possible, I may be able to see you sooner, outside of my normal hours, for an additional fee.
Visit Time: 90 minutes
This assessment includes all of the elements listed above for an office/tele-based assessment, but often does not involve an ongoing treatment relationship or direct prescriptions. Additionally, this can often require that I prepare letters or reports regarding my assessment and recommendations to provide to other members of your care team. This may be an option for someone who cannot see me regularly, but would like to ensure OCD-informed, evidence-based care is occurring with outside providers. Sometimes your outside provider may also appreciate a second pair of eyes and request that you consider this.
One-time OCD/Anxiety Assessment or Second Opinion Evaluation
Visit Time: 90 minutes
Medications are one tool among many that may help you to live more freely. Not everyone needs prescription medications, but many find them helpful at one point or another. I don’t approach medications as life sentences - our goal is to get you living how you want and then constantly reassess what makes the most sense for you at any given time.
If you’re looking for someone to give you whatever medication you ask for without questions or thoughtful consideration of the pros/cons to various options, then I’m not the physician for you. Finding the best treatment for you is an art that incorporates my clinical experience, the scientific literature, genetic factors, and an open, honest line of communication between the two of us.
Pharmacotherapy for OCD or Anxiety (Medication Management)
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Controlled substances include: stimulants, benzodiazepines, and certain other sleep medications. These prescriptions are recorded and monitored in an online database called CURES. They require a trusting relationship and responsible use on your part that does not deviate from what we agree to. Additionally, these prescriptions may occasionally require periodic, in-person visits in accordance with state laws at any given time and monitoring standards for your safety.
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Urgent visits, outside of my normal working hours, may be offered at my discretion as a convenience to you. In this case, an additional charge of $100 will be applied on top of my normal fee. There will be no additional charges or fee increases if I have the ability to get you into an open slot during normal business hours, which is often the case. I encourage you to be proactive and reach out as soon as you are aware of any needs, so that we can keep our work within the normal business hours as much as possible.
Visit Time:
Brief Med Management Follow-up: 25 minutes
Extended Med Management or Psychotherapy Follow-up: 50 minutes
Other Outside-of-Appointment Services
Other Outside-of-Appointment Services may include filling out forms, writing letters, responding to calls/messages, addressing refills and prior authorizations.
Generally, if I can complete the required task throughout the course of my workday, in under five minutes, there will not be any charge to you. Calls or tasks that last 5 minutes or longer or involve significant time outside of normal hours will be charged at a pro-rated amount for each 15-minute increment.
Expert/Industry Consulting - details to be discussed directly
Teaching or Speaking Opportunities - details to be discussed directly
Ready to Get Started with an Assessment or Pharmacotherapy for Anxiety or OCD in the San Francisco Bay Area?
Services offered throughout the State of California via Telehealth.