Sometimes medications are needed to treat brain based conditions that are not amenable to counseling or talk therapies. In addition, medication can be a tool to allow non-medical treatments a chance to work. Certain conditions when severe, prevent people from being able to use the treatments they need. Medication can ease the rigidity of thinking and diminish the depth of the hopelessness people feel which keeps them from making change.

For conditions that may be life-long, I also provide long term, ongoing management of medication; maintaining the safety and watching for any issues which may arise over time. Particularly for younger people, the evolving nature of their development often brings what were very successful treatments out of alignment. Managing medications over the long term involves both watchful waiting and knowing when and how to make changes. My experience as a clinician makes me very well suited to these tasks.

My approach to psychotherapy is based on my training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Object Relations Theory, as well as more recent training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Family Systems Theory. Selecting the right kind of therapy for the right patient is one of my specialties.

Second Opinions are a unique kind of consultation. I gather information not only from the parents and the child but also from the treatment team: current psychiatrist or pharmacologist, current therapists (individual, group, family), school personnel. I also review all previous treatment records, testing reports, school assessments, and the like. Additional medical and psychological testing, as well as genetic testing, may be used to allow for greater clarity. The goal of a second opinion consultation is to identify why the current treatment is not working and come to a correct diagnosis and treatment plan for your family member or yourself.