Policies
I am a psychiatrist licensed in the states of Pennsylvania and Georgia. I provide comprehensive psychiatric assessments and treatment recommendations. The focus of my practice is medication management and psychotherapy for patients who are appropriate for an outpatient level of care. In-person visits take place in Pittsburgh, PA, while telehealth visits are available to patients throughout Pennsylvania and Georgia.
I do not perform ADHD assessments. I do not perform assessments for disability, custody, fitness for duty, or emotional support animals. I do not provide medical marijuana cards. I do not provide interventional psychiatric services such as esketamine (Spravato).
If you are interested in becoming a patient, fill out a screening form (accessed via the “New Patients” page). I’ll schedule a brief phone call with you for the purposes of seeing whether we’d be a good fit for each other as well as to schedule an intake session.
Every initial visit is a 50-60 minute intake to discuss your past experiences, current stressors, and futures goals. We’ll also cover relevant medical, family, and social histories. Intakes are not a guarantee of treatment. If I don’t believe I can assist you properly, I will provide referrals to other clinics in the area.
Medication management follow-up visits are 25-30 minutes and may take place biweekly in the initial stages followed by a typical interval of 1-3 months.
Weekly therapy follow-up visits are 45 minutes and are oriented in psychodynamic psychotherapy. At times, elements of cognitive behavioral therapy or interpersonal therapy may be useful. Medication may or may not be prescribed in this setting.
Services
I am currently in-network with United/Optum for Pennsylvania residents only. I will be accepting UPMC commercial insurance plans in the near future. Note that I do not accept Medicare or Medicaid products (including “UPMC for Life” and “UPMC for You”). It is your responsibility to know your coverage details (e.g. co-pays, deductibles).
For patients who wish to pay out of pocket, I accept credit cards, checks, and cash. My fees are as follows:
A one-time 60-minute intake: $350
45-minute therapy follow-up visits: $280
30-minute medication management follow-up visits: $200
If you are paying out of pocket, I can provide a superbill at your request, which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. I cannot guarantee what portion of the fee your insurance company will reimburse, and I do not interact with your insurance during this process.
Your credit card will be kept on file for copays and any fees that may arise.
Insurance and Payment
Cancellations that occur two or more business days prior to your scheduled appointment do not incur a charge. Thus, if your appointment is on Monday, cancellation would need to take place no later than the preceding Thursday. Cancellations that occur fewer than two business days prior to your scheduled appointment incur a charge equal to half the amount of the out-of-pocket fee (see above) for the session. If no cancellation is made yet the appointment is missed (a “no show”), the full cost of the session is charged. Please keep in mind that insurance does not reimburse for cancellation/no-show fees, and thus these charges will be placed onto your account. I understand that life is unpredictable, and so I will waive the first cancellation/no-show of each calendar year.
Missed intake appointments will not be rescheduled, and thus no cancellation fee will be charged.
Cancellations
If you are in crisis and are not able to reach me immediately, do not wait for me to return your message. Instead, please call/text 988, call 911, text Crisis Text Line, contact your county crisis clinic, or present to the nearest emergency department.
Crisis Situations
At this time, I do not prescribe stimulants (e.g. Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse) or benzodiazepines (e.g. Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin).
Controlled Substances
Office Hours, Messages, Refill Requests
Business days are considered Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. My office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm. The best way to communicate with me most of the time is via secure messaging on the patient portal. Messages will generally receive a response by the next business day. Regarding medication refills, please submit requests at least 3 business days prior to when you need them filled. Requests for same-day refills will incur a $25 charge. This charge is not covered by insurance.
Paperwork will typically be completed during our sessions. Any paperwork taking longer than 5 minutes to complete outside our session times will be billed at a prorated fee of $300/hour. These fees are not covered by insurance.
Forms and Other Paperwork
I ask that you conduct telehealth sessions from a quiet, private area free of distractions with as stable of an internet/cellular connection as reasonably possible. Telehealth must involve both video and audio, and so please be mindful of this. If circumstances require you to conduct a session in your vehicle, it must be parked and stationary. If I believe a situation is inappropriate (you are undressed, intoxicated, in an inappropriate setting, etc.), the session will be canceled and you will be charged a cancellation fee as above. I do not consent to sessions being recorded.