Frequently asked questions

Yes. I am accepting new patients seeking treatment aligned with my specialty focus. Patients looking for combined treatment, meaning both therapy and psychiatry with me, will be prioritized.

• Patients seeking psychodynamic psychotherapy, with or without psychiatric medication management
• Patients with complex medical conditions overlapping with their mental health who may need expert medication management while working with primary care and specialty physicians, known as consultation-liaison psychiatry
• Mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder

Please complete the practice inquiry form. I will review it to ensure I can offer you the care you need, and reach out to discuss next steps.

I currently work with adults aged 18 to 64. I generally do not provide psychiatric care to minors. Some transitional-aged patients may benefit from a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist if there is a significant need for coordination with parents and families.

Working with me means care that is personal and unhurried, without a middle person. In my small, independent practice there is space for careful attention to the relationship that develops between you and me as the treating physician, without the constraints of insurance-driven time limits or standardized protocols.

Care is provided directly by a board-certified physician with years of academic medical training, allowing for a deeper level of diagnostic clarity, medical expertise, and treatment precision.

• Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder
• Generalized, Social, and Panic Anxiety Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Somatic Symptom Disorders and Health Anxiety
• Personality Disorders
• Mild Substance Use Disorders
• Adjustment Disorders
• Mood and Anxiety Disorders in the context of Medical Illness
• Psychotic Disorders, case by case, for stable patients with strong team-based social support
• Women's Mental Health, including peripartum, pregnancy, and menopause
• Monitored de-prescribing of benzodiazepines and long-term SSRIs

I primarily practice psychodynamic psychotherapy, a modern approach based on classical psychoanalytic ideas that explores how early experience and relational patterns shape your emotional life today.

I hold certification in Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) for people struggling with relationship and self-esteem issues stemming from borderline conditions, including borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.

I can also offer a 12 to 18 session course of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), one of the treatments best supported by research for PTSD.

Each treatment is different, depending on your goals. I offer open-ended treatment with no defined end date at the start. Many people who come for psychodynamic psychotherapy have already tried other time-limited treatments.

Psychotherapy: weekly, and some patients may benefit from twice-weekly sessions.

Medication management: at minimum every 3 months, four times per year, to ensure medications are working well and not causing harmful side effects. Failure to meet this minimum may result in delays to medication access. Frequency is otherwise based on your individual needs, severity of symptoms, and treatment plan.

Within an overall psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment plan, I work with mild substance use disorders that have not yet resulted in significant health consequences, career setbacks, or relationship conflict. Those with more serious problems would likely benefit from speaking with an addiction specialist.

Each new evaluation involves a thorough review of your past and current symptoms and treatments. We will discuss what has and has not worked, and whether there is room to optimize your regimen with safe, evidence-driven changes. In many cases I will need to speak with your prior psychiatrist to fully understand your history.

Please be aware that I do not prescribe long-term, daily benzodiazepines. If you have been prescribed this type of regimen, I will offer a safe, supervised plan to taper off over time while managing your symptoms.

I cannot guarantee that I will start or assume long-term psychostimulant prescribing. If appropriate, stimulant prescriptions are contingent on appropriate medical management, such as controlled blood pressure, medical clearance if needed, and avoidance of drug use, as well as overall suitability for your health.

I do not offer these services. I can suggest some excellent colleagues in the community with whom you can discuss them.

I am out of network with all insurance plans and accept private pay only.

My private practice is not credentialed with Medicare or Medicaid. Due to legal compliance requirements, I am unable to accept Medicare or Medicaid patients in my private practice.

• Initial Comprehensive Consultation, 75–90 min, $450
• Routine Follow-Up Medication Visit, 25 min, $225
• Extended Follow-Up or Family Visit, 55 to 60 min, $450
• Weekly Psychotherapy, 50 min, $300

No sliding scale is currently available. A somewhat reduced fee may be offered for patients meeting twice weekly for psychotherapy.

I do not currently have sliding scale or reduced-fee slots. I am able to offer a somewhat reduced fee for patients meeting with me twice weekly for psychotherapy.

I require a credit card on file, which is charged on the date of your visit.

Appointments are primarily conducted via telehealth. I have limited in-person availability at my private office on Tuesdays: 6850 Austin Center Blvd, Bldg 2, Ste 320, Austin TX 78731.

Yes, we can still meet via telemedicine, but only in states where I hold a medical license. At this time I am licensed in Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Missouri, and New York.

Please cancel at least 48 hours in advance to avoid being charged the full appointment rate. Emergency cancellations are handled on a case-by-case basis.

Patient portal: the preferred method is the secure Messages tab within the patient portal, which is integrated with your medical record and checked daily. This allows efficient responses, for example medication refill requests.

Phone: you may call the main office number and leave a message. Messages are checked several times per day during business hours and returned within 2 business days, excluding weekends and holidays.

Yes. I offer complex case consultation particularly for treatment-resistant depression, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and complex medication conditions overlapping with mental health issues such as transplant, cancer, and neuropsychiatric conditions.

I do not offer disability evaluations, and I do not write emotional support animal letters, which are a form of disability assessment. FMLA documentation is determined on a case-by-case basis for my established panel. Patients should expect to follow a full treatment plan aimed at recovery of function during extended time away from work.

I do not offer neuropsychological evaluations such as ADHD testing, autism spectrum evaluations, or neurocognitive (dementia) evaluations. I am happy to provide excellent referrals for these services in the community.

I have training and expertise in psychological immigration evaluations. Please contact me directly to discuss fees, as these evaluations often require extensive document review, attorney coordination, deposition, and court testimony. I do not treat the patients I evaluate for this purpose.

No. This practice is not equipped to provide urgent care, crisis stabilization, or emergency psychiatric services. Patients struggling with recurrent crises may be referred to a higher level of care for stabilization.

As part of our work together, we will create a clear safety plan to follow in a crisis, including internal coping strategies, social supports, a list of close contacts, and professional resources you can call.

Some issues can wait until the next day, such as refills, which I will attend to promptly. Others require immediate evaluation. If you need rapid attention, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room or psychiatric hospital. There is a psychiatric emergency department in the emergency room at Dell Seton Medical Center at UT.