Why should I see you versus another mental health provider? Can't I just use AI?

Psychiatry and mental health treatments in general are trending towards prioritizing efficiency. I get it; life gets busy and who has more time to give? Aren't we all stressed out enough? 

 

Unfortunately, tech and venture capital are acutely aware of this perspective, and utilize this to mass-produce "mental health services and products" that prioritize quick fixes, temporary relief and an endless stream of subscription services. They are also actively co-opting large scale telehealth mental health services, producing impersonal and constrained clinical interactions that tend to leave both the patient and provider feeling invalidated and empty. 

 

If you want to see change in your life, you need to make time for you. You can't keep doing the same things and expect that by implementing lifehacks and watching 30-second self-help clips your situation will improve. Validation and sycophancy by artifical intelligence like ChatGPT may briefly leave you feeling bolstered, but these chatbots have been shown to be dangerous in the setting of mental health crises. Real changes in our minds and in the way we think take place in the context of real relationships. By engaging in a more in-depth treatment, we will work together to help you better understand yourself: exploring the patterns, relational histories, internal conflicts and developmental aspects that shape how you think, feel and behave. 

 

I intentionally maintain a low-volume practice in order to prioritize the treatment relationship in our work together. While I could certainly earn a better living by offering a drive-through medication mill, neither of us would find that to be satisfying or helpful in the long run. If you have made it to the end of this section, you very likely have the capacity, drive and curiousity necessary to pursue in-depth treatment. 

 

Can a psychiatrist do psychotherapy? 

Short answer: Yes, we can. But an unfortunate trend in large healthcare delivery systems is that it is considered inefficient for a psychiatrist to provide therapy, and they are often encouraged to focus on “biological” interventions such as medications. 

 

Board-certified psychiatrists trained in the United States must finish medical school and then complete a 4 year residency in psychiatry. The American College of Graduate Medical Education sets guidelines for all medical specialty residency programs. ACGME psychiatry residency program guidelines require residents to treat psychotherapy patients, including those seen weekly, and participate in multiple outpatient treatment modalities that incorporate developmental, psychological, social, and biological approaches. Specific requirements are determined by each program, but must include exposure to different approaches like psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy and supportive psychotherapy. During my residency, I took every opportunity available to have more clinical supervision and sought outside training in psychoanalytic theory to help me better understand my patients. 

 

I previously saw you as my psychiatrist, can we just resume the work we were previously doing?

Unfortunately in transitioning into private practice, I no longer have access to your medical records from other healthcare organizations, and we will need to go through the process of a formal treatment initiation, including diagnostic assessment and treatment planning. 

Please note: I am also no longer working as part of a large system with wrap-around services available, and I may not be able to meet your needs as a solo provider. I will be as transparent as possible if this is a concern. I want to make sure you are getting the most appropriate care available. 

 

What does a first visit look like?

This may vary depending on the treatment you are looking for. In most cases, we will do a full formal diagnostic exam to review current symptoms, treatment history, and your biographical narrative including personal and family history. 

For psychoanalytic treatment, the diagnostic evaluation can be an ongoing part of the first months of treatment, which is why this treatment modality is billed differently. 

 

I’m not sure what sort of treatment I’m looking for.

In consultation, we can discuss potential options, including the options that I think would be most helpful for you based on my training and experience. This may incorporate considerations of medications, lifestyle changes (including dietary changes and movement), and psychotherapy. Treatment recommendation may include a referral to a different provider or a suggestion to seek a specific treatment that I do not provide (such as EMDR or DBT). 

 

Is this right for me?

If you are self-motivated, curious about yourself, and ready for change, we will potentially work well together. The relationship we develop is a key component of psychoanalytic treatments (one could argue this is true for all mental health treatments). 

 

What happens if I don’t think we’re a good fit? 

Let me know, and we can talk about it. You won’t hurt my feelings. It might make sense for me to refer you to another provider, or it might be an opportunity to explore why you don’t think it’s a good fit and how that might help you understand yourself better. 

 

What is psychoanalysis? 

Psychoanalysis is a mental health treament that offers a way of understanding ourselves, our relationships, and how we interact with the world. This approach addresses the whole person, rather than just manage symptoms. Psychoanalysis is the foundation of all talk therapies, and has a wide body of literature that has been evolving over the last 120 years. This treatment helps people learn how they became who they are and why they do the things they do. This makes a path for the emotional freedom in order to make significant and lasting changes. We are unaware of so many internal factors that determine our current emotions and behaviors, and psychoanalysis can help reveal how these unconscious forces impact our day-to-day lives. 

 

How are you able to practice psychoanalysis?

I am in training as a psychoanalytic candidate at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, which means that for a certain number of “control” psychoanalyses, I meet weekly throughout the treatment with a supervising faculty member from the Institute to discuss your case. I have been working with psychoanalytic supervisors for my clinical cases since 2014. 

 

How does psychoanalysis work virtually?

The structure of a virtual psychoanalysis is quite similar to in-person treatment, in that we maintain a consistent treatment frame of meeting at the same time and for the same duration. The fundamental rule remains that you say everything that comes to your mind without censorship, judgement or deliberate organization. All from the comfort of your own couch. 

 

What sort of supervision do you offer?

I offer individual and group supervision (up to 4 therapists/session) for psychotherapists who are interested in developing a deeper understanding of how underlying psychodynamics affect their patients, which can be a useful and helpful perspective to add to particularly challenging or stuck cases, regardless of treatment modality. 

I also offer practice management supervision to early career psychiatrists, which can include psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. 

Frequency of supervision can be variable, including discrete individual consultations (2-3 sessions, spaced weekly) or ongoing supervision with sessions every 1-2 weeks.

Note for trainees: as a licensed psychiatrist, supervision with me would not count toward supervisory requirments for  psychologists, social workers or counselors in training. 

 

Are you offering services in Florida?

There is a system that allows me to see patients in Florida, although this is limited to psychotherapy alone. To find out more about Florida's Out-of-State Provider Registration, you can use the following link:

https://flhealthsource.gov/telehealth/

 

Office Phone: 715-227-4884