About the Practice
I honor the risks my patients take in trusting me with their inner worlds by providing excellent treatment.
I love being a psychiatrist. I opened my private practice to do it on my own terms and without artificial constraints. I value getting to know each patient as an individual; the better I know someone, the more informed and thoughtful my therapy and recommendations can be. My practice has the flexibility to accommodate patients with complicated schedules and provide extra support in times of crisis. If you are a public figure, work in an industry that attracts unwanted or excessive attention, or otherwise require a higher level of privacy and security than is typical, I may be able to accommodate your circumstances.
I see folks in person and virtually — whatever works.
Who are my patients?
I work mostly with adults; I may consider referrals for older adolescents on a case by case basis. I’ve enjoyed working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Some of the problems I treat are depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders (mostly borderline and narcissistic), anxiety disorders, trauma related disorders (PTSD, complex developmental and/or relational trauma), and more!
I have particular expertise in working with folks who struggle with overwhelming emotions, moods swings, intense or unhealthy relationships, falling into repetitive unhealthy patterns even when trying not to, difficulty regulating behavior when upset, fears of abandonment, jealousy, difficulty with emotional closeness (either jumping in too fast or avoiding it altogether), or tendencies to jump to wild or highly inaccurate conclusions about the feelings, behaviors, or intentions of others when feeling abandoned or alone. Sometimes these things can be caused by personality, mood, trauma-related, or anxiety disorders, but not always!
Appointments: in-person and telehealth
The value of being together in the same room during heavy therapy sessions cannot be overstated. It just *feels* different. Maybe it’s an energy thing, or a mirror-neuron thing, or some other unconscious interpersonal *something* that humans evolved to have, but it’s there. For this reason, I have a (super cute) physical office in Downtown Portland. I prefer to see (vaccinated!) patients in person, but I understand that this isn’t practical for everyone. Family/work obligations, childcare logistics, living outside the Portland area, or simply feeling more comfortable opening up in your own space are all fantastic reasons to prefer telehealth over IRL appointments.
COVID, vaccines, etc
It is important that my office remain a safe and healthy place for my patients and myself, so I invite only vaccinated folks to come see me in person. I gladly offer virtual/telehealth appointments for those who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19, are immunocompromised or otherwise especially susceptible to infection, or are at high risk of severe consequences from COVID or other respiratory infections.
Financials, “out of network”
I am only “in network” with PacificSource, a regional (PNW) not-for-profit insurer. If you have PacificSource insurance, your copayment/coinsurance costs depend on your insurance plan (some plans have a flat per-appointment copayment, other plans have a percentage-based co-insurance). If you aren’t sure, you may want to reach out to PacificSource to check.
I am “out of network” with all other insurers.
If your health insurance plan includes “out of network benefits,” I can provide superbills (a specific type of medical invoice) that you can send to your insurance company when requesting out-of-network reimbursement from them.
Fees (out of pocket/not through PacificSource insurance): Fees vary based on several factors, but in general, initial appointments are $600 for a 90-minute appointment, follow-up appointments for established patients are $225-350 depending on the appointment duration (25-60 minutes) and type (with or without psychotherapy).