Getting Started
What to expect.
We strive to make our intake process as thorough and seamless as possible. Here is a guide to beginning your care with us.
The Evaluation Process
1. Initial Request & Intake Forms
After you request an appointment, our office will send you a secure link to our patient portal. You will be asked to complete comprehensive intake forms, including your medical history, psychiatric history, and specific rating scales relevant to your symptoms. We require these to be completed prior to your first visit to ensure your physician has adequate time to review your history.
2. The Initial Evaluation
Your first appointment is a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation conducted via secure video, typically lasting 60 minutes. Your physician will conduct a structured clinical interview, review your history, and discuss their diagnostic impressions. Depending on complexity, the evaluation may extend across two to three follow up sessions to ensure diagnostic accuracy.
3. Treatment Planning
At the conclusion of your evaluation, your physician will collaborate with you to develop an individualized treatment plan. This may include medication management, recommendations for specific modalities of psychotherapy, lifestyle interventions, or further medical workup (such as labs or imaging) if indicated.
Important Practice Policies
- •Telemedicine: For telemedicine visits, you must be physically located in the state of California at the time of your appointment.
- •Controlled Substances: We are highly conservative with controlled substances. We do not prescribe benzodiazepines (e.g., Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan). Stimulants for ADHD are prescribed only after a rigorous diagnostic evaluation confirms the diagnosis.
- •Cancellations: We require 48 hours notice for cancellations to avoid a cancellation fee.
Common Questions
How long is the first appointment?
Initial evaluations run 60 minutes with a physician. Depending on diagnostic complexity, the evaluation may extend across two to three sessions. ADHD evaluations in particular typically require two to three sessions before any medication decision.
How quickly can I be seen?
Our office responds to appointment requests within two business days to schedule your first visit. New-patient appointments are often available within one to two weeks, varying by physician and insurance plan; urgent clinician referrals are triaged within two business days.
Do you prescribe benzodiazepines?
No. We do not prescribe benzodiazepines (such as Xanax, Klonopin, or Ativan). If you currently take one prescribed by another physician, we are happy to discuss your care, including a gradual, medically supervised taper if appropriate, but we will not continue this medication class.
Will I receive ADHD medication at my first visit?
No. Stimulants are prescribed only after a completed diagnostic evaluation confirms the diagnosis, which typically takes two to three sessions. This protects you from the consequences of a wrong diagnosis: stimulants can worsen anxiety and destabilize unrecognized bipolar disorder.
What do I need for telehealth appointments?
A private space in California, a reliable internet connection, and a device with a camera. We send a secure video link before each visit; there is nothing to install. You must be physically located in California at the time of your appointment.
Can I use my insurance?
We are in-network with Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, and Lyra Health (participation varies by physician). If we are out-of-network for your plan, a Network Gap Exception often secures in-network rates. See our insurance page for a step-by-step guide and template letters.
More detail: insurance & fees · how telepsychiatry works