I’m proud to be a psychiatrist and thus able to provide for the medication needs of people in psychotherapy with me. For the right person, medication can indeed restore mental health and make a world of difference. The medication services I provide are 1) evaluating you for conditions that may benefit from medication, 2) maintaining and adjusting ongoing treatments, and 3) quietly keeping an eye out any situation/condition that might emerge over the course of work together that might be helped by medication. Still, I encourage people to learn and grow and develop healthy habits first, rather than reaching too quickly for a chemical fix or developing an unnecessary dependence. All in all, about half of the people I work with find medication a useful addition to their psychotherapy.

Like a nailfile or a screwdriver, psychiatric medications are specific tools for specific needs. It all depends on the situation or condition you find yourself in. Depression, severe anxiety, panic attacks, Attention Deficit Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and psychotic disorders (loss of touch with reality), all have good medication treatments. I’m very comfortable working with antidepressants, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and soothing non-addictive medications for depression, anxiety, panic, ADD, and mild-moderate Bipolar Disorder. For more severe Bipolar disorder or psychotic disorders, I would suggest a psychiatrist who specializes in those areas.

As a psychiatrist, my job is to be informative, compassionate, and collaborative. I’ll keep you informed as to any condition you may have, offer you options, and together we’ll customize a treatment plan that works for you. If you choose to start a medication, I’ll help you see yourself as someone bravely facing challenges. I’ll help you manage any possible side effects and encourage you to patiently expect the best, as the benefits of medications (especially antidepressants) may take a few weeks to show themselves. And finally, as your psychotherapist in addition to your prescriber, you and I will work hard on all the good healthy ways you can learn and grow so that you’re not taking any more medication than you really need.  

-Dr. Adam