FAQ
What can I expect at my first session?
First visits start with an initial psychiatric consultation and last about an hour. Your consultation may take more than one session depending on individual scenario. Please bring past records and list of current medications if applicable.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Cash, check, and credit card payments are all accepted.
Do you prescribe medications?
I prescribe medications when clinically indicated and as a tool to aid psychotherapy. The decision to take medication is an individual choice. I do not prescribe controlled substances on initial visit. All treatment necessitating use of controlled substance will be closely monitored in order to detect any adverse effects relating to use of medication.
How long do sessions take?
Initial visits take about an hour.
Follow up individual sessions are 25-50 minutes.
Groups run 90 minutes.
Do you accept insurance?
I am in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PPO plan. I can also provide out-of-network patients a superbill for insurance reimbursement.
I also partner with Headway and accept Aetna, United Healthcare, and other Blue Cross Blue Shield ppo plans (including Blue Choice ppo).
What is your cancellation policy?
Failure to cancel 24 hours before scheduled appointment will result in patient's responsibility for full session fee.
Discussions
Mood Dysregulation
Mood dysregulation such as anxiety or depression is one of the most common reasons people seek mental health treatment. Mood disorders frequently cause social relationships to deteriorate, even when medications address symptoms.
Psychodynamic therapy provides insight to help us understand why we react the way we do. Emotional regulation skills can help us tolerate difficult emotions.
We learn understanding and acceptance changes the way we react to emotions. Examining our emotional heritage, we no longer feel trapped by our emotions.
Social Isolation
Whether one experiences transient loneliness from relocation or persistent sense of loneliness from "not fitting in", the feeling of isolation often results in feeling alone even in company of other people. However, loneliness is not just a discomfort: chronic loneliness is becoming recognized as a danger to human health.
Key component of interpersonal therapy is understanding our emotional reactions to other people and roles we tend to play in social settings. Understanding how we connect to other,
we can learn to interact with others in a meaningful, authentic way. We realize connection to others allow us to be more fully ourselves. In addition, we have more power over the roles we choose in our lives.
Career and Family Stress
Work and family pressures exert significant stress. Unfortunately one particularly susceptible population are healthcare professionals, including physicians, who are increasingly at risk of burnout. Whether it is meeting unrealistic requirements or expectations, loss of autonomy, or product of medicine culture, unaddressed stress can lead to one feeling constant anxiety, burned out, or self-blame.
Individual therapy can be an excellent step to start the process of addressing the variety of issues. With insight and support, it becomes easier to differentiate personal expectations versus institutional pressures.
For those who would like group support, groups allow people to connect to others facing similar difficulties and cultivating peer support.