Symptoms matter. So does the larger picture.
Adult work may begin with ADHD, anxiety, depression, a relationship difficulty, a transition, or a more general sense of feeling stuck, disconnected, or dissatisfied. Treatment can address symptoms while also making room to understand the patterns shaping work, relationships, identity, and everyday life.
Depending on the situation, care may involve medication, psychotherapy, or both.
REASONS ADULTS SEEK CARE
Different concerns can lead to the same question: what is getting in the way?
ADHD & executive functioning
Difficulty with attention, organization, procrastination, follow-through, consistency, impulsivity, or questions about whether ADHD is the right diagnosis.
Adult ADHD evaluation and treatmentAnxiety & chronic stress
Persistent worry, tension, avoidance, perfectionism, panic, irritability, or stress that interferes with work, relationships, sleep, or daily life.
Anxiety treatmentDepression & mood
Low mood, loss of interest, reduced energy, irritability, withdrawal, hopelessness, or difficulty functioning consistently.
Depression treatmentRelationships & recurring patterns
Understanding patterns in intimacy, conflict, loneliness, attachment, expectations, identity, and the ways earlier experiences continue to shape present relationships.
Life transitions
Changes in relationships, family roles, career, health, identity, or direction can bring both practical problems and larger questions about what matters.
Performance & demanding environments
Focus, judgment, burnout, relationships, identity, or fulfillment can become difficult even when someone appears to be functioning well from the outside.
EVALUATION
A psychiatric assessment looks beyond the presenting symptom.
The evaluation considers current symptoms, history, previous treatment, medical and psychiatric context, relationships, work or family demands, sleep, development when relevant, and what you hope will be different. The purpose is to clarify what is happening before deciding what kind of care makes sense.
Sometimes the answer is a focused diagnosis and treatment plan. Other times several concerns overlap and a broader formulation is more useful.
MEDICATION
Medication management when it is useful.
Medication can be an important part of care for ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric concerns. I do not begin by assuming medication is necessary. Decisions follow a careful evaluation and an individualized discussion of likely benefits, limitations, side effects, and alternatives.
PSYCHOTHERAPY & DEVELOPMENT
Psychotherapy with a psychiatrist.
My psychotherapy training helps me look beyond symptoms to recurring patterns, relationships, internal conflict, identity, and the ways earlier experiences may still be affecting the present.
My child and adolescent fellowship adds a developmental perspective: how someone became who they are, what they learned to adapt to, and whether those adaptations are still serving them. Therapy may be focused and practical or more exploratory and longer-term.
PROFESSIONAL PRESSURE & ACHIEVEMENT
When outward success does not tell the whole story.
Some of the people I work with are entrepreneurs, executives, investors, attorneys, physicians, athletes, and others working in demanding or highly competitive environments.
Before medicine, I worked in investment banking and private equity in New York, San Francisco, and Sydney. That experience, together with years in competitive academic, athletic, financial, and medical settings, can mean less time explaining the environment and more time focusing on you within it—whether the concern is focus, consistency, judgment, relationships, burnout, identity, or the gap between outward success and internal fulfillment.
Sometimes the more important question is: What is all of this achievement for?
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
Care may be focused or longer-term.
Some people come for a psychiatric evaluation or medication treatment. Others are looking for psychotherapy or longer-term work. We decide together what kind of care fits best and where it makes sense to focus. Sometimes the most useful outcome of an evaluation is a recommendation for another kind of care.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions about adult psychiatric care.
What does an adult psychiatrist treat?
Adult psychiatry can address ADHD, anxiety, depression, mood symptoms, relationship difficulties, life transitions, diagnostic uncertainty, and other concerns affecting work, relationships, sleep, or daily functioning.
Do you evaluate adults for ADHD?
Yes. Adult ADHD evaluation considers current functioning as well as longstanding patterns, including childhood history and how difficulties changed as responsibilities and demands increased.
Do you provide psychotherapy as well as medication management?
Yes. Care may involve psychotherapy, medication management, or both. The balance depends on the problem, the person, and what is most useful over time.
Does seeing a psychiatrist mean I will need medication?
No. Medication is one treatment option, not an assumption. The initial assessment is meant to clarify what kind of care makes sense before treatment decisions are made.
Can anxiety and ADHD occur together?
Yes. They can coexist, and anxiety can also interfere with concentration and follow-through. A careful evaluation helps determine which problems are present and which are driving impairment.
What happens during an adult psychiatric evaluation?
The assessment focuses on current concerns, history, functioning, prior treatment, relationships, work and family context, and your goals. An adult assessment typically takes place over two 45-minute appointments.
Do you work with adults who are functioning well professionally but struggling in other areas?
Yes. Outward success does not rule out significant difficulty with relationships, focus, anxiety, mood, identity, burnout, or questions about direction and fulfillment.
Do you offer telehealth for adults?
Yes. Virtual appointments are available where permitted by licensure.
GETTING STARTED
An initial assessment is a reasonable place to begin.
If you are trying to understand what is going on and what kind of treatment would make sense, we can start there.