I keep my private practice relatively small; on average I spend about 8 hours a week in my Manhattan office. Limiting the number of patients allows more focused, individual attention than a full-time practice affords.
I am not, nor have I ever been, a speaker or promoter for particular medications or pharmaceutical companies, nor do I accept their gifts, samples or supplies. I prescribe based on sound medical evidence and my clinical experience. My approach is to educate regarding realistic expectations of the benefits of medication,with full disclosure regarding potential side effects, so that you can make an informed choice that is best for you. If I do not think medication will benefit you, I will tell you, and explore other ways to help.
To that end, I spend just as much time in my practice performing psychotherapy as prescribing medication. Psychotherapy, like medication, is extremely helpful for many people with certain problems but is not a cure-all. Psychotherapy is a serious endeavor, requiring a substantial investment of time, energy and money to be effective - most psychological conflicts do not emerge overnight, and they do not go away that quickly or effortlessly, either. Psychotherapy is mysterious in the sense that it represents an uncharted exploration of your mind, with the goal of greater understanding, self-awareness and contentment, but its methods and goals should always be clear. When recommending psychotherapy, I provide a diagnosis, the theory underpinning the recommended psychotherapy, and my best estimate of the frequency and duration of sessions.
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