I am a psychiatrist in private practice in San Rafael and Walnut Creek, California. In my practice, I seek to create a space which enables healing, fosters strength, and promotes independence and empowerment in the individuals I serve.
RECENT PRESENTATIONS:
- August 1, 2013: "Rational and Effective Prescribing: By Whom And For Whom?" - Invited Address, American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Honolulu, HI
- September 19, 2013: "Children and Psychotropic Drugs: How Good is the Evidence?" - The Rx Generation, Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine, Freeport, ME
- NPR's "Talk Of The Nation", Monday, October 22, 2012, with host Neal Conan and Professor Richard A. Friedman of Weill Cornell Medical College. For an archived recording and transcript, follow this link.
"Recovery" and Mental Health
In "Recovery," the focus is on the transformation of a person's life, rather than the treatment of a patient's illness. It is less important to determine what is the problem, or the diagnosis, but rather to identify what the patient wants out of treatment-- and out of life in general-- and how to get there.
I do not believe that successful treatment requires dependence on a drug or upon long-term psychiatric care. My goal is to help patients reach a point where they do not need my care and can proceed with their lives. This may happen quickly, or it may occur over many years. It may require intensive therapy, medication management, or a combination of these. It may involve care by several professionals, with whom I will gladly collaborate. In the end, the goal is true Recovery: emergence from one's current mental distress into a more competent, self-sufficient, and empowered self.
About My Practice
I specialize in comprehensive, individualized care for adults and adolescents with a variety of mental health conditions, including mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder; anxiety; PTSD; obsessive-compulsive disorder; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); eating disorders; addictions to alcohol, drugs, food, and behaviors; and lifestyle problems pertaining to relationships, life transitions, grief and loss, and inability to achieve one's personal goals.
I am open to a multifaceted treatment approach. I do not restrict my treatment to medication management. I use medication only when necessary, appropriate, and when my patients are fully informed as to the risks and benefits thereof, and freely select this option. I am willing to work with patients to minimize their existing medication burden and to avoid the dangers of withdrawal.
I serve as Editor-In-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report, which introduces me to novel treatments and to leaders in the field of psychiatry and psychology. I am editor of the Carlat Medication Guide for Psychiatric Practice, 2nd Edition, and I lecture to psychologists receiving advanced training in psychopharmacology. I also write and maintain the Thought Broadcast blog, and I am a reviewer for The Medical Letter.
I have been interviewed in Psychiatric Times, More magazine, and Forbes magazine, and my writings have been syndicated on KevinMD and HCPLive. I have taught addiction medicine to medical and psychiatric residents at Stanford and UCLA. I am a psychiatric consultant to Serenity Knolls Treatment Center in Forest Knolls, CA, and I am collaborating with experts from Stanford University and Washington State Medicaid, among others, in a project to reduce antipsychotic usage in children.
Fees and Insurance
For the sake of my patients' convenience and confidentiality, I do not accept insurance. I operate on a fee-for-service basis only. I do offer a sliding scale for patients with less of an ability to pay. Many patients can receive reimbursement for a portion of my services through their out-of-network mental health benefits. Please call (415) 484-2258 or contact me via the link at right if you have questions or would like more information.