Now taking private insurance for short-term evaluation and consultation for children, adults, and families

I am now taking most Massachusetts private insurance in order to provide more people with affordable access to care. I am unfortunately having a difficult time taking MassHealth as a solo clinician, but I will keep trying. 

More about types of services I provide and my general philosophies can be found here.

I am particularly prioritizing brief short-term work with individuals and families who are finding themselves on someone's radar and needing to connect with services quickly in order to receive an initial evaluation and recommendations for pursuing further services (or assurance that nothing formal is needed at this time). I can provide brief developmental and psychological assessment of infants and children of all ages with and without disabilities, brief diagnostic and clinical assessment for adults with and without disabilities, and other related types of brief assessment and recommendations. I also specialize in working with adults, particularly parents, who may have undiagnosed neurodivergence and may be facing misdiagnosis or misconceptions as to the reasons they present as "a bit different" and are in need of an affirming evaluation. My evaluations are disability-positive, neurodiversity-affirming, and respectful of family culture including subcultural affinities. 

I also offer flexible consultation models for children and adults with disabilities who have no pressing clinical concerns, but find themselves needing an established connection with a clinician for verification of disability status or other systems-related reasons. I believe that most people who have had psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disabilities all of their lives do not need treatment, but I also understand that the medical model believes that disabled folks "are followed by someone for that" and I am happy to be that someone. 

Similarly, I offer flexible consultation/training models for children for whom frequent talk therapy is not the best model due to trauma, neurodivergence, culture, or some combination, and who may do better with a model in which the clinician teaches the family and familiar providers to support the youth more indirectly. 

I understand that when working with systems, time is often of the essence in terms of establishing an initial connection with a provider and having someone on record. I make it a point to see folks for an initial appointment usually within the week, though subsequent meetings, collateral contacts if appropriate, and written evaluations unfortunately always take some time. My main goal is to prevent families from being referred to crisis services in the absence of an actual emergency and/or reported to DCF "to make sure services are in place" absent concerns of actual abuse or neglect, as these types of contacts are traumatic and an unnecessary use of services that should be reserved for emergencies. 

photo I took of a red maple leaf on rocky pavement