“I expected to be handed a prescription and sent on my way. Instead I was asked a lot of questions, and nobody hurried me.”
Hallie P.
Psychiatry in San Francisco
Psychiatry that goes beneath the surface.
For adults who take a psychiatric medication, are thinking about starting one, or want a second look at their plan. Visits leave room to talk.
HOW WE PRACTICE
Medication is one part of the care.
A prescription is a decision you make with a clinician who has heard your history. We start by listening, explain what we know about the options and their risks, and change one thing at a time.
Listening first
Visits leave time for your history, your sleep, your work and what you have already tried before anyone suggests a change.
The whole picture
Alcohol, caffeine, other medicines and supplements all change how a medication works for you, so we ask about them.
Your other clinicians
With your permission we share notes with your therapist and your primary care clinician, so no one works from half the picture.
THE FIRST VISIT
What a first visit is, and is not.
Turn a card over to see what it is not.
A long conversation
Not a ten-minute check-in. Your prescriber asks about your history and what you have already tried, and leaves room for your questions.
A look at the whole picture
Not only a list of symptoms. Sleep, alcohol, caffeine, other medicines and supplements all change how a medication works, so we ask.
A decision you share
Not a prescription on the way out the door. Whether a medication makes sense is decided with you, after the evaluation, and you can say no or ask for time.
A plain account of the risks
Not a promise. Every medication has side effects and risks, your prescriber explains them, and results vary from person to person.
A plan for what comes next
Not a single visit. If you start a medication, we set a follow-up to see how it is going before anything is changed.
A chance to ask
Not a verdict. Bring your questions and a list of everything you take now, and ask as many times as you need to.
THE JOURNEY
From first request to follow-up.
A first visit for the evaluation, then follow-ups to see how things are going.
- 01
Step 1: Request a visit
Send a message or call. The office confirms a time, tells you what to bring and explains how your visit will be billed.
- 02
Step 2: First visit
A long conversation with your prescriber about your history, your current medicines and your goals. Any decision about medication comes after the evaluation.
- 03
Step 3: Follow-up visits
Shorter visits to see how a medication is going and what you have noticed. Your prescriber changes one thing at a time and explains why.
- 04
Step 4: Steady care
As the plan settles, visits can be spaced further apart. You stay with the same prescriber.
PATIENT WORDS
What a visit sounds like.
“The office explained every step before I came in: who I would see, how billing works, what to bring. By the time I sat down I was less nervous.”
Nelson R.“My questions about side effects got real answers, not a pamphlet. It felt like a decision we were making together.”
Nisha D.“Everyone in the office was kind and plain-spoken. Nobody made me feel strange for asking the same thing twice.”
Jerrell W.
Sample reviews.
A quiet place to wait.
Soft light, low sound and room to sit.
Before you reach out.
What happens in a first visit?
A long conversation with a prescriber about your history, your current medicines and what you want from care. Any decision about medication comes after the evaluation, and you can take time to decide.
How does payment work?
It depends on your plan and on how you pay. How fees work explains insurance, paying yourself, receipts for reimbursement and the written estimate we give in advance to anyone paying without insurance.
Will I leave with a prescription?
Not always. Prescribing decisions come after an evaluation, and some people leave with a plan that doesn't include a new medication. Our prescribing policy explains refills, follow-ups and how we handle controlled medications.
Do you see patients by video?
Follow-up visits can be by video for people located in California, where our clinicians are licensed. A first visit is in person. Whether a medication can be prescribed by video is a clinical and legal decision, covered in the prescribing policy.
How often will I come?
Your clinician sets the pace. Visits are closer together while a medication is new and spread out as the plan settles.
What if I am in crisis?
This office is not an emergency service. Call or text 988 any time, or call 911 in an emergency. The page on crisis and resources has more.
The door is open.
Send a message and the office will reply with a time, what to bring and how billing works.
Let's begin.
The office replies during business hours, by call, text or email, whichever you choose.
Phone(415) 555-0112
Hours
- Monday – ThursdayToday
- 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- FridayToday
- 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Saturday and SundayToday
- Closed