Frequently Asked Questions

Medicine has always shared a deep connection with nature. In ancient civilizations healing remedies were made from plants, harnessing the power of botanicals to address a wide range of physical and psychiatric symptoms. Egyptian, Greek, and Chinese healers had a profound understanding of nature's value and passed down this knowledge through generations. Even as science introduced life-saving synthetic formulas, many of the same botanical compounds used by ancient healers were incorporated into medicines from aspirin to cancer drugs. Integrative psychiatry leverages the best of both science and nature, providing a wider range of healing options.

Integrative clinicians use the best of what Western medicine offers alongside evidence-based alternative therapies. Alternative healers avoid use of Western medicine entirely.

Because integrative psychiatry offers a wider range of treatment options, it is an excellent fit for people who have had difficulty with conventional medicines due to side effects, allergies, or inadequate response. Some clients come to me specifically because they’ve been told that they’re ‘complex’ and I’ve had good success treating them. I never turn a client away based solely on complexity. If you have concerns in that regard, please bring up the details during your free introductory call.

Integrative psychiatry is a combination of alternative and conventional approaches and often includes prescription medicines. That’s because conventional medicines sometimes are the fastest way to relieve symptoms while your body and brain heal. Sometimes, medicine serves a temporary role, providing important support while you work on therapy or nutritional changes help you heal. In some cases, prescriptions really are the most effective treatment and other modalities serve more of a supporting role. My goals are to get you feeling better as quickly as possible, to promote meaningful healing, and then to sustain good health long term. Prescription medicine, used wisely, supports those goals.

You are the final decision-maker on all aspects of your treatment. If I suggest a treatment option that doesn’t resonate with you, please let me know so that we can discuss alternatives.

I have opted out of working with all insurance as part of my strategy for helping clients feel better quickly. Office visits are direct pay and I accept major credit/debit cards, HSA/FSA, and CareCredit.

This doesn’t mean that insurance won’t cover part of the cost of my services. Many insurance plans cover prescription medications, laboratory tests, and certain genetic panels when prescribed by out-of-network clinicians. On request, I will provide you with a superbill (specialized receipt) that you can submit to insurance to claim out-of-network benefits your plan offers toward office visits.

Direct pay is a healthcare model that allows patients to pay the clinician directly for their care. Because insurance companies are taken out of the billing process they can no longer dictate the way in which care is provided. Essential Psychiatry is a direct pay practice. Direct pay is most beneficial when:

• Time matters (you need to feel better quickly).

• Access is an issue (there is a long wait to establish care, or your clinician is too busy to see you often enough for steady progress)

• Working under the limitations of insurance (15 minute appointments) just isn’t getting results

In the moment, an appointment using insurance may cost less. But if you don’t get the timely, focused attention you need it will cost you in other ways: it will take much longer to heal. In addition to disrupting sleep and causing distress, symptoms can create difficulty in succeeding at work/school and steal energy needed for important relationships. Losses related to relationships and work/school performance can be hard to recoup, impacting your future for months or years. My approach is designed to get you feeling better as quickly as possible so that long-term consequences of poor health are minimized.

In most cases you will be able to use your insurance for medicines your plan has decided to cover. Insurance may also cover commonly ordered laboratory tests like those for drug levels or screenings for diseases. Many insurance plans cover at least a portion of genetic testing. And, if you request one, a superbill will be provided after each appointment. If your policy offers out-of-network (OON) benefits for psychiatric treatment, I can show you a streamlined way to submit your superbill to receive some money back.

No. Prices are the same for everyone.

Payment is made when you schedule your appointment or via pre-paid bundles of appointments. Some clients prefer to pay in advance so that they can focus solely on treatment the day of, or to simplify finances when being seen frequently (short term). If you are interested in prepaid appointments, please inquire.

If you want to work with me but need a payment plan, CareCredit offers a deferred interest plan that may help. Learn more about CareCredit here.

To search for a prescriber or therapist who takes your insurance, I recommend www.psychologytoday.com.

For timely access, I suggest the walk-in assessment at one of the locations for Johnson County Mental Health. They will see you regardless of income or insurance.

Yes!

My first commitment is to existing clients, and I consider their needs before accepting someone new. When I temporarily close to new clients this site will be updated to reflect that.

New client appointments and follow-up visits are usually available within 14 calendar days.

Frequency will depend on the nature and severity of your symptoms. For new patients struggling to manage responsibilities or lacking enjoyment in life, a good estimate is 4 appointments in the first 90 days. If visits are further apart than that improvement will still happen, but at a slower rate.

Yes, as long as you’re able to come to my office at Metcalf and 121st.

New client appointments are in person at my comfortable Overland Park/Leawood office.

Telehealth follow-up appointments are an option for clients who can be located in Kansas when we meet. You do not need to be located at your home address. Please confirm telehealth availability during your introductory phone call.

Clients must be physically located in Kansas during telehealth appointments because that is where I am licensed. This is the result of legislation that hasn’t kept up with our mobile, digital age. I hope it will soon.

I am conservative in my use of prescriptions but (depending on your symptoms) may have difficulty achieving the results you need without them. If you would like to discuss the specifics of your situation, please schedule a free introductory call.

It depends. If you feel good and are functioning well at work/school and in your important relationships, then we’ll continue what you’re already doing. Most people find me because something isn’t working well. In that case we’ll get into the details and then agree on a plan designed to help you feel better as quickly as possible.

Absolutely.

When someone is on more than 1-2 medications related to mental health, I always work with them to determine if all those medicines are necessary. If not, we begin a process called ‘deprescribing’ by strategically reducing doses of certain medicines in hopes that they can be discontinued.

Yes, when appropriate.

Rarely. Benzos like lorazepam and clonazepam are highly effective. They are also very risky. My responsibility as your clinician is to help you find effective and safe treatment options. If you currently take a benzo, please inquire further during your free introductory phone call.

No. However, your pain condition will help guide our choices for non-opioid medicines that target mental health symptoms and sometimes also help significantly with pain. Some of my clients do find meaningful relief from pain as their mental health improves. If your mental health symptoms stabilize by physical pain remains problematic, you may need to see a pain management specialist.