WAVES BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Common Questions
If you have other questions or concerns, please schedule a "Connect" chat so we can explore your situation.
Do you see just pregnant and postpartum women?
I work with women and partners of any gender.
I also see people who are considering or working toward a pregnancy, those with mental health concerns related to their periods or perimenopause, and do offer mental health services to women outside of the reproductive time frame.
Not everyone is comfortable with my/our situation ...
I'm interested in strengthening you as a person and helping you grow on your path. What that looks like is up to you.
I'm comfortable with any relationship status, gender identity, or living situation - this is a safe place to share. Everyone's situation is unique and evolving.
I also know that pregnancy is not always what was anticipated. If your pregnancy ended for any reason, you do not have to worry about judgement here. I also commonly work with people who are continuing a pregnancy that others are not supportive of, whether this be for medical or personal reasons.
How do I know if we are a good fit, if you prescribe my medication, etc.?
Please fill out my New Client form under the scheduling tab. This allows me to see if I could be a good fit for your anticipated needs. We would then have two intake visits together to establish our goals. If your needs do not align with my services, I will provide recommendations for providers that may.
What if I want a one-time consult, or a periodic check in without medication prescribing?
I recommend my intake process to everyone. This consists of two fifty-minute visits, usually about a week apart. While mental health diagnoses can evolve, it is important to know where we are starting from, and that we are working towards the same goals, and treating the right things.
If you will be seeing another provider for ongoing psychiatric management (primary care, obstetric/midwifery provider, or another psychiatric provider), I will offer recommendations to you and to them, and be available for further consultation if needed.
If I am prescribing medications, I do need to see you frequently enough to assess how they are working. If you are stable, this is at least every three to four months.
If we are doing proactive planning and/or "check-ins" without medication, we can decide the frequency of those together.
Will you work with my other providers?
Yes - I'm happy to collaborate with any medical or behavioral health providers, with your signed permission.
Different providers see you from another angle, and sharing treatment recommendations and insights can help each of us care for you better, while reducing stress for you.
What if I just want therapy?
I have very limited availability for weekly or biweekly psychotherapy and unfortunately often have a long waitlist. I focus on eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), which is a trauma psychotherapy (https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/). Most of my therapy clients have experienced reproductive grief, loss, babies with a medical diagnosis, birth trauma, or terminations. We can talk about your situation in detail when we meet and can absolutely refer you to another experienced clinician for EMDR or other therapy if I am unable to meet your needs in a timely way.