What is Reproductive Psychiatry? What is Perinatal Psychiatry?

Reproductive psychiatry “is a sub-specialty of general psychiatry that focuses on the unique mental health needs and treatment of women who have psychiatric symptoms related to reproductive cycle transitions. Reproductive psychiatrists are experts in the diagnosis and management of mood and anxiety symptoms that occur around the menstrual cycle, across pregnancy and in the postpartum, and during the perimenopausal years” (Johns Hopkins Center for Women’s Reproductive Health). Perinatal Psychiatry focuses on treatment of women who are in the process of conceiving, pregnant, or postpartum; many perinatal psychiatrists also work with individuals who are having mental health concerns related to fertility challenges, fostering/adoption, and pregnancy/infant loss.

How do I schedule an appointment?

The first step is scheduling a free 15 minute phone introduction. During this time, we will discuss your reasons for seeking treatment, and I will provide an overview of my practice. If we both agree to move forward, we will then discuss scheduling our first appointment. Payment card information will be collected when scheduling the first appointment. Pre-payment in full for initial appointments and one-time consultations is required at the time of scheduling.

Alternatively, I may determine that my practice cannot meet all of your current needs and will let you know. The phone introduction does not establish a patient-physician relationship. The patient-physician relationship is established after completion of the first face-to-face appointment.

Can I see you for in-person/virtual appointments?

I can accommodate both in-person and virtual/telehealth appointments. For the first appointment, I usually recommend an in-person visit. Follow-up visits are scheduled as in-person OR virtual/telehealth (using HIPAA-compliant Zoom) based on patient preference and my recommendation. Regardless of preference, I do ask that all patients sign a telehealth consent form, just in case we need to make a last-minute pivot to a virtual/telehealth appointment.

What can I expect during our first appointment?

You will be asked to complete an intake form BEFORE your appointment, in order to help guide our discussion and make the best use of our time together. You will also be expected to review and sign practice forms BEFORE the first appointment. The appointment will last approximately 60-90 minutes. During this time, we will review your current symptoms and impact on functioning, your past psychiatric history and treatment, any additional medical history, social history, and relevant family information. We will review first diagnostic impressions and possible treatment options, and we will work together to create a comprehensive treatment plan.

It is possible that after completion of this first appointment, I may determine that my services do not meet all of your needs. In this instance, I will discuss this with you and will work with you to transfer care to another provider. If you are transferring care and are already prescribed psychiatric medications, I may not automatically continue prescribing these medications, and I may recommend alternative treatments.

If this is a second opinion or one-time consultation, I will provide a written report to you and/or to a referring provider with recommendations for treatment.

I already have a therapist. Can I see you only for medication management?

Absolutely! I will be glad to coordinate care with your therapist. I often strongly recommend psychotherapy as part of a treatment plan. Alternatively, if you do not currently have a therapist, I have many established professional relationships with therapists in the community and would be glad to help connect you. Requests to see me for individual therapy will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Do you take my insurance?

Because my goal is to provide high quality and personalized care without insurance providers or administrators dictating treatment, my practice is considered “out of network” for all insurance plans, including private/commercial insurance, Tricare, Medicaid, and Medicare. Please note that this practice cannot accept patients with Medicare, even if they wish to pay for services out of pocket.

Payments for services provided are due at the time of appointments (for more information, see “Services & Rates”). For eligible patients wishing to use their "out of network" benefits from their insurance, a Superbill can be provided at their request. A Superbill is a medical billing receipt for services with an out of network provider. I have partnered with my electronic medical system provider, Osmind, to facilitate submission of Superbills. Patients who are interested in submitting Superbills to their insurance should request a Superbill at the time of their appointments. Many insurance companies will reimburse a portion of the out of network cost to the patient. However, as insurance policies can vary greatly, there is no guarantee that an insurance company will reimburse a patient for services received. Please contact your insurance provider to find out more information regarding your out of network benefits.

How can I get in touch if I have a question or concern in between appointments?

The preferred method of communication is via a secure, HIPAA-compliant patient portal that is part of the Osmind medical record system. Patients will be instructed on how to set up their own account when scheduling the first appointment. Other communication types (including email and texting) are not considered secure and should be avoided when possible. If you are having any issues with using the patient portal, you may also call the office at 504-233-6787. I typically respond to messages from patients within 24 business hours and make my best effort to address any issues within 48-72 business hours. If an issue cannot be managed via messaging and/or a brief telephone call, a closer follow up appointment may be recommended.

For urgent matters after hours, please call 504-233-6787 indicating the nature of your issue/request. I will make every reasonable attempt to respond to urgent requests within 24 hours.

My practice is not a replacement for crisis or emergency services, and I do not have admitting privileges to any hospital. There are several 24/7/365 crisis numbers to call, including the Metropolitan Crisis Response Team at 504-826-2675 (for residents of Orleans, Plaquemine, or St. Bernard Parish), the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, and the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS. For emergencies, such as concern for harming oneself or someone else, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

What if I can’t make my appointment?

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please notify my office at least 24 business hours (Monday-Friday, excluding holidays) before the scheduled appointment time. Appointments that are cancelled within 24 business hours will be charged the full appointment fee, using a payment card kept on file. If a patient does not arrive for an appointment within 15 minutes of the scheduled appointment start time, they run the risk of the appointment being considered a “no show” and being charged the full appointment fee. Exceptions to the above are at my discretion, typically only considered for personal/family emergencies or sudden illness. Repeated missed appointments or late cancellations may result in discharge from the practice.

With few exceptions, a late cancellation or no show of the first appointment will not be rescheduled, the patient will not be reimbursed the full appointment fee, and the patient will be directed to other services if still wishing to seek treatment.

Can my partner/parent/child/friend attend appointments with me?

In most cases, yes. A partner, parent, close friend, or family member can be helpful, particularly during the first appointment, to provide additional information and/or to better understand treatment recommendations. For patients under the age of 18, a parent or legal guardian (or a designated caregiver such as a grandparent, with written consent) is required to attend the appointment with them. For adults as well as minors, I will request that part of every appointment be one-on-one.

Babies are welcome! If you have someone that can watch older children during your appointment, that would be ideal; this recommendation is to ensure that all of your questions/concerns can be addressed fully without distraction, and to avoid older children overhearing any sensitive or age-inappropriate content. If your child needs to attend with you, just let me know and we will do our best to make it work! I’m a parent too, I understand….life happens!