What to Expect as a New Patient

Beginning psychiatric care can feel like a big step, and it's natural to have questions about the process. My goal is to make your first experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible. This page explains what to expect before your first appointment, how the initial psychiatric evaluation works, and what ongoing care may look like if we decide to work together.

Is My Practice a Good Fit for You?

My practice is designed for adults seeking outpatient psychiatric evaluation and ongoing medication management in a telehealth setting. Because I operate as a solo provider, there are some situations that require a different level or structure of care.

My practice may not be appropriate for individuals whose symptoms require intensive case management, frequent crisis intervention, or a higher level of psychiatric care than can be provided in a solo outpatient telehealth setting.

I am able to work with individuals who have substance use concerns, although this is not an area in which I have extensive specialization. If you're unsure whether my practice is appropriate for your needs, please reach out. I'm happy to discuss whether I can provide the level of care you're looking for.

Scheduling Your Initial Psychiatric Evaluation

To schedule your first appointment, please reach out by email through the contact form on this website. Your initial message can be brief—there's no need to include detailed or sensitive health information at this stage. If we determine that my practice may be a good fit for your needs, you'll have the opportunity to discuss your concerns in greater detail during your evaluation.

During our initial contact, I may ask a few brief questions about what you're looking for in treatment to help determine whether my practice and level of care are appropriate for your needs.

To provide you with the most thorough, unhurried psychiatric evaluation, all new patient onboarding paperwork and practice policy agreements are completed securely online prior to your appointment.

Note: Because all sessions are conducted virtually, patients must be physically located within Washington State at the time of each visit. If your current physical address differs from your ID, please notify Monica during intake.

Your Initial Psychiatric Evaluation

Your first appointment is a comprehensive 60-minute psychiatric evaluation. During this visit, we'll discuss your current concerns, symptoms, medical history, previous treatments, medications, and the biological, psychological, and social factors that may be contributing to your mental health.

This evaluation helps me develop a thorough understanding of your situation so we can create an individualized treatment plan that reflects your goals and needs.

• Medication management
• Behavioral strategies
• Lifestyle recommendations
• Therapy referrals
• Additional medical evaluation when appropriate

Ongoing Care & Clinical Monitoring

After your evaluation, follow-up appointments can be scheduled for either 30 or 50 minutes, depending on your needs. The frequency of visits varies from weekly to annual follow-up appointments, depending on your diagnosis, treatment plan, and progress.

If stimulant medication is prescribed, follow-up appointments are generally required at least every three months to ensure safe and appropriate monitoring. We'll discuss the recommended follow-up schedule during your evaluation.

Health Records, Laboratory Information & Vitals

To help provide the most informed care possible, I may ask you—or another healthcare provider—to send recent laboratory results that are relevant to your treatment. If you've previously received mental health care from another provider, I may also ask you to complete a Release of Information (ROI) so I can review those records as part of your assessment.

Depending on your diagnosis and treatment plan, I may ask you to monitor basic health measurements such as weight, blood pressure, and pulse (recommended via home scale and blood pressure cuff).

Throughout treatment, I may also ask you to complete brief evidence-based questionnaires to monitor symptom progress over time and guide future treatment decisions.