Yes, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder and is diagnosed by medical and/or psychiatric providers. I provide this evaluation for children age 6 to adults. This process usually takes an additional 2-3 hours after initial evaluation. Please reach out for fees based on age of client and testing materials required. Client and/or guardian is required to complete assessments outside of and before the scheduled testing session.

Note: An evaluation by a medical professional is necessary for a diagnosis of autism. There is a separate educational evaluation for children who are seeking services through a public school system. THIS evaluation primarily assesses how the child can learn and participate in the school environment. Its purpose is to determine eligibility for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and establish an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 educational plans. Unlike a medical diagnosis, an educational diagnosis does not necessarily confirm the presence of ASD but rather assesses eligibility for special educational support.

ADHD evaluation is available for adults and children. For patients that have already had a general initial evaluation with me, ADHD evals take an additional 2 hours in a separate appointment. Please reach out for fees based on age of client and testing materials required. Client AND guardian (if applicable) are required to complete assessments outside of and before the scheduled testing session.

Medication is most effective when used in combination with other wellness strategies, such as lifestyle changes and talk therapy. Medication management complements psychotherapy by helping you to:

• Stabilize your emotions and mood

• Achieve a receptive state to do “the work” in therapy.

• Find relief from intense symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other conditions.

• Address sleep disturbances, chemical imbalances, or other symptoms that are difficult to treat by therapy alone.

• Make lifestyle changes to improve your physical and mental health.

I do not provide psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” but I also do much more than just write prescriptions for medication. We know that mood is more than a lack of a specific neurotransmitter in your brain. Your physical health impacts your mental health and vice versa. We will work together to ensure the “whole person” is addressed. This may include:

• Review of recent lab work and ordering of labs/radiological studies, as indicated.

• Referrals for specialists (sleep studies, neurologists, occupational/speech therapy) if indicated.

• Referrals for counseling/therapy if indicated.

• Discussing your physical health challenges which can impact your mental health, including “preventative maintenance” (We don’t let our car go over 5,000 miles before an oil change because we know it can destroy the engine. Yet we often put off that same maintenance in our physical bodies (immunizations, annual blood work, colonoscopies, mammograms, etc).

You can read more about my treatment philosophy on the ABOUT page.

My primary mode of communication with patients is via text, so the quickest and best way to start our conversation is by sending me a text at: 434-686-7418.

Afer reaching out via text, I will send you an invite to the secure text and messaging platform, Spruce, which is also HIPAA compliant to protect your privacy. I can answer any questions you may have, and give you several new patient appointment options.

The average time for a new patient appointment is one to two weeks.

I will email paperwork and assessments (both paper and web-based) for you to complete and bring with you to the scheduled evaluation. Guardians will also need to ensure that a minor has completed their assessments so that we can maximize our time together. If you are not able to complete ANY of the pre-visit "homework," it may be best to reschedule, as I don't want to rush through your assessment gathering secondary data and losing time on the main reason you have come to see me!

Please ensure that you leave extra travel time for traffic and way-finding before your first appointment. If you get lost or are running 5-10 minutes behind, please message me in Spruce. If you are going to be more than 10 minutes late, we will need to reschedule.

What to expect at your appointment:
In the first few minutes, we will go over some "housekeeping," briefly review your medical history (so I can understand your physical health). Then we’ll discuss your mental health history and the current challenges/symptoms you are experiencing. This will take up the bulk of our time together.

At the end of the appointment, we will discuss a working diagnosis, treatment recommendations, next steps, and set up a follow-up appointment. I’ll give you a summary of what we discussed to take home with you, so there's no need to stress about taking notes on anything along the way. :)

A typical adult evaluation takes about 90 minutes, start to finish.  Children and teens are at least 2 hours as there are more parties involved. ADHD and Autism evals need to be completed at subsequent appointments.  

An initial consultation lasts an hour and a half and costs $385. Follow-up visits last 20 to 30 minutes and cost $185.

Sound Mind Psych is not in-network with any insurance. I will provide you with a “super bill,” which is a medical term for a receipt of services, and you can submit that to your insurance company for potential reimbursement.

You will need to pay at the time of service. You can learn more about ways to pay at our Financing page.

I decided not to contract with insurance companies because they would restrict the way I wish to deliver services. I prefer to spend more time in direct care with my clients than asking permission from insurance companies for care. Although I am not in-network with insurance, I am still responsible for getting your medications authorized according to your individualized pharmacy benefit. 

I will provide the documentation necessary (a “superbill,” which is a fancy term for a receipt of services) for you to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. Out-of-network reimbursement policies vary, so you will need to consult your individual policy or insurer’s website for further guidance around this.

As my patient, paying out of pocket provides you these benefits:

The nature of your treatment will not be determined or influenced by the insurance company: not the number of sessions, or the choice of medications, or the referrals, or whatever will be written in your chart. You are hiring me, not the insurance company. You can submit the “superbills” to your insurance company for potential reimbursement, but you don’t have to do so. It is also possible to keep the sessions at a higher level of confidentiality if you decide not to submit to the insurance company.

Access to me is simple, fast, and direct. I respond to texts within 24 hours through our secure text messaging app, Spruce, and I regularly coordinate with therapists, other medical providers, and families. Tired of having to go through a phone tree or leaving messages with clinic staff to get a basic question answered from your provider? Just reach out to me directly.

Because I am a solo practice, integrated into a quiet counseling office, your privacy is maintained. If you’ve ever been to a traditional clinic, you know that maintaining privacy isn’t always possible with check in staff and waiting rooms and your names being called aloud. With me, you come to the office and I will meet you in the waiting room with no “fanfare.”

Get help when you need it. My practice is designed to eliminate common healthcare frustrations such as the inability to reach out to your provider outside of appointments, enduring long wait times for appointments, or the inability to see your provider in times of crisis.

If you are a current patient in crisis, please reach out to me in Spruce and I will work you into the schedule as soon as possible. If you are acutely suicidal and not feeling safe and are planning on acting on these thoughts, please call 911 and go directly to the Emergency Room.