Information for Prospective Patients

My specialty is to combine psychotherapy, medication and other approaches to meet the goals of my patients.  Since I work in a private office setting, I am able to assure the confidentiality of our work together.

Treatment Approaches

I am a skilled psychiatrist/psychotherapist and tailor my approach to the unique needs of each of my patients.  As an expert psychopharmacologist, I can also prescribe medication, always working with my patients to weigh the benefits, risks and alternatives to medication, including not taking medication at all.  When needed, I also provide relaxation training, stress management, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other effective interventions.

Who Do I Work With?

My professional experience includes extensive work with  adults and teenagers.  The most common problems I treat are anxiety, depression, coping with illness and loss, relationship and marital problems, work stress, and adjustment to other life stresses.  I work with individuals, couples and families.

As a physician, I am also comfortable treating patients who may have significant medical concerns or who take non-psychiatric medications or supplements.

What to Expect When We Meet

Because I want to have a thorough understanding of your current concerns, previous life experiences, and overall health, I usually spend our first few visits reviewing your history with you.  After we have developed a shared understanding of your concerns and goals, I will work with you in a collaborative fashion to create a treatment approach that fits your clinical needs, values and preferences.

Insurance Plans Accepted

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Health New England
  • Tufts Health Plan

I also see patients as an out of network provider for:

  • Cigna
  • HMO Blue (a Blue Cross Blue Shield product)
  • United Behavioral Health
  • United Health Care

Privacy and Confidentiality

In our small community, your privacy and confidentiality are especially important to maintain.  Since my office is private, and located outside a large clinic or hospital, your privacy can be maintained more readily.  Information about you does not leave my office without your written permission (with the exception of situations in which a patient may be a danger to themselves or others).

As a provider for a number of insurance plans, certain information must be communicated in order for the insurance company to process the claim.  For more than ten years, I have worked with the same billing manager.  My billing manager and I have a signed agreement regarding the confidentiality of records, and the billing manager’s work falls within “the umbrella” of confidentiality.

Professional Organizations

  • Massachusetts Psychiatric Society
  • American Psychiatric Association (Life Fellow)
  • Academy of American Poets
  • Physicians for a National Health Plan

Research and Academic Appointments

I have been a faculty member of the University of Massachusetts Medical School since 1983 with a current appointment as Senior Affiliate in Psychiatry.

Throughout my career, I have written and published in the scientific literature with over 60 professional papers.  My major interests have focused on psychotherapy, sleep disorders, and the use of poetry, literature and the arts to bring doctors closer to their patients.

To Make an Appointment

Please call me by phone.  I will ask you for some very basic information about your current concerns, just to be sure that my skills fit your clinical needs.  I prefer telephone contact rather than email since email is not confidential or secure.  If you are planning to use your health insurance, it usually makes sense to know in advance whether you have co-pays or deductibles, and to find out if you need an authorization from your insurance company before you begin treatment.