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Clinical Psychologist

A small independent practice assures personal, private service, reasonable rates and timely scheduling.

Great Location

West location, near Hilldale Mall; located on major bus routes; free parking.

Great Experience

Licensed in Wisconsin and serving the greater Madison area for over thirty years.

Simple Start

Browse this site for more information and feel free to telephone or email with questions or to schedule a meeting.

profile

Welcome

Greetings! I am a clinical psychologist in general private practice serving adults of all ages, older adolescents and couples. I provide consultation, counseling or psychotherapy related to a wide range of personal concerns as well as psychological symptoms or mental illnesses. I am also available for professional consultation.

You may be wondering how to choose the right psychologist for you. After appropriate qualifications, the next most important thing is that you will feel comfortable, connected and understood. This is hard to predict, but check the website, and phone or email as a first step. Listen to both your heart and your head. You may have to make a few tries to get the right person but it will be worth the trouble.

I specialize in listening to you as an individual, a whole person, not just a list of problems; and I draw on many years of experience and many approaches to work with your personal style, strengths, preferences and issues.

About My Practice

I do not have a single approach but work with each individual to determine how best to be of service. In general terms, my work is based on an integrative model which includes psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, object relations and psychophysiological foundations. For clients requiring multiple types of service, I'm happy to collaborate in team fashion with other providers.

I have over 30 years of clinical and research experience and have served as a training faculty member at Harvard Medical School and (currently) University of Wisconsin Medical School. I was first licensed as a psychologist in Massachusetts in 1973 and received my doctoral degree from Boston University in 1977. I am a lifetime member of the American Psychological Association..

Appointments are currently available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday including some evening times.

My fees are approximately in the mid-range for private practice psychologists in this area. Specific amounts and arrangements can be discussed in person.

Self-Pay: For individuals who prefer not to use insurance, who are unable to use insurance, or who do not qualify for insurance benefits, I offer a "no billing" arrangement which involves payment at time of service but with a significant discount. I do not have a sliding scale fee as such, but special fees and /or payment arrangements are negotiable under some circumstances. I accept cash, checks, and credit cards through PayPal.

Third Party Pay: For Individuals seeking treatment for a diagnosable "psychiatric" disorder, I can bill most general indemnity insurance as well as Medicare. I am a member of The Alliance (Employer Health Care Alliance Cooperative) and am a preferred provider for some companies. Please check your handbooks or contact customer relations regarding preferred provider listings.

It is helpful if you know in advance your particular policy and the mental health benefits provided because they are quite different from one company and policy to another. There is usually a customer relations phone number or website to contact. With rare exceptions I am not able to provide reimbursable services to members of an HMO because they are limited to their specific provider panels.

The confidentiality and privacy of my clients is an ethical and legal responsibility to which I have always been fully committed. You can view the formal policy in detail at Privacy Policy, or, if you would like a copy in PDF format, just email me your request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not any one area. I have been in practice for a long time and I am constantly expanding my experience base. Although it is important to know about specific types of problems it is just as important to understand the unique situation of each individual. I am also aware of how quickly "knowledge" in our field is evolving so it is important to me to keep up with new developments and of course I always learn a great deal from my clients themselves. If you have questions whether I am familiar with your particular issue or problem area please do enquire.

There are no hard and fast rules about this, although I have sometimes referred specific cases to others whom I thought might be better suited or equipped to help with their specific issues. Generally, I do not take cases with chronic schizophrenia or severe developmental disorders as these are very specialized. I do get referred and take on very complex cases that others may not, such as bipolar disorder, complex PTSD, personality disorders, schizoaffective disorder, and combinations of these. I do limit the number of such cases and welcome the balance that a wide variety of client problems brings.

Yes, I have training in EMDR ("eye movement desensitization and reprocessing") and EMDR would be an option for PTSD and related problems if we work together. I do not agree to provide EMDR treatment in advance; this needs to be determined in context and after getting to know each other.

I am quite familiar with DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) although I do not have training as a DBT therapist. I have often been the individual therapist for clients in the UW Psychiatry Department DBT group program, and I believe this makes a very good combination for someone who wants the DBT exposure.

Absolutely. Not everyone wants or needs to do that, but for those that do, I encourage it. The "fit" between client and therapist (counselor etc.) is very important. Some questions and concerns can be discussed in an initial telephone conversation. There is no charge for this phone screening, but actual meetings are charged.

Most HMO's strictly require that your services be provided by their own "panel" except under special circumstances. I do not belong to any HMO panels. However before you decide, I suggest you "do the math". If your insurance offers very limited mental health or behavioral health benefits and you believe you will want longer term or more frequent services, it may cost you less in the long run to pay privately due to discounts provided to cash payers.

You can certainly discuss your interests or concerns without making a commitment. But I don't like to use "need" as the yardstick. It is much more important if an individual wants to invest some time, energy (and money) into changing something that is a problem for them. The person who comes to me because ten people tell them they "need" to see someone, but who has no interest themselves, is not likely to achieve much. While some potential clients need me to be a health care provider and have severe impediments to their functioning, their ability to pursue self-satisfaction and so forth, others are able to use a bit of advice or feedback, a view separate from the emotional attachments, or a good "sounding board" in a crisis or major life transition. All of these are valid reasons to seek services and are welcome. The term "coaching" has recently been formalized, but for years I've suggested to people who weren't sure they should do this to consider it like a sports coach or aerobics instructor: it may provide a way to improve desired skills and/or to feel healthier and happier about being oneself.

The building is quite accessible with wheelchair drop-off and ramp and accessible bathroom facilities. The doors must be opened manually so if this presents difficulties please let me know and I will make arrangements to let you in.

Feel free to ask. I'll be adding the more frequent ones to this page as they come along.

Contact

Address

702 N. Blackhawk Ave Suite 104
Madison, WI 53705-2216

Phone Number

(608) 231-1960

Email Address

[email protected]