I am a Board Certified Psychiatrist with 30 years of clinical experience in all areas of psychiatry and addiction. I specialized in dual diagnosis and often see adolescents and young adults with substance abuse problems, mental health issues, and/or legal problems. I have in-depth experience working with people with mood disorders (such as Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder), anxiety disorders (OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder), PTSD, ADHD, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, developmental disabilities, Asperger’s and Autism. I am passionate about working with people abusing drugs/ alcohol and provide medication to help with addiction to opiates, alcohol and other drugs. I have experience with adolescents and see patients ages 13 and up. I will be taking the Addiction Medicine Boards this year to become Board Certified in Addiction Medicine.
I have an integrative practice and will rule out any medical causes for your symptoms. I am excellent at correctly diagnosing people and in the past, I have diagnosed 2 brain tumors which were missed by an ER doctor and a neurologist. I have extensive clinical experience in all psychiatric settings and can provide Suboxone and Naltrexone for opiates and medication for alcoholism. I provide the court, employment, and legal evaluations. I am part of a large group and will refer you to other practitioners if needed including therapists who specialize in every diagnosis I treat. I have worked in every area of psychiatry from juvenile detention centers to nursing homes.
I am originally from South Florida and attended the University of Florida on scholarships, loans, and grants and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. I then attended the University of Miami on a Trustee Scholarship and student loans. I completed my residency in New York City at St Luke’s Roosevelt and then in 1999 went back to NYC to do a Public Psychiatry Fellowship at Columbia. I knew I wanted to become a psychiatrist at age 12 when I read about the treatment of street heroin addicts. Being a psychiatrist is what I was meant to do and I love doing it. I am very available to my patients and pride myself in giving the best treatment possible.
I love working with TMS patients because I believe depression is an intensely individualized experience, and as patients improve over the course of treatment, they begin to learn more about themselves. The changes I see in them from the start to finish of treatments are truly life-affirming. Watching a patient regain the hope and drive to pursue their happiness after being stifled by the symptoms of depression for so long is a wonderful experience.