SERVICES

Specializing in:

• ADHD
• Anxiety: Generalized and Social anxiety, Panic disorder, OCD, PTSD
• Mood Disorders: Depression and Bipolar disorder
• Impulse Control: Eating disorders, Substance Abuse, Trichotillomania, Cutting

Children (age 5 to 12)
Adolescents (age 13 to 25)
Young Adults (age 26 to 40)

Children (age 5 to 12)

Children face a battery of biological and environmental challenges upon conception. They are born without a map and are expected to meet developmental milestones in order to be perceived as “normal”. They then must bond with their caretakers who they are entirely dependant upon, suddenly they separate from their caretakers as they start school, and must learn to socialize appropriately with peers. Children who have good self esteem and a positive sense of themselves make positive choices and later become independent and engage in mature interpersonal relationships. Clinical studies indicate that children suffer from the same psychiatric conditions as adults. However, the symptoms are often manifested by maladaptive or abnormal behavior as children are less insightful and verbally expressive. It also has been proven in numerous studies that early intervention using medication and/ or psychotherapy is generally safe, effective, and improves long term prognosis. For example, a child with ADHD that goes untreated might be mislabeled as “bad” or “stupid” which can lead to worsening behavioral problems, substance abuse, low self esteem, and depression.

Adolescents (age 13 to 25)

Adolescence is an emotionally tumultuous time when a youngster must deal with increased social and academic pressure, hormonal and bodily changes, sexuality and identity issues, and recent decline in family values coupled with a dizzying culture of cell phones, I pods, and the World Wide Web. Adolescents often exhibit behavioral changes that include rebellion against parents and other authority figures, experimentation with sex and drugs, and withdrawal into their bedrooms late at night chatting on line or listening to music. Most often these behaviors are an inconsequential right of passage from childhood to adulthood. However, it is a grave misconception to equate “adolescence” with “disorder”. A teenager that appears to be depressed or anxious should be evaluated and treated as in any other phase of life.

Young Adults (age 26 to 40)

Young adults face the challenges of the “real world” which often corresponds to life after college. The pressure to succeed in a career, relationships, marriage, and becoming a parent is daunting. Having to be responsible, mature, and even successful can lead to overwhelming feelings of stress, anxiety, and demoralization. It is also common for untreated psychiatric conditions from childhood or adolescence to reemerge. Like cancer, psychiatric symptoms become increasingly malignant the longer they remain untreated.