As a therapist, I work with patients who are 18 years of age and older, and I see them on an individual basis, rather than as couples or families. People seek therapy for a variety of problems. Many of them are troubled by serious depression, which in some cases has been going on for many years. Others have problems with stress and pressure in their lives, or with intrapersonal problems in their relationships. I see patients who are struggling with losses in various ways, such as the death of a loved one or a chronic illness, or who have suffered a lot of abuse in childhood and are still trying to deal with this as adults. Problems with poor self-esteem, or with intimacy, also form a substantial portion of my therapy practice.
In general, I do not see patients who mainly require medications for management of their psychiatric problem, such as people with bipolar disorder or with schizophrenia. I also do not see potentially violent or severely suicidal patients, nor those with serious cognitive problems such as Alzheimer's Disease or developmental disabilities. In addition, patients with serious anxiety disorders, panic disorders, or phobias, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, are best treated by therapists who specialize in these areas. As I am not involved in any government insurance plans such as Medi-Cal or Medicare, I am also unable to see patients covered by these programs.
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