Question 1

Can a psychiatrist be my therapist?

Accepted Answer

Yes — though few still take that role: psychotherapy fell from 44 percent to 22 percent of psychiatrist visits between 1996 and 2016, and only about one in nine psychiatrists provides it consistently (Tadmon & Olfson, American Journal of Psychiatry, 2021). I trained in psychotherapy during my psychiatry residency at Columbia, and weekly talk therapy is the center of my practice, not an add-on. The honest limit: a psychiatrist isn't automatically a better therapist than a psychologist or social worker — the fit between you and the person across from you still matters most.

Question 2

Can I get talk therapy and medication from the same doctor in NYC?

Accepted Answer

Yes — as a physician, I provide both the weekly talk therapy and any prescribing myself, in person at my Union Square and Upper West Side offices. That means the medication question is decided by someone who actually knows your story, not by a prescriber reading another clinician's notes, and nothing gets lost between two people who never talk to each other. Two things can be true: no trial has proven one-clinician care beats a therapist plus a separate psychiatrist, and there's also no evidence the split works better — it happened because of insurance economics, not science.

Question 3

Is it better to see a psychologist, a therapist, or a psychiatrist?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you need: therapists and psychologists provide talk therapy, while a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can also evaluate the medical side of what you're feeling and prescribe if needed. If you're confident medication will never be part of the picture, an experienced therapist may be exactly right. If you're not sure — is this depression, a thyroid problem, ADHD, something in your story, or several at once? — starting with a physician means one evaluation can hold the whole question.

Question 4

If I see a psychiatrist, does that mean I'll be put on medication?

Accepted Answer

No — an evaluation is a conversation, not a prescription. Many of my patients do talk therapy alone; when medication does make sense, I prescribe less-is-more and tell you exactly what I'm thinking so you can push back. Plenty of people come to me already on several medications, and sometimes my most useful work is carefully taking things away rather than adding more.

Question 5

How much does a therapist cost in NYC?

Accepted Answer

Most private-practice therapy in Manhattan is paid out of pocket, because most experienced clinicians here are out-of-network. But that's only half the math: many insurance plans reimburse a meaningful share of an out-of-network fee once you submit a superbill. And if therapy and prescribing come from the same physician, you're paying for one clinical relationship instead of two separate bills.

Question 6

How does out-of-network reimbursement with a superbill actually work?

Accepted Answer

You pay at the time of your visit, I give you an itemized receipt called a superbill, you submit it to your insurance, and your plan may pay you back a portion of the fee. How much depends on your plan's out-of-network mental health benefits and deductible — worth one phone call to your insurer before we start, and I can tell you what to ask. The honest limit: some plans have no out-of-network benefits at all, and I'd rather you know that before your first visit than after.

The full fee schedule, with a worked dollar example: how reimbursement works.

Question 7

Do I need therapy, medication, or both?

Accepted Answer

That's exactly the question a first evaluation exists to answer, and the answer is different for every story. What the evidence does say: starting medication and therapy together lowered relapse over two years compared with starting medication alone (JAMA Psychiatry, 2020), and psychodynamic therapy's gains tend to keep growing after treatment ends (Shedler, American Psychologist, 2010). My bias, honestly held, is to begin with understanding — what's driving this, in your life and your body — and let the treatment follow from that.

Question 8

What happens in a first session?

Accepted Answer

We talk — about what brought you in, but also about your life narrative: family, identity, work, sleep, the body, what has and hasn't helped before. I may use structured measures when they add clarity, but the point of the hour is understanding, not paperwork. By the end I'll tell you what I'm thinking — plainly, including what I'm not sure of yet — and we decide together whether this is the right fit before anything else is planned.

Physician-led Therapy in New York City

A doctor with time to understand your story

Therapy & Meds, Together

A Deep Therapeutic Alliance

Time and Continuity

What do my therapy sessions look like?

All New Yorkers need a good shrink

Need Urgent Assistance?

What Therapy Can Help You Understand

Anxiety that won’t quiet down

Depression and low mood

Trauma that still shapes the present

Stress and burnout

Relationship patterns that keep repeating

Life transitions and identity

High-functioning professionals

“I want someone who actually gets it”

Wanting to understand, not just medicate

Making sense of your own story

You don’t have to choose between understanding why and getting real help.

Questions Before We Begin

Two Manhattan Offices — Union Square and the Upper West Side

Upper West Side

Union Square

Reach Out To Learn More