Initial Visit

WHAT IS THE INITIAL COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION LIKE?

Currently, initial evaluations and follow-up visits are conducted via secure televideo visits. Dr. Stein can only treat clients who are residents of the State of California. Dr. Stein only treats adults ages 18 and above.

At your initial session, Dr. Stein sets aside 90 minutes to get to know you face-to-face. You will have time to introduce yourself, describe your background, and why you are seeking assistance. Dr. Stein is interested in understanding your past and current life experiences. In order to give you the best treatment possible, she will ask a lot of questions about your childhood, your formative years, and your adult experiences, with a focus on prior difficulties, symptoms, diagnoses and medication treatments, doses and responses. She also inquires about other conditions and symptoms that may have not been considered in the past. While Dr. Stein finds information about past diagnoses by prior physicians and therapists important and instructive, she makes every effort to come up with her own conclusions based on your history, symptoms, and diagnostic tests.

GOALS & EXPECTATIONS

 

The first visit may not suffice to determine diagnosis and treatment if more time is needed to clarify your situation and acquire test results. In such cases, Dr. Stein will recommend scheduling additional sessions to clarify diagnostic or treatment planning. It is not unusual for Dr. Stein to require more time and visits to get to know you before she can determine if medications — especially controlled substances such as benzodiazepines and stimulants –should be prescribed.

Please note that Dr. Stein is not a substance abuse specialist. If drug or alcohol abuse or dependence is a significant concern, it is likely that you will be referred to a substance abuse specialist instead. Please understand that the initial consultation process is to determine if becoming a patient under Dr. Stein’s care is appropriate, or if you would benefit more from a different referral.

DOES Dr. STEIN OFFER INITIAL TELEVIDEO VISITS?

 

Yes, at this time, appointments are via secure virtual televisits.

Patients must be California residents. Patients attending a televisit must concurrently be located in the State of California, must have confidence in the security and speed of their internet and WIFI, and their physical privacy during televisits.