Frequently asked questions

What does your clinic treat?
Depression, anxiety, stress, parenting issues, relationship issues, grief, perinatal mood disorders, life transitions and more. If you are experiencing complex mental health conditions, you may be more appropriately served in a practice that can provide more resources and wrap around services for your best care due to the size of this practice. This is a small private practice, and we don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver! We value a holistic and integrative approach to mental health care. This means we look beyond symptoms alone and consider the whole person: mind, body, lifestyle, relationships, and environment. We emphasize patient education and collaboration, helping individuals better understand their mental health and the factors that influence it, with the goal of optimizing overall well‑being. As a small practice, we strive to provide thoughtful, individualized care without overpromising. Individuals experiencing complex or severe mental health conditions may be best served in a larger practice or system that can offer more intensive resources and wrap‑around services. When appropriate, we are happy to help guide patients toward the level of care that best supports their needs. Our goal is to offer compassionate, realistic, and educational care: meeting patients where they are, while supporting sustainable mental health growth. Our approach to care may include the use of psychiatric medications prescribed both on‑label and off‑label, when clinically appropriate and evidence‑supported. In addition to medication management, we incorporate supplements and non‑pharmacological interventions such as patient education, lifestyle‑informed care, and collaboration with talk therapy to support whole‑person healing. This balanced, integrative approach allows us to thoughtfully tailor treatment plans that align with each individual’s needs, goals, and overall well‑being.

What populations does your clinic treat?
Children (7 and up), Teens, Adults, Geriatrics

What can I expect the first appointment? Your first appointment is a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation lasting at least one full hour and, at times, longer. During this visit, we will complete a thorough review of your mental health concerns, relevant medical and psychiatric history, and current functioning. This initial evaluation allows both you and the provider to determine whether our clinic is an appropriate fit for your mental health needs. As a small private practice, some care needs may fall outside the scope of services we are able to provide. When this occurs, we are happy to help guide you toward resources better suited to support your care.

If you have prior psychiatric or medical records, please bring them to your appointment, as they can be helpful in the evaluation process.

Please note that the first appointment is an evaluation only and does not always result in medication recommendations or prescriptions. Additionally, a patient‑provider relationship is not established during an evaluation appointment. Ongoing care is determined after the evaluation has been completed and appropriateness of services has been confirmed.

What forms of payment does your clinic take?
We take credit cards, HSA, and insurance. Payment is due on the day of service, this includes all co-pays/unmet deductibles. All new appointments require a credit card to secure appointment.

What are the clinic hours?
Monday-Thursday by appointment 8:00am-4:00pm

How do I make an appointment?
Request a timeslot through the website or call our office. We will send you an intake packet that must be completed 24-48 hours after receiving. Our clinic is paper free and requires a minimum of 72 hour turnaround time to process requests. We do not offer same day appointments. If you are experiencing a psychiatric emergency, please call 911, 988, and/or visit your local emergency room. At this time, we allow self-scheduling and booking. Referral requests can be faxed to 812-308-4228.

Do you offer telehealth appointments?

Yes! However, we feel the best therapeutic relationships start in person but absolutely understand access to care is important and we will accommodate requests for virtual appointments outside of our office area. Please reach out!

I am in crisis. What should I do?
As we are a small private practice, we are not able to manage crises or complex mental health issues requiring services that may be typically seen at a community mental health center with case management and wrap around services. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call 988 immediately to reach the National Suicide Hotline 24 hrs./day. Any Life-Threatening emergencies, please dial 911, you may also contact your closest ER. Please see our resources.

Hamilton Center Crisis Diversion Center

Union/Regional Hospital in the Terre Haute Area

How can I reach a live person? We value the opportunity to communicate with you. Our clinic utilizes an automated phone system that redirects and prioritizes calls. Practice phones are not directly staffed by a live representative. If immediate access to a live person is a priority for you, we understand that our practice may not meet your expectations. However, please be assured that all messages left through our phone system are promptly addressed usually within 24 business hours, often sooner. We are dedicated to providing timely and effective communication to ensure your needs are met.

What is a paper free clinic? We are pleased to inform you that our practice operates as a paper free clinic. To streamline our processes and ensure efficiency, we require all forms to be completed prior to appointments. This allows our clinic to verify insurance and prepare for your appointment. Access to technology– forms can be completed on tablet, phone, laptop, desktop. Some people utilize the library, friends, and family to assist them. We recommend starting the form completion process as soon as you get them to avoid delays to your appointment and address any issues that may arise. Please contact our office with any technical difficulties or if you have special needs.

Where are you located? Corporate Square, Terre Haute, IN 47803. If you’re from the Terre Haute area, we are near Basler’s and Meadows Mall.

Can you continue my meds from my previous provider? We always start with our own clinical assessment and go from there. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee a continuation of a previous prescriber medication regime for that reason.

What is your cancellation policy? We require 48 business hours to cancel or reschedule an appointment to avoid any fee’s.

What’s the Difference Between a PMHNP‑BC, a Psychiatrist, and a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)?

PMHNP‑BC (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – Board Certified)- [That’s what we offer at this clinic]

A PMHNP‑BC is an advanced practice registered nurse who specializes exclusively in mental health care. PMHNPs are trained to assess, diagnose, and treat psychiatric conditions across the lifespan. They can prescribe psychiatric medications, provide psychotherapy (depending on training and state scope), and take a holistic, integrative approach that considers mental, physical, lifestyle, and environmental factors. PMHNPs often emphasize patient education and collaborative care.

Psychiatrist- A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) who specializes in mental health. Psychiatrists complete medical school and residency training in psychiatry. They diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medications, and may provide psychotherapy, though many focus primarily on medication management. Psychiatrists are often well‑suited for complex or severe psychiatric conditions requiring higher levels of medical oversight.

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)- A Family Nurse Practitioner is an advanced practice nurse trained to provide primary care across the lifespan. FNPs treat a wide range of general medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections, and preventive health needs. While some FNPs may manage basic mental health concerns, they do not receive the same depth of specialized training in psychiatry as PMHNPs.

Which Is the Right Fit for Me?

The right provider depends on your needs. Individuals seeking holistic, integrative mental health care with education and personalized support may benefit from working with a PMHNP‑BC. Those with complex or severe psychiatric conditions may require care within a larger system or with a psychiatrist who can offer additional medical resources. Primary medical concerns are typically best addressed by an FNP or other primary care provider.

Do You Offer Medication‑Assisted Treatment (MAT) Services?

At this time, our clinic does not offer Medication‑Assisted Treatment (MAT) services for substance use disorders.

As a small, holistic private practice, our focus is on integrative psychiatric care for conditions such as depression, anxiety, perinatal mood disorders, stress, grief, and life transitions. MAT services often require a higher level of medical monitoring, specialized programming, and wrap‑around supports that are best provided in practices or systems specifically designed for that type of care.

If you are seeking MAT services, we encourage you to connect with a provider or program that specializes in substance use treatment. When possible, we are happy to help guide patients toward appropriate resources to support their care needs.

*Please note that this clinic does not manage controlled medications like benzodiazepines, sedative-hypnotics, and related drugs*

How Does the ADHD Evaluation Process Work?

A comprehensive ADHD evaluation is a multi‑step process, especially for adults who do not have a documented diagnosis from childhood.

Initial Appointment (1 visit):

The first appointment is a full psychiatric intake. This includes a detailed review of mental health symptoms, medical history, family history, developmental background, current functioning, and overall treatment goals. ADHD symptoms are introduced and discussed within the broader clinical context.

ADHD Assessment Appointments (3–4 visits):

Following the standard intake, ADHD assessment typically requires an additional 3–4 appointments. These sessions are used to carefully evaluate attention, executive functioning, symptom onset, and patterns over time, while also ruling out other conditions that can overlap with or mimic ADHD symptoms (such as anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep issues, or stress‑related concerns).

This thorough approach allows for an accurate, responsible diagnosis and helps ensure that any treatment recommendations are appropriate, safe, and individualized.

Because ADHD symptoms must be present across settings and have origins earlier in life, careful assessment over multiple visits is considered best practice for adults without a prior childhood diagnosis. We rule out medical, substance, mood interference BEFORE addressing ADHD as a holistic integrative model of care.