Dr. Ziegler has the expertise to treat adults with many different mental health conditions. He will be providing psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and using secure telepsychiatry.
What is Psychopharmacology?
Basically, it means that Dr. Ziegler prescribes medications. Some people call it “med management.” Medications are an important part of effective treatment for many mental health conditions. I will respect that you are an individual and will work with you in choosing the intervention.
In order to make sure we are choosing the best medication for you, the initial interview will include a detailed history of your experience with past medication, and the symptoms that you are having. We will have ongoing discussion of your response to medication. Over time, I will get to know you, and can adjust medications accordingly. There will be enough time to discuss any concerns you may have about each medication including side effects.
When starting or adjusting medications, we will ask that we meet more frequently to be sure that the interventions are effective, or to address problems. You may be asked to submit information about your weight, vital signs, or to obtain labwork. I will also ask that you complete a symptom questionnaires before every appointment. This gives us another source of information to track your personalized response to treatment.
In general, my philosophy is to keep medications as simple as possible. This would include decreasing the amount of medications, and the dose of medications. Of course, I will work with you an individual basis if you are already on, or benefit from, more complex medication regimens.
I will work with you to determine a follow-up schedule that best meets our needs. Many psychiatric conditions have a tendency to fluctuate over time. In this practice, you will have the ability (and responsibility) to schedule your own appointments. For ongoing care, we will need to meet at least once every 3 months.
What is Psychotherapy?
We will be talking about your difficulties. Most people who benefit from psychiatric medications do best when the medication management is combined with psychotherapy. Appointments will have enough time to develop a rapport, and allow me to understand the problems you are facing. Please note that I, like most psychiatrists, do not frequently engage in extensive psychotherapy for most patients. I also will not be adhering to a specific style such as psychodymic, CBT, DBT, etc. If I believe that you may benefit from more extensive therapy, I will let you know.
What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine, telehealth, and telepsychiatry are generally used interchangeably in this practice. Telepsychiatry is a video-based psychiatry that helps meet patients’ needs for convenient, affordable and readily-accessible mental health services. There are many advantages to using telepsychiatry, including: reduction in transportation barriers, potential for needing less time off of school or work to make an appointment, receiving specialist care for those in more remote locations or those who may be frequently traveling. In this practice, Dr. Ziegler will be using intakeQ for secure, HIPAA compliant telemedicine. You will be sent a link for the meeting. If there are problems, we do have back up solutions in place. Your medications will be electronically prescribed to the pharmacy you request.
What does Dr. Ziegler treat?
You don’t need to know your diagnosis; Dr. Ziegler will work with you to understand your problem. However, people often have an idea of what troubles them. In this setting, Dr. Ziegler commonly treats, but is not limited to treating, these problems:
- Addiction
- Anxiety
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorder
- PTSD
Dr. Ziegler does not currently offer services including, but not limited to:
- Case management and/or wrap-around services
- Partial hospitalization
- Intensive Outpatient Program
- Eating disorders
- Forensic evaluations
- Patients under the age of 18
- Patients outside the state of Washington or California
- DBT
- Workers Compensation
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
- Electroconvulsive Therapy
If someone has said you need a psychiatrist, and have recommended these additional services, your needs may be best met in a different setting. Additionally, this is a part time practice, with limited ability to respond to emergencies. If you have been recently hospitalized, or had a recent suicide attempt, for your own safety, a different practice may better meet your needs.