Learn about our approach and philosophy to mental health.
Treatment Approach & Philosophy.
At Insight, we understand that choosing whom to entrust with your mental health can feel like a big decision. It’s not just about finding someone you connect with — it’s about finding someone whose perspective and way of thinking you trust. Our work centers on thoughtful care that honors the complexity of each individual, and is informed by both clinical expertise and a deep understanding of the social and cultural forces that shape mental health. To help you get a sense of who we are and how we work, we’ve outlined our treatment approach and philosophy below.
Medication & Therapy, Together.
At Insight, we believe that treatment is most effective when therapy and medication management are thoughtfully integrated. We are trained in both psychopharmacology and psychodynamic psychotherapy, allowing us to bring a comprehensive perspective to each session. This unified approach offers deeper continuity and insight than the traditional "split-care" model, where therapy and medication are handled separately.
That said, we understand that some patients already have a trusted therapist or prefer a different therapeutic approach. We’re happy to collaborate with outside providers, or connect you with our treatment partners who specialize in other therapeutic approaches like EMDR, DBT, couples therapy, and more. Whether you’re seeking therapy, medication management, or both, we’ll decide together what approach would best meet your needs.
Treatment as Partners.
At Insight, we approach care as a collaborative partnership. We see as our role as such: we bring the most up-to-date knowledge, clinical expertise, and thoughtful guidance to our work together. We will share what we know transparently—explaining the benefits, risks, and alternatives—so you can make fully informed choices about your care. While we will offer recommendations based on what we believe could be most helpful, we’ll always make decisions together, centered around your values, needs, and comfort level. Your insight into your own experience is essential, and our goal is to support you in feeling confident and empowered throughout your treatment.
Psychopharmacology.
Psychiatrists often have strong opinions about medication—some see it as a cure-all, others as a last resort. I fall somewhere in the middle. I believe medication can be incredibly helpful in some situations and less so in others. Controlled substances like stimulants or benzodiazepines can be life-changing—for better or worse—depending on how they’re used.
That said, how you feel about medication is just as important. It’s your body and your mind, and my role is to provide you with clear, up-to-date information so you can make informed decisions. I’ll always be honest about risks, benefits, and side effects, and we’ll talk openly if I have concerns about a medication’s potential for harm. These conversations are always collaborative, thoughtful, and grounded in mutual respect.
Intersectionality.
In addition to clinical training in psychiatry and psychotherapy, our framework for understanding the mind is both interdisciplinary and intersectional—shaped by a deep engagement with other ways of understanding what it means to be human. We draw from sociology and anthropology, feminist and queer theory, and frameworks rooted in anti-racism and class consciousness. This means we pay close attention to how identity, power, and culture shape emotional life and lived experience. We strive to dismantle traditional models that define mental health through a narrow, cisgender, heterosexual, white, and male-centered lens—so that our work together can honor the full complexity of who you are.
Therapeutic Space.
Many therapists have their own ways to hold the therapeutic space. You may have experienced frameworks that work for you, and frameworks that do not. We always find it helpful to share our core values of creating a therapeutic space, our “therapy golden rules.”
1. Safety & Confidentiality: I will always provide a therapeutic space that is collaborative, safe, honest, authentic, and confidential.
2. Curiosity: I will always bring an endless curiosity about you and your life. I ask that you also attempt to hold curiosity about your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, or share when you cannot.
3. Non-Judgement: I will always provide a desire to participate in, together, a non-judgmental exploration of your patterns of thought and behavior, and ultimately, areas where you desire change.
4. Evidence Based Treatment: I will always provide an opportunity for both psychotherapy and/or medication management, if indicated.
5. Dedicated Time: I will always provide a dedicated date & time which is your space to discuss what is on your mind. It is most helpful if this is the same day/time every week for us to get into a rhythm, but does not need to be.
6. Neutrality: I will always attempt to maintain neutrality, which in lay-terms, means I will try to never tell you the “correct” answer or take sides. I will instead encourage to you think deeply and curiously about your thoughts, intentions, and motivations.
7. Limited Self-Disclosure: I will always be thoughtful and mindful about what personal information I bring to session. Some therapists share a lot about themselves, some therapists share nothing about themselves. I fall somewhere in the middle. Anything I do share, however, will be intentional and only shared if I believe it will help you move forward in your treatment. That said, you are of course welcome ask me any questions you have at any time.
8. Respect: I will always respect your point of view and opinions, even if we strongly disagree. Additionally, I will always respect you as an individual, and ask that we both attempt to gift each other mutual respect & kindness during our time together.
In-Person & Virtual.
In person vs. virtual work is a hot-topic within psychiatry. Some people have strong preferences for in-person treatment and some have strong preferences for virtual-treatment. Here at Insight, we have no preference beyond our belief that it’s essential that our patients get personalized suggestions on treatment options and modalities, including a discussion of in-person versus remote visits.
For clients suited to in-person work, our office is located on the UES:
1623 Third Avenue, Suite 201
New York, NY 10128
Please see a map below. We are in-office on Wednesday and Thursday. For patients suited to virtual work, our platform is HIPAA-compliant.