Initial Visit

If you are the parent of a child/adolescent, the initial visit will generally be split into two 45min-60min sessions on separate days. The first will be with the parents only and the second will start out with the child/adolescent alone and then then parents will join.

If you are an adult or an individual with acute post concussion concerns  your initial visit last between one to one and half hours.

Consider bringing:

• Referral information
• If your primary care physician, pediatrician, coach, therapist or school/employer thought you or your child should see a psychiatrist, ask them for a letter of referral or descriptive letter describing some of their major concerns.
• Contact information for you, your primary care physician (PCP) or pediatrician, and school or employer.
• If they have “release of information” forms, you could bring those.
• Information of your child’s and/or your medical history including their birth, any hospitalizations, medical problems, surgeries, or medications.
• Timeline of any prior psychiatric treatment and prior medication used

Please understand the above are helpful, but you only need to bring yourself and/or your child!

I like to communicate our findings with your PCP/pediatricians, your therapist (if you already have one) and/or your school but it is not mandatory. You may share with me how much you would like me to communicate with them.  If you want no communication to occur, that is your choice.

During a typical 1st visit, I will ask you many questions about how you and/or your child are doing. Pay attention to you and/or your child’s overall functioning so that you can provide information. I am often especially interested in sleep (bedtime, hours, and frequency), appetite, energy, moods, anger, aggression, school/work performance and overall functioning.

I will also ask about family history including general health, mental health and substance abuse. Please understand you are free to not provide this information, but it is helpful to detect genetic risks for certain behaviors/problems, as there are no major genetic tests regarding psychiatric diagnosis available at this time.

Bringing any prior records of treatment is also helpful.

I look forward to meeting and working with you and/or your family,

Alex Strauss, M.D.