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  • Dr. Bre Chamoff, DNP, PMHNP-BC | Pediatric & Trauma-Informed Psychiatric Care | Paperflower Psychiatry

    Dr. Bre Chamoff, DNP, PMHNP-BC, specializes in pediatric psychiatric care with a focus on trauma, ADHD, and brain-gut connections. Offering compassionate care to children, adolescents, and young adults across Arizona. Now accepting new patients Dr. Bre Chamoff, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CPNP-BC Bre (like the cheese) Chamoff (She/Her) is triple board certified in pediatric primary care, pediatric critical care, and psychiatric mental health. She has been a nurse practitioner for over a decade working in various pediatric settings. She is passionate about care for kids, adolescents, and young adults. Her prescribing philosophy is meds are not first line, unless they absolutely need to be. The team effort between provider and patient is to get that spark back, let your beams shine bright, and use all options to get there. She commonly says her “drug of choice” is human connection, and this certainly bodes well for fostering a team approach with her patients to make a plan that suits them. Bre has worked in pediatric GI specializing in illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional constipation and how those are experienced both physically and emotionally. She has a particular interest in brain-gut connections and the impact on mental health and behavior. She was also one of the first 2 nurse practitioners who started the pediatric trauma program at Queens Medical Center in Hawaii. She has since spent much of her time working inpatient at Flagstaff Medical Center on general pediatrics and in the pediatric ICU. She has a blunt and comical (mostly when appropriate) approach, because life is hard and no one gets out alive. Bre currently resides in Flagstaff, AZ. In her free time, you can find Bre Snowboarding , traveling to live music to any number of bands including Tool, Gojira, Daughter, Carina Round, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, System of a Down, Elton John, Bon Iver, Puscifer, Primus or Tim McGraw (to name an eclectic few), reading books galore, or begging her friends to play board games with her. She has a ’73 VW bus named Clementine (who sometimes starts and sometimes does not start, but Clementine’s charm is not dependent on her reliability, or the lack thereof) and a 8 yo Bengal named Ananda, who runs the show entirely. As you’ll note in Bre’s Q&A she is verbose and rarely lacking the words she needs to overly express her interests and ideas with many caveats and sidebars. She offers both an apology and congratulations for this. *only taking ages 5-15 on waitlist basis* Pediatric Mental Health Bre is an expert in pediatric mental health encompassing ADHD, autism, sensory procesing, mood, anxiety, and trauma. Medical With a background in acute pediatric care, Bre is an excellent resource for kids with co-existing medical conditions or gastrointestinal problems. Adolescent Mental Health Teenagers can be hard to connect with -- but they will appreciate Bre's humor and energy and may (well, hopefully) look forward to visits with her. Q&A What is your favorite movie? Of all time: Almost Famous; Disney: Emperor’s New Groove But to be fair my second language is movie quotes; I’d say I’m fluent. Favorite superhero? I always try to have a more unique one but the truth is, it’s Superman. I love that he’s just unassuming Clark Kent, then off saving folks, then back to glasses wearing, run of the mill Clark Kent. Big fan. If you could have a superpower, what superpower would you pick? Easy! I ask people this all the time! Teleportation. I could see all my favorite people anytime, travel to all live music, without leaving any carbon detriment, and minimizing travel time. Very efficient. Favorite bands/singer? Tool without question. But, music is my insides on the outsides. I love music so very deeply. I spend most of my spare time on live music, and traveling to live music. I am not personally musically inclined, but I am a big-time consumer for sure. I have a pretty wide array of likes. Indie. Folk. Bluegrass. Metal. Country. And that is certainly not the end of it. I collect vinyl because I like how it sounds despite its wild inconvenience. If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for? Selfishly: (1) the ability to speak all languages fluently (2) to see a new and varied sunset in every place of the world (3) an eidetic memory (wish 3.5: Limitless quantities of Cinnamon Toast Crunch accompanied by free dental care for life) Broad and esoterically: -that every individual has a true inherent fundamental drive to first understand themselves, then understand others, and only then attempt to altruistically affect change. I read a bumper sticker yesterday that said “everyone is just doing their best…. And that is fucking terrifying” Hearrrrrrd that! What is your favorite food? Okay, are you asking what is my death row meal? Or what is my favorite day to day food? Because my death row meal is for sure next day spaghetti! don’t give me fresh spaghetti. Make it the day before, let it sit all night, and then microwave it- that’s my last meal! Day to day I have a gnarly sweet tooth. So on second thought back to the 3 wishes I think I’ll just take lifetime dental care. 😏 What are you most passionate about in the mental health field? Access to care for kids and adolescents. Offering a true partnership where the child is considered an active person with meaningful thoughts, feelings, and experiences. What are some experiences you have had that make you unique? My mental health nursing rotation in undergrad was in a study abroad program in Belfast, Norther Ireland. This was illuminating to see psychiatric care offered in a different and social model. I have a long strong background in pediatric medicine and that offers a robust amount of experience working with complicated pediatric illnesses. I went to 9+ schools as a child (not a military brat, just life circumstances) so adapting to change is a superpower I gained at a young age out of necessity. This just means I regard most strangers as “friends I haven’t met yet”. I went to Ecuador for 3 months to learn Spanish, then System of a Down went on tour so I came back early for a concert. Learning Spanish is still a life goal of mine. I own a 73 VW bus named Clementine. In an ideal world, she would be my traveling office (she breaks down too much, but I still love her). What is your philosophy on using medication to treat mental health for kids? I believe medicine, like many other things is a tool. I like to explain it this way: consider depression, anxiety, trauma, aggression, etc as broken glass on the ground. We can clean it up without tools like a broom, or without shoes on, but it’s messier and more difficult that way. Using the right tools is going to make it both easier and safer. Sometimes one shoe is therapy, maybe the other shoe is medicine, and maybe the broom is family dynamics. Medication is rarely the singular fix for anything (except for maybe in diabetes), it’s an adjunct for symptom management. It also can allow for healing to occur. Medication is not always forever, and its not always the right choice. It so situationally based, and more complicated than one blanket approach applies to all. Generally, I’m pretty conservative, but not afraid to consider meds when they are an appropriate tool. I am a firm believer in collaboration with my patients and parents. I won’t give teens a medicine they don’t want. Medicine is not the only option, I’m a big believer that work is often necessary when it comes to caring for our mental health, and that involves the whole family unit, nothing exists in a vacuum. Everyone is unique, sometimes we use all tools all at once, sometimes we try them on differently, it’s about the individual. I’m also a big proponent of natural and holistic remedies, but they are not without potential for harm themselves and I think it necessary to be mindful of risk and benefit of any and all interventions. We have to be mindful of all things that affect our neurochemicals, to include many things we forget to consider like caffeine, sleep, exercise etc. If a patient is nervous about an evaluation, especially when talking about tough things like trauma or sexual abuse, what would you want them to know? Getting to the deep dark stuff is one of the hardest things we ever do, so before you do it know this is a safe space without judgement. I won’t make any decisions about your care without you, you’re in control here. So, first know you’re not alone. Second, those experiences don’t define you. Sometimes healing is a process in patience; I ask that you be patient with you and all that comes up, and patient with this process as I walk alongside you through it. Sometimes we need to say “not today satan” and table that stuff, which is perfectly fine. Others we jump in, like I said, it’s a process. Most importantly that process isn’t always linear and that’s okay too. There’s a meme somewhere that says something like ‘sometimes life is messy, sometimes life is beautiful, most the time it’s both’. That feels a little too flowery for some of the deep dark shenanigans we go through, but at the end of the days it’s not total crap. Talk to us about working with divorced families, coparenting or families in turmoil? This can get dang hairy. in initial evals it’s important in my book to set the precedent and expectation. Both parents have to be on board, and while that’s often difficult, I feel good about being firm in support of this model. There’s no room for separate meetings or visits, playing ping pong between warring forces. I’m not generally a proponent of avoiding, or releasing families, solely due to parental conflict because the only person there who suffers is the child who can’t get the care they need. I’m willing to be a force when needed to facilitate the forward motion of care for the child. My initial approach is always attempting to understand the perception of each person, the intention of each and then collectively identify a common goal. If I’m right, and I hope I am, we’re all attempting to achieve what is best for the child. When there is an impasse, I tend to get direct and blunt singularly with parents. It’s important to be factual. This has been really effective historically. If you read this and feel you want to go on this wild ride with me, just know I can be spicy, but it’s in an effort to achieve a common goal. Do you have any personal experiences regarding mental health you are open to sharing? I am an open book but find the specifics to be more beneficially shared contextually. I wouldn’t want to wallop the world with my history on a website, but I’ve been through some doozies. My own “colorful” experiences if you will. It makes me feel really comfortable talking about legitimately anything. I often tell my patients there’s a slim chance I haven’t discussed anything you’re able to bring to the table, so hit me with it and let’s dive in. I also have an interest in non-traditional medicines, including the use of entheogens for further treatment and exploration of mental health disorders in future practice. Talk to us about the overlap of physical and mental health for kids. Physical and mental health aren’t entirely separate, and while our medical model and approach treats it that way, they are deeply integrated. It has been astounding to see how many kids are left untreated regarding mental health for an enumerate number of reasons. We live in an unprecedented time and continue to attempt to apply historical solutions to it. While that’s not fully unexpected as we have to go with what we know, we also have to ask ourselves how much of the mental health disparity that we see in adults could be mitigated if approached in childhood. On the other hand, I’m not a fan of pathologizing childhood behavior to made them more compliant to a world that expects them not to be kids: an approach at balance is the key (cliches are true for a reason). I think my experience with complex medical illnesses is going to translate well in terms of my ability to communicate and combine holistic care with both pediatric patients and parents. I also have a keen eye to ferret out medical and mental health causes separately and in conjunction. Do you have experience in working with non-binary and trans kids? Yes definitely! In fact, I originally chose endocrine as my area of specialty focus. So I started meeting with pediatric patients interested in delaying puberty at the onset of my career as a student NP. This was in 2013. Since then, I have encountered a wide array of patients across the spectrum of trans, non-binary, questioning, and more. I am a big proponent of self-expression and exploration. I am a big fan of helping my patients feel seen and actualized and sometimes that includes bridging the conversation with loved ones and being a support in that time. What are your thoughts on screen time and social media for kids and teens? I think a blanket statement here isn’t going to work. Like anything else, no absolute is the answer. I think when we fully restrict social media children/teens experience a sense of isolation, with full unabridged free reign they can experience any number of things including grooming or bullying, and can be the victim or perpetrator of such. I think with anything, active presence and engagement from the caregiver with mutually agreed upon structure and boundaries is going to be a solid approach. Too much of anything isn’t great. The stimulation of imagination to aid in the progression of developmental stages is best served with varied experiences, they cannot all be garnered from a screen. That is not to even touch on the secondary medical difficulties such as sedentary lifestyle leading to obesity and insulin resistance, and visual decline. With all of that in mind, never in my life have I said to a patient “okay 2 hours of screen time a day” and that happened. So instead, I ask families, would it be possible, once per day, when you go to watch TV, or look at the tablet or phone, you set a timer and do anything else that’s not screen related until the timer goes off (ironically said timer is typically on a phone screen, we can’t win them all). That’s a manageable task, and reduces it by a little. Small achievable changes are often the name of the game. My personal stance on screen time is it isn’t great, would love to decrease it. But my personal stance on going to the gym is that I should be going more, and I’m literally eating cheese its at 10:30 pm while I write this so life is messy and hard, and we have to make the goals achievable and do what we can!

  • Policies & Procedures | Refill, Attendance, Fees | Paperflower Psychiatry

    Learn about Paperflower Psychiatry's policies on medication refills, no-show fees, service policies, discharge criteria, and payment requirements. Ensure a smooth experience by understanding our guidelines on appointments, insurance, and medication handling. Policies Want to check in on some important policies on refills, attendance to appointments and all that stuff? We'll break it down. Refill Policy We require an appointment on file to complete your refill. We will send you enough pills to get to that appointment. If you have a balance on your account, you must set up a payment plan with a working credit card on file prior to receiving your refills. If you cancel or choose to not attend after receiving your refill without rescheduling, you will no longer receive refills until you are able to attend an appointment. If you have not completed labs as ordered, you may be denied a refill at your provider's discretion. If after a controlled prescription is filled, it is reported to be lost, accidentally disposed of, or in any other means not accessible prior to the follow-up appointment, refills will not be provided. If you have not been seen by a provider in the requested time frame for follow up (one month, two months or three months), we cannot send your refill We charge $10 for processing same-day urgent refill requests, and $15 for same-day requests on weekends + holidays. Refill requests take up to 72 business hours to complete. Please request in advance. example: requests made on a Friday will be completed by Tuesday example: requests made on a Friday will be completed by Wednesday if Monday is a holiday No Show Policy A "no show" constitutes as not attending your appointment, cancelling your appointment under 24 hours prior to your appointment time (even emergencies...sorry :-(), attending your appointment while driving or coming to your appointment 10+ minutes late. A no show fee for an evaluation is $120 if rescheduled and attended, or $300 if choosing to not reschedule A no show fee for a follow up is $120, even if on a sliding scale No show fees will be automatically charged to your card the same day as missing your appointment Refills and future appointments will not be made unless the no show fee is paid or put on a payment plan with timely payments made Service Policies In order to maintain your evaluation, paperwork must be completed 24 hours before your appointment or your appointment will be cancelled. Support team and billing messages (voicemails, texts and emails) will be answered within 72 hours. Medical record requests will be handled within 30 days of written request. You agree that we will not participate in any court cases that include our presence without a prior agreement and signed contract with the agency and your provider at $350+/hour. We do not do emergency or crisis care. These situations require calls to CRISIS or 911. Parents or guardians are required to be present for the duration of their child's appointment unless otherwise arranged in writing; otherwise this will be cancelled and subject to a "no show" fee. The child is required to be present for their appointment unless otherwise arranged in writing; otherwise this will be cancelled and subject to a "no show" fee. If you have not been seen in 8+ months, we require a full new evaluation. Medication Policies After your provider sends a medication, you are required to call the pharmacy to troubleshoot any insurance, quantity, or other concerns prior to contacting us. DO NOT DEPEND ON YOUR PHARMACY APP TO TELL YOU IF WE SENT A MEDICATION - more often than not, we sent it! Call your pharmacy if it says the medication isn't ready (it probably has nothing to do with us). Medications other than psychiatric medications will not be provided by us. Medications that require blood work such as mood stabilizers are not guaranteed to be filled unless blood work has been completed. Medications can only be sent to pharmacies in the state of Arizona unless your provider holds an alternative state license. We will not prescribe psychiatric medications if you choose to have two psychiatric providers - this is not a safe arrangement You may be requested to sign a "controlled substances" policy if prescribed a stimulant or other controlled medication. Prior authorization requests can take 5-7 business days to complete. We will not prescribe benzo's (xanax, ativan, etc) unless it is (1) for a short term situation such as a flight/funeral/etc (2) you come in already taking one and create an agreement with your provider to taper from it We will not prescribe or continue your non-psychiatric medications (antibiotics, thyroid meds, etc) Discharge Policy Grounds for discharge includes: Refusal to work with our support team or any disrespectful, racist, vulgar language toward our support team. Choosing to have another provider fill or change your psychiatric medications without first notifying your Paperflower provider (it's not safe!) Dishonesty in regards to, selling or misusing medication prescribed Failing to show up (or a "no show") 3+ times for your appointments Refusal to create a payment plan for balances due Refusal to maintain a credit card on file (it's just how our system needs to flow with as many appointments daily we have..) Refusal to follow up as recommended by your provider Disrespect, harassment or vulgar language towards your provider Dishonesty in regards to custody situations or legal matters A patient outside of our expertise or scope of practice ---- In cases of discharge, we will send three referral sources for a new provider and a 90 day supply of medication if the medication is noted by provider to be safe to refill. Policy on fees/insurance We are a fee-for-service company, and do charge fees for paperwork, medical record requests and time outside of appointments. Updated fees can be found on services page. These fees will be charged to the card on file. If you have paperwork, it will be charged before paperwork is filled out or processed. We require everyone to have a working credit/debit card on file in order to keep your appointment. You are required to have a credit card on file even if you have an HSA/FSA card on file. You can write to have the HSA charged first. If there is not money loaded prior to your appointment and other arrangements are not made, the credit card will be charged. All fees/copays/deductibles are collected 24 hours prior to your appointment. If your payment does not go through prior to the appointment and you have not made other arrangements with support (to update card, a day you get paid, payment plan etc), your appointment will be canceled. If you do not have updated insurance information within 24 hours of your appointment, that visit may be charged as a self pay rate. For medications to be sent or paperwork to be completed, if there is a balance on the account, we require a payment plan in place with a down payment. Refunds are not issued in any circumstance if the service has already taken place. A sliding scale is arranged with a single provider. If you chose care with another provider, you may be subject to the full fee unless otherwise arranged. Please contact support if you have questions on this. If you need us to change the card we charged payment on, and did not let us know 24 hours before your appointment, a 6% processing fee is added to your charge. This is because Stripe charges us to refund/rerun it :) ps -- No we aren't money hungry and yes we want you to have services, we just are all trying to make a living doing this..if you weren't getting paid when you went to work, would you still go? Notice of Privacy Practices: Revised April 15, 2025 I. Covered Entity Duties and Key Terms Paperflower Psychiatry, LLC is a Covered Entity as defined under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), including its amendments under the HITECH Act. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and notify you in the event of a breach of unsecured PHI. Key Terms: PHI (Protected Health Information): Any health-related information that identifies you. Provider: Any licensed mental health professional under the employment or contract of Paperflower Psychiatry. Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations (TPO): Treatment: Coordination or management of your care. Payment: Billing or reimbursement activities. Health Care Operations: Administrative functions like quality improvement, internal training, audits, or business oversight. Use: Refers to activities within Paperflower Psychiatry (e.g., analyzing or storing PHI). Disclosure: Refers to sharing PHI outside our organization (e.g., with another provider or third-party service). II. Telehealth, AI, and International Data Use Paperflower Psychiatry uses telehealth platforms, artificial intelligence (AI)-supported tools, and international Virtual Medical Assistants (VMAs) for certain operational, billing, scheduling, and support tasks. Telehealth: We use secure HIPAA-compliant platforms for virtual care. Your information may be transmitted electronically for diagnosis, treatment, or consultation purposes. AI Tools: Limited AI-based systems may be used for scheduling, transcription assistance, or internal data review, but do not make clinical decisions or access your full PHI without oversight. 4/15/25, 10:55 PM Form Questions https://cylinder-perch-4ktn.squarespace.com/config/scheduling/forms.php?action=edit&id=2369461 1/3 International Staff: Our administrative and billing support team includes VMAs based in the Philippines. All such staff are bound by strict Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), HIPAA regulations, and applicable Philippine data privacy laws. Safeguards: All electronic PHI (ePHI) is handled through encrypted platforms. Passwords, device access, and data backups are strictly monitored and logged. III. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Authorization Your provider may only release your PHI for purposes not covered by TPO with your written authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time in writing, except when: Your provider has already acted in reliance on it, or The authorization was a condition of insurance coverage. IV. Uses and Disclosures Without Consent or Authorization Your provider may disclose PHI without prior authorization in the following legally mandated or safety- related situations: Child or Vulnerable Adult Abuse Judicial or Administrative Proceedings Serious Threat to Health or Safety Worker’s Compensation Appointment Reminders or Treatment Alternatives For a full list of disclosures permitted without consent, contact our Privacy Officer. V. Your Rights As a patient, you have the right to: Request Restrictions on disclosures (though we may not be able to comply). Receive Confidential Communications at an alternative location. Inspect and Copy your mental health and billing records. Request Amendment of incorrect or incomplete information. Receive an Accounting of Disclosures. Revoke Authorizations (as noted above). Obtain a Paper Copy of this notice, even if received electronically. 4/15/25, 10:55 PM Form Questions https://cylinder-perch-4ktn.squarespace.com/config/scheduling/forms.php?action=edit&id=2369461 2/3 VI. Complaints If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may: Contact Our Privacy Officer: Elizabeth Odhner, PMHNP Email: liz@paperflowerpsychiatry.com You may request a formal complaint form at any time. All complaints will be reviewed and investigated within 60 days. File a Complaint with HHS: Visit: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint. VII. Changes to Privacy Practices This notice is effective as of May 5, 2023 and was revised on April 15, 2025. Paperflower Psychiatry, LLC reserves the right to revise this notice at any time. If we do, the revised version will apply to all current and past PHI and will be posted on our website Ketamine Policies -- coming soon

  • Psychiatric Medications and Care in Tempe AZ: Meet Jane Na, MSN, PMHNP-BC

    Meet Jon Frank, MSN, PMHNP-BC, a compassionate Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner offering expert care and psychiatric medications in Tempe AZ. Jonathan Frank, MSN PMHNP-BC Gay, chill (on the outside), and running on a delicate cocktail of anxiety and ADHD—so yes, I will forget what I was saying mid-sentence, but I’ll remember a random fact about peppers forever. Drummer by trade and/or compulsion, because hitting things rhythmically is cheaper than therapy (except I also believe in therapy… thanks to my dogs). I play in a metal band called Hill Giant Witch. Speaking of dogs: proud servant to two huskies who are therapy dogs, which means they calm other people while screaming at ghosts and sirens at home. I grow hot peppers—lots of them—because I enjoy pain, flavor, and confusing my digestive system. Atheist, but spiritually connected to good music (emo and metal), spicy food, and naps. Generally easygoing, occasionally overwhelmed, always trying my best. If I’m not drumming, farming peppers, or being pulled down the street by huskies, I’m probably overthinking something that absolutely does not matter. Chill vibes, loud drums, spicy peppers, anxious energy, zero gods.. welcome to the brand. --- note from maria/the owner: in case you're wondering what kind of provider jon is.. jon once was so angry at a pharmacist for not filling a prescription for a patient that he drove to the pharmacy himself to yell at the pharmacy and sit there until the prescription was filled. he's truly an advocate who cares. Forensic Psychiatry Jon can also be found working at the Arizona State Hospital. Although he's specialized in the forensic population there, he's also just a giant teddy bear who low key prefers working with some anxiety + depression <3 Bipolar & ADHD Jon has spent a large part of his career working to understand and treat bipolar disorder, ADHD, and to truly understand the intersection when both of these exist. Psychosis If you've experienced or are experiencing psychosis through depression, bipolar, schizoaffective or another disorder, Jon is the most equipped to help with years of experience.

  • Zerry Ramirez | Paperflower Psychiatry

    Meet Charles Dalimos, Support Specialist at Paperflower Psychiatry in Arizona, USA. Get to know the invaluable member of our health team. Charles Dalimos Charles has spent most of his career in healthcare, working as a Customer Service Representative for three years, a Medical Virtual Assistant for Durable Medical Equipment for two years, and a Medical Receptionist for another two years. He genuinely enjoys helping customers and patients over the phone and considers customer service his strongest skill. He doesn’t just aim to resolve concerns; he consistently goes the extra mile to make every interaction positive and engaging. Charles keeps conversations light and upbeat, always creating a friendly atmosphere for the people he supports. Inbound Calls All-Rounder Support Customer Service

  • Psychiatric Medications and Care in Tempe AZ: Meet Michaela Na, MSN, PMHNP-BC

    Meet Michaela Tweh, MSN, PMHNP-BC, a compassionate Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner offering expert care and psychiatric medications in Tucson, AZ. Michaela Tweh, MSN, PMHNP-BC Hi, I’m Michaela! I’m a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who is excited to collaborate with patients in order to provide individualized and non- judgmental mental healthcare. Patient autonomy is my top priority! I have special interests in Perinatal care, ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and neurodivergence. I have been in the nursing field for over seven years, and I love to learn continuously about anything and everything mental health. I was born and raised in beautiful but very grey northern Michigan. The sunshine and warmth of Arizona were calling, leading to the 2,086-mile move for me, my husband, our two girls, and our pets. I am so excited to be here and become a part of this community. Perinatal Care Michaela is passionate about and experienced in the realm of perinatal mental health care. She will ensure that you receive the proper information to make decisions for your pregnancy, postpartum and beyond that will also keep your infant safe. Neurodivergence While Michaela doesn't have experience yet in diagnosing Autism (don't worry, coming soon), she is passionate about working alongside Autistic individuals as well as individuals with ADHD. OCD & Anxiety Michaela maintains a special interest in offering treatment for anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder. She is happy to work alongside your therapist to make sure you receive the best, validating and anxiety-free care. Q&A What is your favorite movie? I’m more of a TV show person and love Parenthood and This is Us. If I had to choose a movie, I would say anything that makes me laugh and forget about my surroundings like The Goonies or Tommy Boy. Favorite superhero? Elastigirl! She’s a mom who loves her family fiercely while also making time to defend the innocent from villains. I mean, you’ve seen her cool motorcycle, right? Can you tell I have a toddler who watches the Incredibles too often? If you could have a superpower, what superpower would you pick? Shape shifting! How awesome would it be to experience the world from any person, animal, or thing’s point of view? The possibilities are endless. Favorite bands/singer? There is very little music that I don’t like. Every song I hear brings back a memory or forms a new one, and I love that about music. One day I might want to listen to 2000s hip-hop, while the next day I’m in the mood for Brad Paisley or something more relaxed like Noah Kahan. If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for? 1. Giving every human the trait of empathy. I truly believe most of our world’s problems are caused by a lack of empathy. 2. To travel the world with my family and visit every single country. My husband is from Liberia, so that is the first on my list! 3. Giving every person the opportunity to experience true love and happiness in their life. Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I’m originally from Northern Michigan, but my time as a travel nurse allowed me to live in Texas, Washington State, and New Jersey. I love to travel and explore. I’m new to Arizona, and this sunshine is good for the soul! Tell us about your pets: We have a 9-year-old boxer-pit mix and he is the biggest baby. His favorite things in life are his family, pup cups from Starbucks, and a near empty jar of peanut butter for hours of enjoyment. What are you most passionate about in the mental health field? Patient autonomy and decreasing stigma surrounding mental health. No matter the struggles a person is facing they should have the safe space to be heard, understood without judgement. As a mom who has dealt with postpartum anxiety and intrusive thoughts, I want to be there to support those struggling with perinatal mental health, especially. If a patient is nervous about an evaluation, especially when talking about tough things like trauma or sexual abuse, what would you want them to know? My office is a safe space, free from judgment, and it’s perfectly normal to be apprehensive about sharing everything about your past. Your past does not define you, and it is not your fault. One of my favorite statements surrounding trauma is “It’s not what’s wrong with you, but what has happened to you.” What is your philosophy on using medication to treat mental health? Are medications lifelong? Medications are a good resource, but their need and effectiveness vary from person to person. There are many ways to treat mental illness such as with therapy, exercise, lifestyle changes, etc. Collaboration is key! You let me know what you are comfortable with, and we will create a plan together. Some patients may want to be on medications their whole life because that works for them, while others may use medication only temporarily. The only correct answer is what works best for you. How do you feel about cannabis use? Being from Michigan, where marijuana is legal for medical and recreational use, I have seen the numerous benefits of its use in many patients, but not all. Let’s talk about it!

  • Dr. Erica Lee, DNP, PMHNP-BC | Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Care | Paperflower Psychiatry

    Dr. Erica Lee, DNP, PMHNP-BC, specializes in child and adolescent mental health, including conduct disorders, trauma, ADHD, and anxiety. Offering compassionate care for children, teens, and their families across Arizona. Now accepting new patients. Dr. Erica Lee, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CPNP-BC I'm Erica Lee, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with a deep passion for helping children, teens, and their loved ones navigate the complexities of mental health. With a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from ASU and 13 years of nursing experience, my journey into the field of mental health has been one of continuous growth and learning. Prior to this role, I have spent nine years as a nursing professor, where I honed my skills in making complex concepts accessible and relatable. My own life experiences have given me a profound understanding of the challenges posed by ADHD, trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief. I've walked the path of healing and resilience and am committed to helping others do the same. I'm not just a healthcare provider; I'm a mom of three young adults, and I've experienced the trials and triumphs of parenting firsthand. As a teen mom, before it was 'cool,' I learned the power of determination, education, and support in overcoming obstacles. I understand that idealism is not for everyone, and I do my best to advise and support based on real-life circumstances. In my practice, I specialize in teaching and connecting with my patients in a relatable way. I believe that understanding and empathy are the cornerstones of effective care. I'm dedicated to creating a safe and nurturing environment for children and teens to explore their mental well-being. I am open-minded and fully committed to providing care that respects and honors individual experiences. As a passionate queer ally, I firmly believe in inclusivity and creating a safe, accepting space for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. My journey is a testament to the belief that, with the right support and guidance, individuals can overcome adversity and find their path to wellness. I look forward to joining you on this journey to better mental health. Pediatric Mental Health Erica is an expert in pediatric mental health encompassing ADHD, autism, sensory procesing, mood, anxiety, and trauma. Young Adults Erica is excellent at working with young adults - especially college aged folks. With a background in teaching, she offers support in succeeding in school and the workplace. Conduct & Sexualized Behaviors Erica offers guidance to parents with children with sexualized behaviors and trauma, as well as connecting strongly, creating visits everyone can look forward to. Q&A What is your favorite movie? The Royal Tenenbaums If you could have a superpower, what superpower would you pick? Telekinesis Favorite bands/singer? Run the Jewels, David Bowie, Phantogram, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beck If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for? •     Everyone has to follow the same rules that nurses do (do no harm, treat everyone equally, advocate for all, don’t spread infection). •     Climate change to be resolved in a way that is sustainable and equitable. •     Leaders who operate for the good of all Tell us a fun fact about yourself. I'm a decent karaoke rapper. What are you most passionate about in the mental health field? Helping families through difficult situations and things that no one wants to talk about. I have learned from my experience raising three kids and I know it didn’t have to be as hard as it was, had I known more and understood how my own trauma impacted my parenting style. Tell us about your dogs. Koko (12 yo GSP), Cromwell (6 yo pit mix) and Bowie (3 yo pocket American Bully). It’s hard to describe how much these pups mean to me, but they are my besties and have kept me company through the hardest time in my life. They each have their own quirks and personalities and should have their own reality show. Thoughts on adult ADHD? Many people have struggled their whole life, believing that what made things difficult was laziness or lack of discipline. They do not know that things don’t have to be so hard. I believe that ADHD should be included in the differential for adults who have difficulty with organization, motivation, concentration, etc. and considered along with CPTSD, anxiety, and depression. Are medications lifelong? think that medication can be life-changing in many cases, but I also know that other actions can be just as, if not more, effective. I aim to educate my patients on various solutions so that they are able to make informed decisions and feel open to receiving/sharing feedback when something isn’t working. I don’t believe medication has to be lifelong and should be reassessed regularly and discontinued when no longer needed. What are other things you feel could be beneficial to improve mental health other than medications? Self-talk is a huge factor that I continue to explore with my own mental health. It is so important to recognize the way that your thoughts shape your mental health and be intentional about speaking kindly to yourself. Do you have any personal experiences regarding mental health you are open to sharing? I have experienced trauma, homelessness, abuse, anxiety, depression, and complex grief. I have loved ones who have experienced addiction, bipolar, ADHD. I utilize these experiences to identify with others, and I also believe that this helps me keep bias in check. What is your philosophy on using medication to treat mental health for kids? I absolutely believe that medication can be an appropriate intervention for kids, and the impact it can have for families is undeniable. I don’t believe it is the only answer in every situation and I am comfortable suggesting/discussing alternatives with parents. Do you have experience in working with non-binary and trans kids? Yes - in my experience learning at Paperflower, Phoenix Children’s, and CRS, I have worked with kids who identify as trans, non-binary, and gender-fluid. I feel comfortable helping parents navigate this and can also hold space for the conflict they might feel. Ultimately, we need to advocate for our patients and help their family learn to support them. What are your thoughts on screen time and social media for kids and teens? I’m learning to understand the impact that screen time and social media has on humans, including the dopamine dysregulation that comes from nearly non-stop screen time during waking hours. I think that it’s a complex topic from a kid’s point of view and may even be their social lifeline. I think it is important for parents to know that using screen time and social media as a reward/punishment has a greater impact than they might imagine and that setting boundaries up front and revisiting them at regular intervals is important. How do you feel about medical marijuana? I wish there was more opportunity to research cannabis and other traditional plant medicines to help guide their use for mental and medical indications. Current American policy prevents adequate research and is influenced by pharmaceutical industries, who are motivated to keep these highly regulated. If a patient is nervous about an evaluation, especially when talking about tough things like trauma or sexual abuse, what would you want them to know? I would want my patients to know they can share as much or as little as they want with me. Explaining this is important up front, and I might even use tools like a signal or safe word that the client can utilize to let me know it's too much.

  • Expert Medical Recommendations Phoenix AZ | Paperflower Psychiatry

    Explore the top medical recommendations in Phoenix, AZ for all your health needs. Find trusted healthcare providers and services in the heart of Arizona. Recomendaciones médicas Pediatría TLC Afirmación de la salud mental, autismo y TDAH, además de brindar una excelente atención primaria a los niños. Ubicados en Ahwatukee y Chandler. Pediatría Camelback Recomendación para la Dra. Kristin Struble. Dra. Mandy Boltz Pediatra ubicado en el centro de Phoenix. Atención pediátrica en Flagstaff Pediatra ubicado en el centro de Phoenix. Banner Urología Pediátrica Laura Fleming, PNP ubicada en Queen Creek y Mesa. Banner Neurología y neurocirugía pediátrica Se recomienda a Lindsey Weaks, NP para neurocirugía, pero todo el equipo de neurología aquí es fantástico. Ubicado en Mesa. Pediatría de Mountain View Pediatría ubicada en Flagstaff, AZ. Clínica de Gastroenterología de Banner Children's Specialists Recomendaciones para Kim Garay, NP, Dr. Vinay Bandla, MD y Dra. Swati Kolpuru, MD. Ubicados en Mesa. Tu salud y bienestar Atención primaria y atención de afirmación de género ubicada en PHX.

  • Meet Ken: Experienced Billing Specialist in Arizona

    Meet Ken, your trusted billing specialist in Arizona! With a background in psychiatric billing, Ken is dedicated to optimizing your care. Conoce a Ken Request an appointment

  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | Paperflower Psychiatry | Mental Health Services

    Find answers to common questions about Paperflower Psychiatry's services, including appointments, insurance coverage, payment options, medication management, and more. Explore our FAQs for quick and helpful guidance Frequently Asked Questions Services Appointments Ketamine & Psychedelics Billing Providers Other Anchor 1 Preguntas frecuentes Do you see all ages? We specialize in seeing young adults - but we see ages 5 and up. Do you do therapy? We focus on medication management, but can do supportive therapy and offer suggestions through our appointments. We highly recommend that everyone who takes psychiatric medication also has a therapist. We have many recommendations and referrals if needed. Do you diagnose Autism or developmental disabilities? We do offer neurodivergence evaluations for autism utilizing a the MIDGAS-2 and/or ADOS-2 which are evidence-based tools for diagnostics. We cannot diagnose developmental disabilities, cannot test IQ and we do not offer evaluations for learning concerns such as dyslexia. **However, the department of developmental disabilities does not accept a diagnosis of autism by nurse practitioners in the state of Arizona. Developmental pediatricians, psychologists and psychiatrists are the best option for autism diagnoses, while psychologists are the best option for diagnosing learning disabilities or dyslexia. If you would like a diagnosis of autism for validation or accommodations, we can help with that. Do you prescribe medication to pregnant folks? Yes! If needed we can work on a safe treatment plan and review all of the possible risks and benefits of starting or continuing pharmacological treatment throughout your pregnancy. Two to five weeks after giving birth is the riskiest time to develop a mood disorder, so we will be able to monitor you through this period as well. Will you work with my therapist/other provider? With a release of information, we would certainly love to! Collaboration is our preference. What is involved in an evaluation? We will ask questions about development (pregnancy/first years of life/childhood), school, work if applicable, interests, family pets, and medical history along with a lot of questions about sleep, eating, emotions and mood. We may ask you, a parent or teacher to fill out a questionnaires in some cases or request other documentation. Some things are hard to talk about, so appointment is in YOUR control and the focus is to make you feel safe and comfortable. If you would like to involve a friend, significant other, or family member for support, we are happy to allow that. After the appointment we will talk about the diagnosis and treatment options. Does a telehealth appointment always need to be on video? Yes, in order to diagnose the individual, it is very important to be able to have the evaluation via video. BOTH the guardian(s) AND the child need to be present for evaluation and med appointments of anyone under 18 years of age unless otherwise agreed upon. If I have an appointment for my child, do they need to be present too? Yes, if you would like an appointment without them present, that is booked separately and not covered by insurance. What if I run out of meds before my appointment? Send over an email or request, and we can take care of you. Exceptions do exist such as for frequent missed appointments, not obtaining necessary labs or controlled substances. We require an appointment on file in order to send any refills and for all payments to either be complete, or a payment plan to be in place. If we have never met and you are running low on medication, we can most likely have a phone call and bridge you until your evaluation. Do you prescribe Xanax, Ativan or other Benzos? Due to current research on the addictive nature of benzo's, withdrawals when coming off of them and the potential for development of dementia and other long term risk factors, we do not prescribe these medications. We can help find alternatives for anxiety. Do you work with eating disorders or substance abuse? We are not equipped at this time to work with significant eating disorders or substance abuse at this time. There are intensive outpatient options for substance abuse, groups and other resources in Arizona for substance abuse. We can also refer to places that specialize in eating disorders. Do you do Emotional Support Animal Letters? Yes! We will need to discuss in length during an evaluation more about the animal(s) in question. We do not prescribe service animals. Please understand the difference prior to making a request. We do charge for paperwork. Do you do FMLA or Disability Paperwork? This depends on your provider. If you are not in therapy, IOP, taking regular medications and doing other things to ensure you can recover, we likely cannot fill out disability for you. We are very lenient about filling out FMLA. However, PLEASE check with the provider of your paperwork to ensure that a nurse practitioner is sufficient PRIOR to asking us to fill it out. This is solely your responsibility. Very few disability and other types of paperwork require a psychiatrist to fill out the form, and will not accept our signatures. We do charge for paperwork. We also do not guarantee anything will be approved. What's going on with this ADHD Test? We offer the QBCheck and TOVA at all of our locations. This is a 15 minute test for ages 6-11, or a 20 minute test for ages 12 to adulthood. You will be brought into a room in which we will set you up on a laptop computer. The computer will provide instructions prior to starting the task on which buttons to press on the keyboard at which times. Parents do not stay in the room during the evaluation for kids. This test will provide information. You can take the test without an evaluation or follow up if you are not interested in interpretation. If you would like interpretation, we require a full evaluation (or if you are established, a follow up to talk about it). You receive a report via email after completing the task. We have a blog post in our blog section about it! Does the TOVA or QBcheck allow me to claim my diagnosis of ADHD? No. Having a score is consistent with ADHD does not mean you have ADHD. We cannot offer you a letter or a diagnosis based solely on this test. This is a tool which can help diagnose you -- but that still requires a full evaluation. You can offer this to your therapist or psychiatrist if you are not in care with us. Appointments Anchor 2 Do I need to live in Arizona to receive care? Yes. We are currently only licensed in Arizona to provide care. We can still help if you go to college out of state. How do I reschedule/cancel my appointment? Find your confirmation email. It will have an option to cancel or reschedule. You will not have this option if it is under 24 options prior to the appointment time. Alternatively, you can email support@paperflowerpsychiatry.com or text 928-504-4700 to cancel or reschedule your appointment. You are be able to go on our website and rebook a time slot that works best for you. What is a "no show"? A "no show" is defined as not attending your appointment, a cancellation under 24 hours prior to your appointment time, and/or attending your appointment 10+ minutes late.. If there are technical difficulties or other things causing a delay, text 928-504-4700 for help. They will be able to notify your provider. Do you make exceptions for no shows? In extremely rare cases -- if you have proof you were hospitalized, for instance, we will not charge you. Can you use labs from my other provider instead of getting new ones? Sure can. Send a copy to support@paperflowerpsychiatry.com. We may need to order additional labs depending on what was ordered. Can I have a copy of my records? Yup. You have a right to your medical records. Just give us some advanced notice. Medical record requests should be in writing to our support team, and will be sent within 30 days. We do charge a $50 fee for a medical record request if your file is larger than one note. Please note, HIPAA allows us to charge a reasonable processing fee prior to providing your records. Can you refer me to a therapist? YES! We have a HUGE network of therapists who are amazing that we work with. We can figure out someone who takes your insurance, or has an affordable self-pay cost and would be most beneficial to your needs. Check out our referrals section! My medication isn't ready/being allowed to be filled/wasn't sent. HELP. Please CALL your pharmacy first before contacting us. We always send medications and most likely this is a pharmacy or insurance issue - they may have the wrong insurance listed, it may be too early to fill your prescription, they may need a prior authorization (contact us for that) or may not have it in stock. 99% of the time, we have to call the pharmacy and then call you back that it was a pharmacy issue..if you call them directly, you can cut out the middle man and get it filled faster :) DO NOT RELY ON PHARMACY APPS! Where do I find the link to my telehealth session? The link to your telehealth session can be found on your confirmation email. THE LINK WILL ALWAYS BE THE SAME FOR EACH PROVIDER EVERY SINGLE VISIT. IT DOES NOT CHANGE. The link will always start with sessions.psychologytoday.com The link for my telehealth session isn't working / it's been 6-8 minutes and my provider has not checked me in. What do I do? Call 928-504-4700 and if it goes to voicemail, text immediately. Why are appointments so long? Honestly..so we can get to know you as a human, and really hear your story and develop a plan for you. We'd rather spend a ton of time getting to know you (and ya know, you can give us the tea on life) and REALLY understanding what's going on so we can recommend the correct meds and treatment plan. If we rush, what's the point? It also gives you space to ask questions and not feel super rushed. We're not those 3-minute appointment " see you in 3 months" kind of providers. Can my baby/toddler attend? Can I breastfeed during the appointment? YES! Many of us are parents and our own young children (or dogs..or cats..) may be popping in and out of appointments. Your baby, toddler and children are always invited if you are comfortable. We can roll with distractions, tantrums, you name it. It also sucks we live in a society where people feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in public or even professional settings. Your baby or toddler is hungry, you feed 'em. Is this formal? Can I eat snacks during the appointment? This is the least formal appointment you've ever attended. Promise. Plz eat snacks and bring the tea. I did not vibe with my provider. What do I do? Just book a follow up with another provider. We promise if you switch we don't get offended. I do not agree with my evaluation results. What do I do? You can always request a second opinion within our practice. Just book another evaluation with another provider. Can I drive during my appointment? No. This is a huge danger. Please don't do it. Plz. We will reschedule you and you will be charged. Do I need to be present for my child's appointment? Yes unless arranged otherwise with the provider - especially the first evaluation. Evaluations without the guardian present will be rescheduled. You will still be charged. We cannot make any medication decisions without your attendance if your child is a minor. If you do not attend, no medication decisions can be made, and you will be required to make another appointment with both you and the child present in order to discuss options. You will need to pay for both appointments -- it is your responsibility to attend as your child is not able to make legal decisions. Can you tell me what my child said to you during your time with them? Due to confidentiality laws, we are held to a standard of maintaining privacy for your child. The only exception is if your child poses a threat to themselves or others, in cases of abuse, or is being/at risk of being harmed. I don't get along with the other parent of my child. Can we do separate appointments/emails/etc? It is our policy that both guardians of the parents need to be on every email chain -- especially if there is joint medical decision making. We expect parents to prioritize their child's mental health at this time..especially since separation, divorce and parental conflict can be very difficult for the child/teen. That means all appointments will be expected to be attended together, and all communications should include both parents/guardians. What if there is a custody arrangement for my child? All court custody documentation must be presented along with appropriate identification. For joint custody, medication decisions will not be made without both parents present at the appointment. You may log on the appointment from different homes. Will my child be spoken to privately during the appointment? In most cases, we do request to spend some time with the child privately to ask questions. Sometimes answers vary - especially depending on age. If your child is really uncomfortable with a few minutes alone speaking with us, usually we can wait until later appointments if they request the parent stays present. Can I do some in person appointments and some telehealth? Sure - we are also open to switching last minute if necessary to telehealth due to things like illness, childcare issues, etc. But bear in mind, your provider may have driven up to an hour into the office if you are the only in person appointment scheduled that day. This requires advanced notice. Will my child be spoken to privately during the appointment? In most cases, we do request to spend some time with the child privately to ask questions. Sometimes answers vary - especially depending on age. If your child is really uncomfortable with a few minutes alone speaking with us, usually we can wait until later appointments if they request the parent stays present. Will my child be spoken to privately during the appointment? In most cases, we do request to spend some time with the child privately to ask questions. Sometimes answers vary - especially depending on age. If your child is really uncomfortable with a few minutes alone speaking with us, usually we can wait until later appointments if they request the parent stays present. Anchor 3 Ketamine & Psychedelics Do you offer Ketamine at all of your locations? Currently we are only offering IM Ketamine to clients who agree to have Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) with Find your Shine in Tempe. Do you plan to expand? Maybe! I see you have some consulting noted on your services section and I am highly interested. More info on this coming soon! Do you offer Spravato? At this time, no. But we do plan to offer this as an alternative for KAP for those who want to use insurance. Does insurance cover Ketamine or KAP? At this time, it is currently not covered by insurance companies and therefore is self pay. More coming soon! Anchor 4 Billing What are your self pay rates? We charge $300 for an evaluation and $120 for a follow up for self pay. Please note if you have an insurance deductible, you may owe slightly more than that. I received an outrageous bill. Help??? Your visit should never been too far off from the self-pay rates. If you are receiving a bill that your visit was $375+, then please note this is likely an error that will be fixed. Plz do not stress. We will always contact you if there is an insurance issue. Call or text our billing team: 602-613-0455 What insurance do you take? We currently take most plans of BCBS, Cigna, UHC + Aetna. Please check and make sure your insurance has MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS prior to scheduling. We do not take AHCCCS at this time..because AHCCCS won't let us contract with them :) Why do I need a credit card on file to have an appointment? We process all fees/copays/etc prior to the appointment. With the volume of appointments and in honor of keeping our prices reasonable (and being able to continue to take insurance), we cannot be calling each person trying to obtain individual payments. We do not have the staff available to make that happen. You will need a credit card on file WITH an HSA card if you choose to use an HSA/FSA account. How are fees/copays collected? The night prior to your visit, copays and self-pay fees are collected to your card on file. Please ensure if you have an HSA account that it has the proper amount of money in it prior to your visit. If you need to unlock your card, please do it 24 hours before your visit to avoid cancellation. Deductibles are typically collected after the insurance processes the claim which can be days or weeks (sometimes months) later. We charge them to the card on file. Do you do payment plans or sliding scale? Yes! Contact our billing team at billing@paperflowerpsychiatry.com for our application for these. You will need to offer documentation and proof of income. What if I lost my job/insurance/can't afford this anymore? Absolutely! We want you to be able to afford care. Let us know what you can do and we will make something work. Please contact us so we can discuss plans and options. With our current economy, it can be difficult to obtain healthcare and psychiatric services at this time. Do not hesitate to contact us if this is a concern, and we promise we will find a way to continue your care. We will require proof of loss of income or job. Will insurance cover my medication? Most likely, yes! Your pharmacy will be able to check to see if your insurance covers your medication. Why am I being charged if I have insurance? You may have a "deductible." This means that your insurance company expects you to owe a percentage (from 20% up to the full amount of the visit) until you reach a set amount of money. Once you have paid that amount of money, the insurance company then agrees to start paying for your healthcare. For example, if you have a $2,000 deductible, your insurance company expects you to pay $2,000 out of pocket for your healthcare visits before they will pay any of your visits. You can call or text our billing team for an explanation -- 6026130455 or billing@paperflowerpsychiatry.com I have a billing question. Who do I contact? You can contact 6026130455 or billing@paperflowerpsychiatry.com I believe I was overcharged. What do I do? Please email billing@paperflowerpsychiatry.com with your concerns and a screenshot of your bank account. CHECK with your insurance to see if you have a deductible if you are concerned about a charge after giving us your insurance information. I was left a message saying my insurance denied my claim because I need to update coordination of benefits. What does this mean? This means that your insurance company believes that you have another insurance as your "primary." If you do not have another insurance, please call your insurance company and ask to "update my coordination of benefits." From there, tell them you do not have any other health insurance. If you do have other health insurance, you may need to give them that other insurance information and tell them if they are your primary insurance. What if I don't want to pay you? I'm not happy with my appointment, etc. If we have provided you a service, we trust you to pay for that service -- if you do not pay us, we cannot pay your provider for that time they spent with you. You are legally required to pay copays if your insurance has paid anything for your visit. If you continue to refuse or avoid payment, we will send your balance to a collections agency with an additional $200 fee. Also remember, we are humans trying to make ends meet with student loans and other expenses. None of us are wealthy. Can you make me a superbill? Upon request, we can provide you with a superbill. A superbill is an itemized list of services you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement after paying out of pocket. Check with your insurance company to see if they accept out of network superbills for psychiatric behavioral health. I was left a message saying my insurance denied my claim because I need to update coordination of benefits. What does this mean? This means that your insurance company believes that you have another insurance as your "primary." If you do not have another insurance, please call your insurance company and ask to "update my coordination of benefits." From there, tell them you do not have any other health insurance. If you do have other health insurance, you may need to give them that other insurance information and tell them if they are your primary insurance. What if I can't afford my medications? We are very familiar with prices of medications, services such as GoodRX, the Mark Cuban Pharmacy and other means to save money on prescriptions. We can work together to find an affordable solution. Just let us know! Why was I charged when I didn't attend my appointment? In our consent to treatment and no show agreement forms, you have agreed to compensate your provider for their time if you (1) do not cancel your appointment over 24 hours prior (2) show up 10+ minutes late to your appointment (3) do not attend your appointment. Fees are $275/evaluation and $120/follow up visit. I want a refund. We do not give refunds in any circumstance after the appointment has been started -- even if you leave early or your provider ends the appointment early. Why are there fees and charges for EVERYTHING!? All you care about is money. We do want to keep our practice open and this is incredibly important to us. Our overhead and support team is extremely expensive each month. Ask yourself, would you show up for work if your boss said "you need to come in and wait here, but maybe I'll pay you and maybe I won't"? Would you do hours of paperwork after work hours for free? Every minute we are working is still work time for us. We care about you and we love our jobs. We just need to value our time too. Providers Anchor 5 What is a nurse practitioner? A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has completed advanced training including a master's degree in a specialized area. After completing training, nurse practitioners are required to pass a certification exam. Historically, nurse practitioners were designed to fill the gap of not having enough prescribers in underserved areas. While some people prefer psychiatrists or medical doctors, nurse practitioners have many of the same abilities and clinical skills (however, in the state of Arizona, we cannot diagnose autism). Studies have shown that compared to medical doctors/physicians, patients of nurse practitioners report greater satisfaction, quality of care, more time receiving education and similar health outcomes. Nurse practitioners are also trained with a more holistic model of care vs. a medical model, which includes considerations for the entire person as a whole. What provider do I schedule with? All of us have some fun facts about ourselves along with a biography which should help you find a provider you would feel most comfortable with. Why am I seeing a student, not my provider? We are a teaching practice and often have students shadowing us or doing the questions. We will not let students make medical decisions - your provider makes all decisions. What if I don't want to see a student NP for my appointment? If you are absolutely opposed to this, please let the support team know at support@paperflowerpsychiatry.com prior to your appointment. Please note if you have scheduled with a provider with a student, they have the right to refuse your appointment and request you see another provider instead. Our students are excellent, monitored closely and often hired on with our practice upon graduation. The student NP will NEVER be allowed to see you without the provider present and listening, and the provider ultimately makes all decisions. We are a teaching practice. What sets you apart from other medication providers? Authenticity is important to us. We genuinely love getting to know our patients and their families. Most of us do not come from highly privileged backgrounds in which we had the luxury of our parents paying for our education. For most of us, we come from lower income upbrinigings -- and are therefore a hell of a lot more humble than a lot of people. We are quirky, kinda weird, open-minded and not very professional. What is a perinatal certified provider? This is a completed training by Postpartum Support International (PSI) including advanced pharmacology training and passed a board exam which certifies a specialty in perinatal mental health. We are specialized in understanding and working with those who are family planning, pregnant, postpartum or breastfeeding. You can read more about PSI training at https://www.postpartum.net/professionals/certification/ I want to see Maria. I don't see her on the schedule. I used to see Maria, but I don't see a way to schedule with her. Help? Maria can no longer see patients except in rare cases. She is currently raising two toddlers, working on expanding and management of the practice, and supporting our nurse practitioners in being rad providers. My provider is on vacation and I need help. Maria works on call typically. Please contact support with concerns and we can advise you. Can I complain on my provider? Sure. You can email maria@paperflowerpsychiatry.com with any concerns. Can I switch providers for one appointment? YES! If your provider is booked out, does not have availability that suits your needs, or you would like to explore the option of switching providers, you can switch to another provider at any time. We will review your previous provider's notes and plan for you prior to your appointment. We don't take it personally if you need to have an appointment with another provider. We all function as a team and a family. My provider didn't give me what I wanted. Now what? We are not a drive-through medication service. Your provider will evaluate you and come up with a plan that they believe is safe, evidence-based and would suit your individual needs. We do not take "orders" for medications, and while we work as a team to find a solution that is best for you, we cannot blindly prescribe whatever you would like. We aren't really McDonalds. I emailed my provider and haven't heard back. Now what? Our providers all work different hours and may have multiple jobs, and will only be checking their emails throughout the business day. It may be more beneficial for you to send your question to support@paperflowerpsychiatry.com or to call/text 928-504-4700 for our support team to review. If necessary, they can direct your question to the provider on call if your provider is not working that day. Can I call my provider at any time? Realistically, no. We are not on-call 24-7. Your provider may have other jobs. Your provider may have a family and other responsibilities. If you would like to talk to your provider, the best option is to make an appointment to discuss concerns or changes. We are not a crisis service. If you have an emergency, you can call 911, crisis, go to your local urgent care, Mind 24/7 or emergency room. My provider ordered labs. How do I get them? If your provider ordered labs, they have been sent electronically to Sonora Quest Labs. If your insurance does not cover them or you would like to get them elsewhere, please request the lab slip from support@paperflowerpsychiatry.com. Otherwise, you can make an appointment online for any Sonora Quest location. If you are receiving labs for Lithium, please get them done 12 hours after your last dose (meaning if you have a morning dose, skip it until after labs are complete). My provider was late and/or cancelled. NOW WHAT? I know it can at times feel unfair if your provider is "allowed" to be late or cancel an appointment last minute. We do not cancel appointments without a significant reason such as a death or severe illness in the family, hospitalization, medical emergency, etc. If your provider has cancelled last minute, they are likely in an emergent situation. If your provider is going to be late, we do our best to warn you ahead of time. Sometimes the prior appointment may be in crisis, suicidal, be crying, need hospitalization, etc. and this may take slightly more time than expected. We will still give you the full time *needed* for your appointment. If you only need a few minutes which is usual for you, then no worries. If you need a full 30 minutes to discuss things, we will still make that happen. I have another psychiatric provider but I want to see you too to make sure they are giving the right medications. We can certainly do a second opinion and offer a treatment plan, but we will not continue care if you choose to have two psychiatric providers adjusting the same medication. This is not safe. Other Anchor 6 My medication isn't ready/being allowed to be filled/wasn't sent. HELP. Please CALL your pharmacy first before contacting us. We always send medications and most likely this is a pharmacy or insurance issue - they may have the wrong insurance listed, it may be too early to fill your prescription, they may need a prior authorization (contact us for that) or may not have it in stock. 99% of the time, we have to call the pharmacy and then call you back that it was a pharmacy issue..if you call them directly, you can cut out the middle man and get it filled faster :) My medication isn't in stock at my pharmacy! HELP. Please call around and find a pharmacy that has it in stock and let us know where to change it to. I read all of the questions but I am still nervous. What if this is uncomfortable or awkward? We pride ourselves on being extremely sensitive to other emotions, and we will work to make you feel comfortable. We bring in a lot of positive energy, and are happy to meet family pets and introduce our dogs over video! I don't want to deal with lowly support staff - ONLY my provider. I can do that, right? At Paperflower, we work and function as a family which includes our support team. We expect that our patients respect all members of our Paperflower family. Blatant disrespect toward our support staff can result in discharge. Why am I being discharged ? We have in our consent to treatment that if you are outside of of expertise, require specialty care, have 3+ no shows, do not pay your bill, divert your medication, or are rude to our support team or provider, you may be discharged. Our full list: Refusal to work with our support team or any disrespectful, racist, vulgar language toward our support team. Choosing to have another provider fill or change your psychiatric medications without first notifying your Paperflower provider (it's not safe!) Dishonesty in regards to, selling or misusing medication prescribed Failing to show up (or a "no show") 3+ times for your appointments Refusal to create a payment plan for balances due Refusal to maintain a credit card on file (it's just how our system needs to flow with as many appointments daily we have..) Refusal to follow up as recommended by your provider Disrespect, harassment or vulgar language towards your provider Dishonesty in regards to custody situations or legal matters A patient outside of our expertise or scope of practice Who do I contact about a refill? Contact support@paperflowerpsychiatry.com, text 928-504-4700 or leave a message on the refill voicemail box at 928-504-4700. Why aren't you refilling my medication? If your provider requested labs, a follow up that you did not attend, you have not scheduled a follow up with us or paid your bill, we may not be able to send you a refill. I haven't been seen in several years. Can I re-establish care? Sure. You will require a new evaluation if it's been over 8 months since your last visit. I'm switching to another practice but can't get in for awhile. Can I have a refill? We will give you up to a 90 day supply of medication to establish with another provider. Why are you so political and rude about America? We love our country and want the best lives for ourselves, our patients, our families and friends. This includes a democracy, education, and rights for *everyone* We cannot support an administration that attempts to erase the existence of immigrants, protesters, activists and trans folx. We cannot support an administration that erases history showing the history of the uncomfortable and dark parts of this country. We cannot support an administration that prioritizes billionaires while cutting healthcare services and thousands of jobs from hardworking people. We cannot support an administration that offers reparations to people who stormed the white house on January 6th but continues to oppress POC and indigenous communities. We cannot support RFK spewing propaganda about vaccines, autism, adhd, antidepressants and psychiatric medications. Healthcare is political. Everything about this is political. I'm worried that the Palestinian flag being on your website indicates that you are anti-semitic. I've had this discussion quite a few times, and we love our Jewish patients. We are against conflict, war, and watching the suffering or oppression of any peoples. Two things can be true at the same time -- and it is possible for two populations to be suffering in different ways at the same time. We understand the implications of this time being frightening for the Jewish community -- but we are open to talk about it, and this is still a safe place. We have resources specifically for Jewish clients on our blog for mental health. There is no hate here -- and we will actively ensure that no low-key neo-nazis will be apart of our staff. The Mexico flag on your website offends me. I would just go ahead and seek another practice if I were you, because this clearly isn't the place for you. I don't like the LGBTQIA+ flags on your website and I don't support this. Bye. How are you "inclusive" if you do not include conservative providers on your team? We cannot allow anyone to join our team who do not consider women capable of making their own decisions about their bodies, who demonize POC, or who do not want LGBTQIA+ individuals included in society at large.

  • Paperflower Psychiatry

    Paperflower Psychiatry is a holistic and inclusive psychiatric practice specializing in evaluations and medication for children, adolescents, peripartum and adults in Arizona. Telehealth + offices in Tempe, North PHX + Flagstaff. Self booking is available online. Meet The Providers not sure who to pick? take our matching quiz below! Dr. Azuka Okafo, CNM, PMHNP-BC, DNP Specialty : adult mental health, perinatal, teen mental health Vibe : energetic, curious, humorous, sarcastic Location: Mesa, PHX + Telehealth Request an appointment: here Azuka is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who retired from her life as a certified nurse midwife on the rez to move into providing psych care with us in PHX. We are pumped to have her, and we feel like if you need a provider who is high energy, direct and a lil sarcastic and silly.. she will be great for you. And she def wants to meet your dogs. Learn more Amanda Pursley, MSN, PMHNP-BC (she/her) Specialty : mood, anxiety, ADHD, LGBTQIA+ Vibe : supportive, nonjudgmental, chill, dash of goofy Location: Telehealth & in person rotations in Flagstaff Request an appointment: here Mandy is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Mandy loves working with all ages. She is passionate about patient-centered, inclusive care. She values building meaningful connections and aims to make every patient feel heard, supported, and empowered. Learn more Jonathan Frank, MSN, PMHNP-BC (he/him) Specialty : adults! mood, anxiety, ADHD, LGBTQIA+ Vibe : nerdy (Star Wars anyone?), chill, thoughtful, nonjudgmental Location: Tempe Request an appointment: here (use scheduling link above, he starts again in feb 2026!) Jon is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Jon was the first ever NP hired at Paperflower in 2021 -- and although he took a hiatus to explore careers in inpatient, he realized how badass this company is and made his way back. He's a punk rock dude who's all about inclusive care and will definitely make you feel comfortable. Learn more Tabitha Arey, MSN, PMHNP-BC (she/her) Specialty : Ketamine, autism, ADHD & neurodivergence, substance use disorders, adoption/foster care, neurological trauma, perinatal Vibe : dark humor, existential, relatable + nerdy Location: Tempe & Telehealth Request an appointment: here Tabitha is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who has experience working with children, adolescents and adults. She has previous experience in the neuro-ICU working with extensive trauma. She currently offers neurodivergence evaluations & ketamine injections. She is a super psych nerd and will make sure you have the best understanding of medications and pharmacology. You can hear her on our podcast here . Learn more Michaela Tweh, MSN, PMHNP-BC (she/her) Specialty : ADHD, Perinatal, Anxiety, OCD, Neurodivergence Vibe : chill, personable, quirky, nonjudgmental Location: Telehealth & soon to be Tucson Request an appointment: here Michaela is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with seven years of nursing experience. Michaela promises to appreciate you where you are at while assisting you to where you want to be. We love that she's knowledgeable with a gentle energy. Learn more Andres Kohler (Andy), MSN, PMHNP-BC (he/him) privacy officer of paperflower psychiatry Specialty : Cultural + religious trauma, bipolar, mood, LGBTQ Vibe : cheerful, nerdy, relatable, thorough Location : telehealth Request an appointment : here Also Speaks : Spanish Andres is a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Andy specializes in mood disorders, anxiety and is excited to nerd out and tell you all the facts about the medication you take. He will see all ages and he really likes dogs. We told him his dogs need to be assisting him during evaluations. He also has chickens and likes cats..but we don't think he likes reptiles. Who doesn't want to talk to dogs during a psych eval? Learn more Jane Na, MSN, PMHNP-BC (she/her) Specialty : cultural/religious trauma, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, ADHD, anxiety, mood Vibe : easy going, personable, nonjudgmental, amiable, casual Location : Tempe, North Phoenix & Telehealth Request an appointment : here Jane is a board certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who has experience in working with ECT, TMS and psychiatric emergencies. She is passionate about delivering compassionate mental health care and being a patient advocate. She's a really chill person, connects well with people of all ages, and genuinely cares. Jane speaks Korean and conversational Spanish. Learn more Tatiana Sanabria, MSN, PMHNP-BC (she/her) Specialty : anxiety, mood, BIPOC + LGBTQIA+ Vibe: calming, kind, structured, intentional, gentle Location : Telehealth Request an appointment : here Tatiana is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who has experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and adults. She is passionate about providing care to folks from marginalized communities, particularly those from low-income, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Tatiana has been a staple with our practice for years, and has consistently offered excellent care. Learn more Allison Stuart, MSN, PMHNP-BC, PMH-C (she/her) perinatal mental health certified Specialty : Functional medicine + supplements, bariatric patients, perinatal care, IVF, anxiety, mood Vibe: quick-witted, nurturing, collaborative, swiftie (yes, taylor swift) Location : Telehealth Request an appointment : here Ally is a board certified psych NP, specializing in young adults. She is a Health at Every Size practitioner, and has special interests in treating adolescents and adults. She also is passionate about helping women navigate mental health through infertility, pregnancy, and postpartum. She is an OG at Paperflower -- and completing her training with us years ago and is now training future nurse practitioners as an expert! Learn more Elizabeth Odhner, MSN, PMHNP-BC, PMHC (she/her) perinatal mental health certified Specialty : Perinatal, infertility, postpartum, breastfeeding, mood, anxiety Vibe: conversational, relaxed, organic, empathetic Location : Telehealth Request an appointment : here Liz is a board certified and PSI postpartum mental health certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. She has worked in outpatient telehealth from her Skoolie for over the past year -- and we are excited she is finally joining us! She has volunteered for years domestically and internationally. She has worked to promote justice, and will be the perfect person to tell you how much big pharma and capitalism sucks the life out of us. She is passionate about working with the perinatal population. She currently sees all ages. Learn more Dr. Erica Lee, DNP, PMHNP-BC (she/her) Specialty : anxiety, mood, pediatric mental health, sexualized behavior and trauma in children Vibe: energetic, approachable, perceptive Location : North Phoenix & Tempe Request an appointment : here Erica is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with a heart for seeing children, teens, young adults and families navigating mental health challenges. She utilizes an approach that integrates the entire family into care -- because mental health issues in kids do not exist in isolation. With a background as a nursing professor and a mom, she combines real-life wisdom, clinical expertise, and deep empathy to provide care that’s relatable, inclusive, and grounded in reality. Learn more Dr. Bre Chamoff, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CPNP-BC (she/her) accepting ages 5-15 for waitlist Specialty : Pediatric ADHD, mood + comorbid medical conditions. Vibe: chatty, thorough, fun, sigma Location : Flagstaff & Telehealth Request an appointment : here Bre (LIKE THE CHEESE, of course) is a board certified psych NP -- and she is also board certified in pediatric primary care and acute care! She talks really fast and definitely has a lot to say. She's amazingly brilliant and does great connecting with adults, adolescents and small children. She thinks she is hilarious and sometimes she might be. Bre is an OG here at Paperflower and we hope we can keep her forever. Learn more Melody Martinez, MSN, PMHNP-BC (she/her) Specialty : Perinatal Mental Health, Adoption/Foster Care, Mood, Anxiety Vibe: attentive, encouraging, open-minded Location : Tucson & Telehealth Request an appointment : here Melody Martinez is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) renowned for her compassionate and holistic approach to mental health care. With a background in education and nursing, her expertise encompasses needs of children, adolescents, parents, and adults of all ages. Her empathetic and science-backed approach includes therapy techniques when appropriate, prioritizing personalized care. Learn more Meghan Baker, MSN, PMHNP-BC, PMHC (she/her) perinatal mental health certified Specialty : ADHD, Perinatal & Neurodivergence Vibe: gentle, thorough, non-judgmental, grounded Location : Telehealth Request an appointment : here Meghan is a board certified and PSI postpartum mental health certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. Her background as a Labor & Delivery nurse and educator, along with her personal and professional experiences have cultivated a passion for and expertise in Perinatal/Peripartum and Child and Adolescent psychiatric care. Beyond being a psychiatric nurse practitioner, Meghan is a mom who strongly understands the impact of neurodivergence on the family unit. Learn more ¡Conéctame con un proveedor! Quiz ¡Conéctame con un proveedor!

  • Trusted Referrals for Practices in Arizona

    Looking for healthcare referrals for practices in Arizona? Discover trusted and reliable resources to connect you with the best healthcare providers in the state. Referencias y recursos comunitarios varios Quiropráctica BodyWise Dr. Bobbie and her team are currently located in Tempe. She specializes in all ages as well as pregnancy. Mi Myo Mi Salud ¿Usted o su hijo padecen de ATM, frenillo lingual u otros trastornos de la mandíbula? La terapia miofacial es básicamente una fisioterapia para la boca. Acupuntura comunitaria de Phoenix Escala móvil hasta $30 por 45 minutos. Phoenix College Dental Clinic Atención dental asequible. 602-285-7323. Cocoon to Bloom Cocoon to Bloom ofrece terapia fascial craneosacral. Si no has oído hablar de ella, es mágica. Ayuda a relajar el sistema nervioso cuando está en estado de lucha o huida. Atienden a niños y mamás. Dra. Becky ¡Todo lo relacionado con la crianza de los hijos en busca de recursos!

  • Tabitha Arey, PMHNP-BC | Trauma-Informed Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner | Paperflower Psychiatry

    Tabitha Arey, PMHNP-BC, offers trauma-informed psychiatric care at Paperflower Psychiatry. Specializing in mental health for children, teens, and adults, including foster care and substance use disorders. Now accepting new patients across Arizona. Tabitha Arey, MSN, PMHNP-BC Tabitha is a board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with experience working with kids and teens in the foster care system, adults experiencing substance use disorders, and patients in the Trauma/Neuro ICU and COVID ICU experiencing extreme mental and physical trauma and loss. These experiences have affirmed her passion for mental health care and obsession with the fascinating and resilient nature of the human brain and people’s ability to overcome adversity. She also just generally enjoys helping others find ways to effectively cope with the bittersweetness of living, parenting, and experiencing joy in today’s social, environmental, and political climate. Her two small humans and two rescue pups keep her on her toes and provide plenty of laughter and chaos on the daily. We can confirm she has a dark sense of humor, dislikes talking about herself and will vibe with you if you're socially awkward. Neurodivergence Tabitha offers neurodivergence evaluations for autism and ADHD -- and she is an incredibly affirming presence even if you choose to go the self diagnosis route. Ketamine Tabitha will be offering Ketamine evaluations and IM administration at our Tempe location on select days. Substance Use Finding a provider who thoroughly understands and can not be judgmental in terms of treating co-existing substance use disorders can be difficult - but Tabitha is definitely your person for this. Q&A What is your favorite movie? I’m more of a TV show person, but favorite movies would include Star Wars, Avatar, and Interstellar. Favorite Superhero: Deadpool – simply for the laughs and dark humor. But Dr. Strange and Gamora are close runner ups since they are smart and badass and whatnot. If you could have a superpower, what superpower would you pick? Time travel – pretty sure I would thrive as a cavewoman. Favorite bands/singer? I am unapologetically a product of the 90’s, so my taste in music is all over the place – some faves include Radiohead, Blink-182, Jack Johnson, or any 90’s hip hop. If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for? to live right next to a mountain so I could hike every day, an end to fighting/war in the name of religion, and free health care for all. Tell me a fun fact about yourself: If I had to choose another career, I’d be a marine biologist. I’ve been a scuba instructor since my early 20’s and I’m lowkey obsessed with the weird creatures in the ocean (octopus, jellyfish, nudibranchs) and love diving with sharks. Tell us about your pets: I have 2 rescue doggos. The grumpy old lady Zoe is an 11-year-old Chi-weenie who weighs 9lbs and is [obviously] the alpha. The big ol’ doofus Lincoln is a 6-year-old heeler/pitbull/dalmatian mix with tall/skinny legs, which makes him resemble an AT-AT robot from Star Wars. What are you most passionate about in the mental health field? : I mean – all of it. But if I have to pick one thing it would be ending stigma. We have come a long way, but there’s still so much shame and secrecy surrounding mental illness. Stigma just perpetuates and compounds the problems experienced by people with a mental health diagnosis. Being able to openly share and seek help without fear of judgment is the best way to realize we’re all human and we’re in this together. What are your thoughts about treating adult ADHD?: I think treatment depends on how it affects your everyday life, which can vary greatly from person to person. Being diagnosed in adulthood is becoming more common as we begin to understand how people (especially women) adapt, compensate, and mask symptoms of neurodivergence from an early age and may not match textbook definitions. If a patient is nervous about an evaluation, especially when talking about tough things like trauma or sexual abuse, what would you want them to know? You certainly don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. It does help to have a clear picture of your history to differentiate between symptoms of trauma and other diagnoses; however, this is entirely up to you if you wish to share or not. I will ask in a general way, and you can give as much or as little info as you want. I have plenty of personal and professional experience with processing traumatic events, so you don’t have to feel alone in your tough experiences ever. What are other things you feel could be beneficial to improve mental health other than medications?: I’m a big advocate for therapy, especially if you find a therapist you vibe with and can be completely honest with. There’s also so much research supporting the effects of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and sunlight on mental health, so despite them being almost everyone’s least favorite solution – they can be a game changer. What is your philosophy on using medication to treat mental health? Are medications lifelong? : Medication for mental health can be lifesaving – I have no doubt about this. However, I understand why a person may be hesitant to try this option due to many factors, such as side effects, stigma, and general misconceptions about some meds. I do think there are many ways to approach mental health treatment and medications are only one potential piece of the puzzle. I believe medications can, in most cases, support a struggling individual in a way that allows them to not have to spend so much energy just to keep their head above water. As a result, they can instead use that energy to engage in therapy and/or other services that can help complete that mental health care puzzle and lead to more long-term solutions. The duration of medication for mental health depends entirely on the risk versus benefit for each person, and it is ultimately your choice if you decide medications aren’t right for you for any reason. Do you have any personal experiences regarding mental health you are open to sharing? sharing? I have definitely had my own experiences in mental health care throughout my life, and that is a part of what led me to this field. I think that making it through the things I’ve made it through has solidified my belief that anyone can persevere and thrive despite any setback, adversity, or shitty situation. Tell us about the intersection between your experience in the neuro ICU and psychiatry?: Neuro ICU taught me so much about how even just the smallest of changes in our brains can alter so many aspects of everyday lives including language, balance, memory, learning, motor function – everything. It was also a place where many people were experiencing the worst days of their lives at a young age due to head trauma, strokes, and other similar things. This environment nudged me into having the absolute honor of holding parent’s/spouse’s/children’s hands while guiding them through the devastating process of unexpected loss, giving me the constant reminder that there are only 2 guarantees in life: birth and death; everything in between is what we make of it. Taking care of our meat suits – especially the noggin portion can make our time here more enjoyable.

Ubicaciones físicas:

  • 16601 N 40th St, n.º 210, Phoenix, AZ 85032

  • 401 W Baseline Rd #108 Tempe, AZ 85283

  • 408 N. Kendrick St. Ste #4 Flagstaff Az, 86001

  • 1760 E River Rd Suite #250, Tucson, AZ 85718

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