Frequently Asked Questions

• If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, please call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for immediate support. Help is available 24/7. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You are not alone—support is available.

Do I need a referral?

• No. We accept patients without a referral from their primary care physician.

How do I schedule an appointment?

• Click here to schedule an appointment
• We ask all prospective and current patients to schedule appointments through this website or the patient portal. All scheduling is strictly done online, ensuring a seamless and efficient booking process.

What do I need to prepare for my telemedicine appointment?

• Device: Ensure you have a device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) with a reliable internet connection and a working microphone and camera.
• Quiet and Private Space: Find a quiet and private space to ensure confidentiality and minimize distractions during the appointment.
• Patient Portal Access: Familiarize yourself with the Charm patient portal as it will be used for communication, appointment scheduling, or accessing medical records.

Do I need to be physically located in WA state for my appointment?

• Yes, patients are required to be physically located in Washington state at the time of their appointment. If a patient joins the appointment when he or she is physically located outside Washington state, the appointment will be canceled and charges equivalent to a missed appointment will apply.

Can I attend the appointment while driving?

• No, if the patient joins the appointment while driving, the appointment will be canceled, and charges equivalent to a missed appointment will apply.

What should I expect at the Initial Psychiatric Consultation?

• Prior to your initial appointment, we will send you information on completing our Consent Forms and New Patient Intake Form through our secure electronic platform. It is important that you complete all paperwork 48 hours prior to your first appointment , otherwise the appointment will be cancelled.
• During your Initial Psychiatric Consultation, we will ask you a lot of questions about your medical and psychiatric history, medications, relationships, environment, diet, spirituality and other lifestyle factors.
• This first visit is a consultation and doesn’t automatically establish a physician-patient relationship. At the end of the initial evaluation or consultation, we will make a mutual decision on whether our practice fits your needs and expectations.

What services do you provide?

We provide evidence-based medication management to support your mental health needs. For those interested, we may also offer time-limited psychotherapy sessions incorporating targeted lifestyle psychiatry interventions to help manage stress, depression, and anxiety. Our goal is to deliver personalized, results-driven care to support your journey toward lasting well-being.

What conditions do you not treat?

We do not provide evaluation and treatment services for:

• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

We will NOT be able to provide the appropriate level of care via telepsychiatry for patients who are dealing with:

• Suicidal thoughts, or urges to self-harm or attempt suicide
• Thoughts or urges to harm someone else
• Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
• Eating disorders (anorexia, binging/purging)
• Alcohol or drug addiction/abuse
• Any other condition or set of symptoms that need a higher level of care

What services do you NOT provide?

• Emotional Support Animal Letters
• Disability or FMLA Evaluations
• Forensic Evaluations
• L&I assessments
• Assessments for ability to return to work, ability to own a weapon, ability to drive a certain vehicle, etc.
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Electroconvulsive Therapy
• Suboxone Treatment
• Couples or Family Therapy
• Court-ordered treatment, or treatment under the Washington Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA)

Do you prescribe controlled medications?

No. Due to regulatory requirements, we do not prescribe any controlled medications which are often used to treat the following conditions:

• ADD/ADHD (often treated with stimulants like Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin, Vyvanse, etc)
• Anxiety/Panic (often treated with benzodiazepines like Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Valium, etc)
• Insomnia (often treated with controlled sleep medications like Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, etc)

What if I have to cancel or miss my appointment?

• No charge for cancellations made more than 48 hours in advance.
• Cancellations made within 48 hours but more than 24 hours in advance will incur a $50 cancellation fee.
• Cancellations made within 24 hours of your appointment will incur a $100 cancellation fee.
• You can cancel your appointment through the patient portal. Do not send SMS texts to our office number, as those will not go through.
• Missed appointments will incur a $100 no show fee.
• If you are more than 10 minutes late, we consider that a missed appointment.

Does Lifestyle Psychiatry MD accept insurance?

• Yes, Lifestyle Psychiatry MD accepts Premera Blue Cross, United and Aetna.
• If you have Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) coverage, your visits may still be eligible for reimbursement, as claims will be processed through Premera Blue Cross. Coverage may vary, so we strongly recommend checking with your insurance provider to confirm your specific benefits and reimbursement options.

Is Lifestyle Psychiatry MD in-network with other commercial insurance companies?

• Lifestyle Psychiatry MD is out-of-network for all commercial insurance providers except Premera Blue Cross, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare.

What are the charges for out-of-network patients?
Out-of-network patients and/or cash pay patients will be charged as follows:

• Initial Psychiatric Consultation: $299
• Follow-Up Psychiatric Services (Medication Management and Psychotherapy): $299
• Follow-Up Psychiatric Services (Medication Management Only): $129

Please note that these charges will be applied to your credit card at the time of your appointment.

Do you have other charges or fees?
Yes. Besides appointment fees, we charge modest fees for a few services:

• Phone call – less than 5 minutes: no charge
• Phone calls/emails over 5 minutes, prior-authorization for medications, forms, letters, and other administrative requests: Pro-rated charge based on an hourly rate of $400.

May I have a copy of the practice policies of Lifestyle Psychiatry MD?
Please click on this link for a PDF of the Practice Policies