Emotional problems are complex. There is seldom a simple solution to them.

When I was in training, one of my supervisors told the story of the mad surgeon. No matter what the patient's problem, he would remove their gall bladder because that was the thing he knew how to do best.

My treatment philosophy is to avoid the trap of the mad surgeon. I have trained for many years to become proficient in all treatment approaches to emotional difficulties. These approaches include:

• Individual Psychotherapy
• Marital Psychotherapy
• Family Psychotherapy
• Group Psychotherapy
• Medication
• Evaluation of Medical Problems
• Inpatient or Partial Hospitalization
• Accessing Community Resources

Your treatment may involve any one or a combination of these approaches. After a careful and patient exploration of your problems, together we will discuss the options and agree upon a plan that is likely to be most helpful.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to switch to a different approach as the patient or situation changes. For instance, a patient in individual therapy may transition to group as he or she grows, or marital therapy may become important if relationship issues begin to dominate the patient's disturbances.

When planning and executing a patient's treatment, it's important to remain flexible but careful.