FAQs

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When treatment works, it should be obvious. You or your child should feel better and have greater self-esteem. Success at school, at work, or in relationships should come more easily. We should see objective, quantitative improvement in our outcome measurements.

The best number of medications for anyone to take, especially a child, is zero. We recommend medication only if absolutely necessary, and only as one component of an array of therapeutic interventions. Please know that we prescribe conservatively, following evidence-based guidelines, using the smallest dose for the shortest length of time possible. Participating in psychotherapy is usually the way to reduce or eliminate reliance on medication over time.

Psychiatric illness is treatable. Just like it would make sense for someone with a broken arm to get a cast, we expect people to pursue treatment that allows them to overcome their symptoms, rather than feeling so overwhelmed that a treatable illness unnecessarily transforms into a chronic disability or an identity. Diagnoses are not labels and do not define people, nor should they. We need accurate diagnoses to tell us which treatments will work safely, at which doses, over which amount of time.

Our clinicians have expertise treating nearly all psychiatric illnesses, including:

• Anxiety

• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)

• Body dysmorphic disorder

• Body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g., hair-pulling)

• Depression and Bipolar Disorder

• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)

• Eating Disorders

• Gender dysphoria

• Insomnia

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Oppositional defiant disorder

• Parenting and family difficulties, including those stemming from high-conflict divorce

• Personality Disorders

• Post-partum depression and other perinatal mental health disorders

• Pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder

• Problematic social media use

• School avoidance/refusal

• Selective mutism

• Self-harm

• Substance use disorders

• Trauma- and stress-related Disorders

• Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders

• Uncontrolled video game use

At Stratus, our clinicians are trained in several evidence-based treatments - and are held accountable by the periodic outcome tracking measures that you will complete. Some of the therapies our clinicians offer include:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy/Unified Protocol (CBT/UP)

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

• Habit Reversal Training (HRT)

• Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT)

• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

While these may seem like an alphabet soup, they are backed by extensive research demonstrating their effectiveness. We would never want to waste anyone's time providing unproven interventions merely because they are popular or "feel helpful."

The sole exception to this principle is our decision to offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), a novel approach to treatment-resistant psychiatric illness. Though KAP is unproven, researchers are actively and rigorously researching several ways to use ketamine as a psychiatric treatment. At Stratus, we offer KAP only when established treatments have failed, despite being delivered correctly. Talk to your clinician or see our other FAQs for more information about KAP.

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Yes we do. While the pandemic reminded us how much in-person interaction matters, it is also true that many psychotherapy services are known to be equally effective when delivered via telehealth.

Psychiatry services are also offered via telehealth. Please note that on Dec 31, 2025, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) re-authorized the waiver of the requirement for in-person evaluation when prescribing controlled substances, i.e. stimulant medication for ADHD (https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2025/12/31/dea-extends-telemedicine-flexibilities-ensure-continued-access-care).