Articles & patient education
Clinician-written articles on the questions patients actually ask.
Honest, evidence-based answers to the questions we hear most often — written and medically reviewed by Lavena McCullum, PMHNP-BC.
Honest, evidence-based answers to the questions we hear most often — written and medically reviewed by Lavena McCullum, PMHNP-BC.
A clinical answer to the most common question patients ask before booking — including what's actually in the 60 minutes, when it takes more than one visit, and when neuropsych testing genuinely changes the picture.
Read article → ADHD · controlled substancesHow stimulant prescribing by telehealth works in Oregon right now — current DEA rules, Oregon PMP requirements, and when an in-person visit is still needed.
Read article → Depression · medicationAn honest week-by-week timeline of what to expect from an SSRI — early side effects, when mood actually shifts, and what to do if it isn't working at week 6.
Read article → ADHD · differentialThe symptoms that overlap, the ones that point one way or the other, and why so many adults turn out to have both — with treatment implications for each.
Read article → Patient guideA clinician's walkthrough of what an adult psychiatric intake actually looks like — the structure of the conversation, the rating scales, what's in the treatment plan, and common worries patients bring in.
Read article → ADHD · medicationAtomoxetine, viloxazine, bupropion, guanfacine — when non-stimulants are the right first choice for adult ADHD, and how they compare to stimulants.
Read article → Depression · screeningWhat each score range actually means clinically, how it's used in measurement-based care, and the important things a number can’t tell you.
Read article → Patient guideA clear framework for deciding when your PCP is the right person to manage your psychiatric care — and when adding a psychiatric clinician makes a meaningful clinical difference.
Read article → TelehealthA practical, honest guide to telehealth psychiatry in Oregon and Washington — what makes it work well, what makes it fail, and when in-person is still the right call.
Read article → Perinatal · depressionWhat postpartum depression actually looks like, how it differs from baby blues, when to seek psychiatric care, and what treatment looks like during and after pregnancy.
Read article → ADHD · evaluationThere is no blood test and no brain scan for ADHD. What a proper adult evaluation actually covers, what "ADHD testing" really means, and what we rule out before saying yes.
Read article → ADHD · medicationOff-label, but genuinely evidence-backed. Where bupropion fits for adult ADHD, how large the effect really is, dosing, and why it is the wrong choice when anxiety is prominent.
Read article → ADHD · medicationThe FDA-approved non-stimulant, and still the most useful one when ADHD comes bundled with anxiety. Dosing, the six-week timeline, side effects, and the CYP2D6 catch.
Read article → ADHD · medicationThe quiet non-stimulant: less for pure attention, more than expected for impulsivity, emotional reactivity, and winding down. Adult dosing, monitoring, and why you never stop it abruptly.
Read article → PTSD · diagnosisThe four symptom clusters translated out of diagnostic shorthand — plus the duration rule, how PTSD differs from acute stress disorder, and where complex PTSD fits.
Read article → Perinatal · anxietyAs common as postpartum depression and far less often named. Intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, medication that is compatible with breastfeeding, and when it is an emergency.
Read article → Patient guideA straight answer on training, scope of practice in Oregon and Washington, what a PMHNP can prescribe, and the situations where a psychiatrist is genuinely the better fit.
Read article → ADHD · getting careCan a GP, therapist, neurologist, or pediatrician do it? A profession-by-profession breakdown of who can diagnose ADHD, who can prescribe for it, and how to choose.
Read article → ADHD · cost & insuranceThe honest numbers — evaluation cost with and without insurance, why neuropsych testing quotes run into four figures, and what medication costs each month.
Read article → ADHD · work & schoolThree different questions hide inside this one. What the ADA actually protects, how workplace and school accommodations work, and why SSDI for ADHD alone is rarely granted.
Read article → ADHD · medicationNo, and here is why. Which supplements have real evidence, which do not, and the non-stimulant prescription options people searching for this are usually looking for.
Read article → ADHD · treatmentA prescriber’s fair reading of the evidence — CBT adapted for ADHD, coaching, exercise, sleep, and external systems, with honest limits on each.
Read article → ADHD · adultsUsually the condition is stable and the demands changed. What actually shifts in adulthood, the life stages that unmask ADHD, and why perimenopause is so often missed.
Read article → ADHD · medicationWhat a correct dose actually feels like, the signs it is too low or too high, how to measure response properly, and what to do when a stimulant stops working.
Read article → ADHD · medicationQelbree, Azstarys, Xelstrym, Onyda XR — which are new drugs, which are new delivery of old molecules, and why newer rarely means better.
Read article →New-patient telehealth appointments typically available within a few days.