Treatment
Therapy
Medication can quiet symptoms; therapy is where patterns change. Dr. Giddens offers psychotherapy on its own and alongside medication, matched to the problem and the person.
Approaches offered
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Structured, practical, time-limited. Works on the link between thoughts, feelings, and behavior; the best-studied therapy for anxiety, depression, OCD, and many adolescent problems. Includes work between visits, and progress is measured. More from the APA.
- CBT for insomnia (CBT-I)
- First-line for chronic insomnia, recommended ahead of sleep medication by the AASM. Four to eight sessions reset the sleep schedule, rebuild the bed–sleep connection, and address the worry that keeps people awake; adapted for adolescents with delayed sleep phase. Where the diagnosis is unclear or a circadian disorder is suspected, mobile actigraphy comes first so treatment targets the right problem.
- Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)
- Usually 12 to 16 sessions, built on a simple observation: depression and relationships shape each other. IPT works on one of four areas (grief, a role change, a conflict, or isolation) and has strong evidence for depression in adolescents and adults, and in pregnancy and after birth, where it is often preferred to medication. More from ISIPT.
- Psychodynamic psychotherapy
- For patterns that keep repeating despite good intentions: in relationships, in mood, in how a person treats themselves. It looks at where those patterns come from, including the parts outside awareness, so they change at the root. Dr. Giddens practices with ongoing psychodynamic supervision, the discipline’s standard for rigor.
- Motivational interviewing
- A collaborative, non-judgmental way of working with ambivalence; the backbone of early addiction treatment here and of work with teenagers who did not choose to come.
- Supportive psychotherapy
- Steady, practical support through a crisis, a loss, a diagnosis, or a hard stretch; often right during medication changes or early recovery.
- Parent guidance and family sessions
- For young people, the strongest lever is often the adults around them. Parent sessions cover anxiety, defiance, screen and sleep battles, and substance use; family sessions bring everyone into one conversation.
How therapy fits with the rest of your care
- Therapy and medication are planned together, by one physician.
- If you already have a therapist, we coordinate rather than replace.
- Progress is tracked with the same brief rating scales used for medication.
- Sessions are 45 to 50 minutes, in New York, Washington, DC, and by video for established patients.
Is therapy right for you?
Not every problem needs it, and not every person wants it. The first evaluation is where we decide together; if you are unsure, book an evaluation and we will talk it through.