Psychiatric Care for Physicians
Private psychiatric care for physicians, residents, and fellows from a physician outside your hospital or health system. Direct care from an academic psychiatrist who has been through residency and understands the demands of clinical practice. In person visits available in Columbia, MD, and telehealth across Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, New York, and Wisconsin.
Care from a Psychiatrist Who Understands the Work
Physicians often delay their own mental health care for a variety of reasons: limited control over their schedules, concern about licensing and credentialing, and discomfort being treated within their own health system.
Dr. McWilliams provides psychiatric care independently from these systems with experience in emergency, inpatient, outpatient, and government settings. He is an academic psychiatrists that continues to teach psychiatry residents and medical students at the University of Wisconsin.
Care includes a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, medication management, structured psychotherapy, or a combination of these modalities. Every visit is with Dr. McWilliams, an M.D., rather than an a mid-level provider or therapist, so you know that you are seeing someone with the training and experience to match your own.
Appointments are relaxed, and treatment decisions are discussed at a clinical level appropriate for a physician who already has a baseline knowledge.
Confidentiality and the Self-Pay Model
Dr. McWilliams is an out-of-network, self-pay psychiatrist. The practice does not submit claims to insurance. This allows patients to decide who they want involved in their treatment.
A few practical points worth understanding:
Superbills
Patients can request a superbill for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Submitting a superbill to an insurer may disclose the diagnosis and dates of service. Whether to submit it is the patient’s decision.
Prescriptions
Prescriptions are sent to a pharmacy of the patient’s choosing. If a prescription is processed through insurance, the insurer receives information about the medication. Paying the pharmacy directly may avoid an insurance claim for medications when permitted.
Records
Psychiatric records are maintained within the practice and are not part of a hospital or employer medical record simply because you receive care here. Records are protected by HIPAA and applicable state law, subject to the legal exceptions that apply to medical records generally.
Communication with Institutions
The practice does not communicate with employers, training programs, licensing boards, medical staff, or other institutions without explicit permission from the patient or otherwise required by mandatory reporting laws.
Conditions commonly treated in physicians:
01
Burnout and Depression:
Burnout and major depressive disorder can overlap, but they are not the same condition. Distinguishing between them matters because the appropriate treatment may differ.
02
Anxiety:
Treatment includes generalized anxiety, panic disorder, performance-related anxiety, and anxiety associated with demanding clinical or academic work.
03
Insomnia and Shift-Work Sleep Disorders:
Dr. McWilliams is trained in the VA’s manualized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) protocol, a structured, non-medication treatment for chronic insomnia. CBT-I can be adapted to the irregular schedules common in clinical practice.
04
ADHD:
Evaluation and treatment for adults whose attention, organization, or executive-function difficulties are affecting clinical, academic, or personal functioning.
05
Trauma and PTSD:
Treatment for PTSD and other trauma-related symptoms, including difficulties following adverse patient outcomes, critical incidents, or other distressing clinical experiences.
06
Alcohol and Substance Use:
Outpatient treatment for alcohol and substance-use problems when appropriate for office-based care. This practice does not provide Physician Health Program monitoring or other mandated monitoring agreements unless specifically requested by the patient.
07
Psychiatric Care for Medical Students, Residents, & Fellows
Outpatient treatment for alcohol and substance-use problems when appropriate for office-based care. This practice does not provide Physician Health Program monitoring or other mandated monitoring agreements unless specifically requested by the patient.
Services Not Provided:
This practice provides voluntary psychiatric treatment sought by the patient. It does not provide:
- Evaluations requested by licensing boards, employers, or training programs
- Fitness-for-duty evaluations
- Mandated physician health program monitoring or reporting
- Mandated treatment or monitoring
Physicians and patients in need of these services can contact their state Physician Health Program or licensing authority for information about appropriate evaluators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will seeing a psychiatrist affect my medical license?
No. Dr. McWilliams does not report patients to medical licensing boards simply because they seek psychiatric treatment or have a psychiatric diagnosis.
Treatment is confidential and separate from the licensing, credentialing, and employment processes. The practice does not routinely communicate with licensing boards, hospitals, employers, or training programs about a patient’s treatment.
This practice provides voluntary psychiatric treatment. It does not provide licensing evaluations, fitness-for-duty evaluations, or Physician Health Program monitoring or reporting.
Will my hospital or training program know about my treatment?
No, the practice does not routinely communicate with hospitals, employers, training programs, or medical staff offices about treatment. Information may be disclosed with your authorization or in specific rare situations required by law.
Will My Insurance Company Know I'm Being Seen?
The practice does not submit claims to insurance. An insurer may receive information if you choose to submit a superbill for reimbursement or use your insurance to pay for a prescription.
Do you see physicians in Virginia, New York, Illinois or Wisconsin?
Yes. Telehealth appointments are available for patients who are physically located in Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, New York and Wisconsin at the time of the visit. Dr. McWilliams is licensed in all five states.
Do you treat other healthcare professionals?
Yes. Nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, psychologists, therapists, and other healthcare professionals are all welcome.
Ready to Take the First Step?
A thorough evaluation is the foundation of effective treatment. Schedule your consultation today.