What happens at your first appointment

Before the appointment

After you request an appointment, you will receive a short call to confirm the time, the format (in person or video) and the fee. You will then be sent four documents to read and sign: the practice policies and consent for treatment, the notice of privacy practices, the good faith estimate, and an intake form. They take about fifteen minutes.

What to bring or have ready:

• A list of every medication you take, with doses — including non-psychiatric ones, supplements and anything over the counter.
• Any psychiatric medication you have taken in the past, with roughly when and what happened.
• Records from a previous psychiatrist or therapist, if you have them or can have them sent.
• Recent laboratory results, if you have any.
• The name and location of your pharmacy.
• For a video appointment: a private room, a device with a camera, and a phone number where you can be reached if the connection drops.

If you cannot gather all of this, come anyway. Missing information is normal and is reconstructed in the appointment.

During the appointment

The appointment runs up to 90 minutes. It does not open with a checklist — it opens with what brought you here, in your own words, for as long as that takes.

From there, Dr. Torrijos will ask about the history of your symptoms, your medical history and current medications, your sleep, your use of alcohol and other substances, your family history, and the practical shape of your daily life. Some of these questions are personal. They are asked of every patient, and they are asked because the answers change the diagnosis.

You are not required to answer everything. If a question is one you do not want to answer today, say so — that is a legitimate response and it is not held against you.

Toward the end, the diagnostic impression is explained in plain language, along with the options, what each involves, and what the reasoning is. You are invited to disagree, to ask for the reasoning again, and to take time before deciding.

After the appointment

If medication is started, the prescription is sent electronically to your pharmacy, usually the same day. You will know what it is, what it is for, when to expect an effect, what side effects are common, and which ones mean you should call.

A follow-up is usually scheduled within two to four weeks. With your consent, a summary goes to your therapist and referring physician.

If more information was needed — labs, old records, a conversation with your primary care provider — you will leave with a clear plan for getting it, not a vague instruction.

The things people worry about and do not say

“Will I be forced onto medication?”

No. Medication is recommended when it is indicated and started when you agree to it. Declining is a legitimate choice and the appointment continues normally.

“Will this show up at work, or in a background check?”

Your medical record is confidential and protected under HIPAA. Because this practice does not file insurance claims, no clinical information is transmitted to any health plan unless you request a superbill. Information is released to an employer only with your specific written authorisation.

“What if I cry?”

People do. There are tissues, there is time, and nothing about the appointment gets rushed because of it.

“What if I can’t explain what’s wrong?”

Very common, and not a problem. Describing the effect — not sleeping, not enjoying anything, snapping at people — is enough to work with. Naming it is the physician’s job, not yours.

“What if I’ve been dishonest with doctors before?”

About alcohol, cannabis, how much you are actually taking, whether you have been taking it at all. Correcting the record is useful and will not be met with disapproval. It happens constantly, and inaccurate information leads to inaccurate treatment.