FAQ

Before reaching out, you may have questions about services, fit, fees, or how care at BAM Psych works. We've answered the most common ones here.

Getting Started

  • The best starting point is to reach out. Our team can review what you're looking for and help guide you toward the service and clinician that may be the most appropriate fit. If you're unsure whether you need therapy, psychiatry, or both — that's a common place to start, and we're happy to help you think it through.

  • After you reach out, you'll be invited to complete a brief questionnaire to help us understand what you're looking for and direct you to the most appropriate clinician or service. Our team will then follow up by phone or email to discuss next steps.

  • No referral is required. Patients may reach out directly. If you are coming at the recommendation of another provider, that context is helpful and we are happy to coordinate with your existing treatment team at your request.

  • Many people are uncertain about this, and it is a reasonable place to start. Therapy and psychiatry address overlapping concerns and are often most effective when they work together. If you are unsure which direction makes sense, our team can help you think through it when you reach out. BAM Psych is well suited to people who may need both, or who are still figuring out what kind of support would be most helpful.

Services & Care

  • BAM Psych offers both telehealth and in-person appointments. In-person care is available at our Berkeley office. Availability varies by clinician and service.

  • Yes, and for many patients this is the most effective approach. Because our clinicians work closely together and communicate regularly, when you see both a therapist and a psychiatrist at BAM Psych, your care is enhanced by that collaboration.

  • The Psychiatric Second Opinion is a focused, time-limited consultation for people seeking diagnostic clarity, a careful review of prior treatment, or an individualized treatment plan to carry forward with your current or future clinicians. It is particularly useful when difficulties have persisted despite prior care, or when there has been uncertainty or disagreement about diagnosis and treatment direction. It includes a comprehensive 90-minute evaluation and a written treatment roadmap, but it is not an intake into ongoing psychiatric care or medication management at BAM Psych.

    Psychiatric Evaluation & Treatment, by contrast, is an ongoing treatment relationship with one of our board-certified psychiatrists that includes evaluation, medication management, and follow-up care over time.

    If you are unsure which is the right fit, our team can help you think it through.

  • Yes. If you are seeking a Psychiatric Second Opinion, having an existing treatment team is common — the consultation is designed to support and inform your ongoing care rather than replace it. If you are joining BAM Psych for therapy or ongoing psychiatric care, our clinicians are happy to work in coordination with your established treatment team.

  • Yes. Our clinicians are happy to communicate and coordinate with primary care physicians, specialists, and other providers involved in your care, with your permission. This is particularly relevant for patients whose mental health concerns intersect with medical conditions or complex medication questions.

  • BAM Psych is a small, cohesive team of clinicians who came to know and trust one another through years of close collaboration. Unlike larger clinics or digital health platforms, we are not a directory of independent providers. We live and work here too — BAM Psych is a Bay Area practice in the fullest sense, familiar with the particular pressures of life in this region and connected to its leading academic and medical institutions.

  • Yes. BAM Psych is well suited to patients whose psychiatric symptoms occur alongside medical complexity. Dr. Bonanno completed fellowship training in consultation-liaison psychiatry at Stanford, a subspecialty focused on the intersection of psychiatric and medical care. This includes experience with patients whose treatment options are shaped by medical conditions, organ-system considerations, medication interactions, and cumulative side-effect burden. Medical complexity is not a barrier to care here — it is something we are specifically trained to navigate.

  • Many people come to BAM Psych after treatment elsewhere has not led to the results they were hoping for. When prior treatment has not led to meaningful improvement, a more careful look at diagnosis, formulation, and treatment history is often the most useful next step — rather than more trial and error. Our clinicians are experienced with complex and treatment-resistant presentations.

    Depending on what you are looking for, there are two pathways. If you are seeking ongoing psychiatric care, our psychiatrists can provide longitudinal evaluation and medication management with that history in mind. If you are looking for a focused, structured reassessment without committing to ongoing care, our Psychiatric Second Opinion service offers a comprehensive 90-minute evaluation with a written treatment plan you can carry forward with your existing or future treatment team.

ADHD

  • Our clinicians share deep expertise in ADHD evaluation and treatment, including careful attention to the conditions that frequently overlap with or mimic ADHD — anxiety, mood symptoms, sleep difficulties, and executive functioning challenges. The most useful starting question is whether medication is something you'd like to explore. If so, beginning with psychiatry makes sense. If you'd prefer to start with therapy, our psychologists and therapists are equally well equipped to evaluate and treat ADHD from that direction. In many cases, the most effective approach involves both — and our team is well suited to provide that kind of coordinated care.

  • Our ADHD evaluations are comprehensive and go well beyond a standard symptom checklist. The process takes place over two visits and includes a thorough clinical interview, a comprehensive medical and psychiatric history, a battery of well-validated psychometric testing, input from someone who knows you well, and review of relevant prior records. A written assessment documenting diagnosis and recommended treatment plan becomes part of your medical record and is available upon request. Evaluations can be conducted by any member of our team depending on your needs, preferences, and treatment goals.

Psychiatry

  • Before your first visit, you will complete a comprehensive intake questionnaire covering your medical and psychiatric history. The evaluation itself is structured across two closely spaced visits. The first is a 60-minute comprehensive assessment with an initial formulation. The second visit, scheduled shortly after, allows time to gather any remaining information and to begin treatment planning in depth — with a strong emphasis on making sure you leave with a clear understanding of your diagnosis and the treatment options available to you. Medication, when appropriate, is typically initiated following the second visit and is guided by your psychiatrist through a process of shared decision making. Ongoing care then begins with a follow-up appointment approximately three to four weeks later, after which visit frequency is determined collaboratively between you and your psychiatrist.

Women’s & Reproductive Mental Health

  • Yes. Perimenopause and menopause can bring significant shifts in mood, anxiety, sleep, cognition, and overall mental health — and these changes are often underrecognized or attributed to other causes. Our clinicians are experienced in evaluating and treating psychiatric symptoms that arise or worsen during this transition, including distinguishing between hormonally mediated changes and underlying psychiatric conditions. We take time to understand your concerns and every contributing factor before developing a treatment plan tailored to you.

  • Yes. Mental health care during reproductive transitions — including PMDD, fertility planning, pregnancy, and postpartum — requires specialized knowledge and a current understanding of research and safety guidelines. Medication decisions during pregnancy and breastfeeding are among the most sensitive in psychiatry, and our clinicians take that responsibility seriously, staying current with evolving evidence to ensure recommendations are both clinically sound and safe.

Fees & Availability

  • Psychiatry & Medication Management 

    • Psychiatric Intake Evaluation (60 min): $1,250 

    • Psychiatric Assessment Follow-Up (45 min): $695 

    • Psychiatric Follow-Up / Medication Management (25 min): $515 

    Psychological & Therapy Services 

    • Clinical Assessment / Diagnosis (90 min): $795 

    • Transfer of Care Intake (60 min): $400 

    • Individual Therapy (master's-level): $180–$300 depending on session length 

    • Individual Therapy (PhD-level): $200–$350 depending on session length 

    • Couples Therapy Intake (60 min): $400 

    • Couples Therapy: $300–$450 depending on session length 

    • Psychiatric Second Opinion Base fee: $2,395. This service has a distinct structure and scope. Please visit our Psychiatric Second Opinion page for full details. 

    Cancellation Policy: Appointments must be canceled at least two full business days in advance to avoid a late cancellation fee. For example, Monday appointments must be canceled by Thursday. Late cancellations and missed appointments are charged at half the full session fee. 

    Good Faith Estimate: You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining the expected cost of your care before scheduling. Please contact us to request one. 

  • BAM Psych is an out-of-network practice and does not bill commercial insurance directly. We can provide superbills for eligible services, which you may submit to your insurance plan for possible reimbursement depending on your out-of-network benefits. HSA and FSA funds are generally eligible for use toward mental health services.

    Our clinicians have opted out of Medicare. Medicare-eligible patients may still be seen under a private contract, though services are not reimbursable through Medicare. Please contact us with any questions about fees or coverage before scheduling.

  • Availability varies by clinician and service. We make every effort to see new patients as soon as possible. Reaching out with information about what you are looking for will help us give you the most accurate sense of current availability.

Safety

  • BAM Psych is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are in immediate danger or may harm yourself or someone else, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For mental health crisis support, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day.