Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for High-Achieving Children and Families
One of the most consistent patterns I observe in high-achieving children and teens: the ones who appear to be functioning well are often working the hardest internally.
The distress in high-performing young people rarely presents as obvious struggle. It presents as irritability, shutdown, procrastination, a sudden loss of confidence, or a child who achieves everything expected of them while quietly carrying anxiety, perfectionism, or emotional exhaustion that nobody around them can see.
Supporting High-Achieving Kids and Teens Under Pressure
Many children and adolescents appear “high-functioning” on the outside, while silently carrying anxiety, emotional overload, perfectionism, or relentless self-criticism. I provide evidence-based care for families who need more than symptom management. This work is about protecting development, restoring psychological resilience, and building the internal infrastructure a young person needs to sustain performance: in school, in sport, and across the complexity of a high-achieving life.
I work with children ages five and older, including high-achieving students, gifted and high-IQ teens, and competitive youth athletes. Care is developmentally informed, family-integrated, and built to preserve confidence and healthy identity formation alongside clinical stability.
The children and teens I work with are growing up inside households where excellence is the baseline, academic and athletic expectations are consistently high, and the psychological cost of that environment is rarely named, because the child continues to perform.
Performance-informed child psychiatry accounts for that context. It treats not just the presenting symptom but the environment generating it, the identity developing within it, and the trajectory that depends on getting the support right.
A Performance-Informed Approach to Child & Adolescent Mental Health
For High-Achieving Students
Support for academic pressure, perfectionism, executive functioning challenges, and the emotional cost of high expectations. The students I work with are often the ones nobody worries about, because they keep performing. But internally, they are struggling which ultimately can lead to performance declines.
For High—Performing Families
One of the most important insights from working within high-achieving family systems: what affects a child rarely stays contained to the child. I work with parents navigating the complexity of raising children inside high-performance households: the balance between ambition and well-being, the pressure that transmits without intention, and the specific parenting demands that come with exceptional kids.
✓ ADHD and Executive Functioning (focus, organization, follow-through)
✓ Anxiety, panic, and overthinking under pressure
✓ Depression, low motivation, and emotional exhaustion
✓ Perfectionism, self-criticism, and fear of failure
✓ Emotional dysregulation, irritability, and shutdown patterns
✓ Performance anxiety in school, sport, or auditions
✓ Identity, confidence, and transitions (injury, school change, life shifts)
✓ Family dynamics under high expectations and chronic performance pressure
✓ Stress-related somatic symptoms (headaches, stomachaches, fatigue)
Areas of focus include:
A CONCIERGE MODEL DESIGNED
FOR BUSY LIVES
Child and adolescent care is delivered through a concierge structure that prioritizes:
Thoughtful, unhurried sessions
Direct physician communication
Flexible scheduling
Absolute discretion
Proactive, long-term engagement
A Higher Standard for Child & Teen Mental Health
Earlier intervention in high-pressure environments matters, not because something is dramatically wrong, but because the demands accumulate faster than a young person's coping infrastructure develops.
The children and teens I work with are capable of remarkable things. The work here is about making sure the internal foundation develops at the same pace as the external expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist (Scottsdale, Beverly Hills, Dallas, San Diego)
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I provide concierge child and adolescent psychiatry for families in Scottsdale, Beverly Hills and surrounding areas, Dallas, Bellevue and greater Seattle, as well as San Diego as well as other parts of the state virtually. Care includes comprehensive evaluation, evidence-based treatment, and parent collaboration, with in-person availability as well as secure telehealth options when appropriate.
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I work with children ages five and older, adolescents, and young adults as appropriate. My approach for younger patients includes thoughtful collaboration with families while maintaining discretion and appropriate respect for the child or teen's developing autonomy.
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Yes. ADHD evaluation and treatment is a significant focus of this work. Care may include comprehensive diagnostic assessment, evidence-based medication management when appropriate, and support for executive functioning — attention, organization, follow-through, and emotional regulation — within the context of a high-achieving academic or athletic environment.
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This practice operates on a fee-for-service basis. Fees are discussed directly during the care manager conversation, where we can ensure alignment before anything moves forward. This is a cash-pay practice by design. Superbills are available upon request for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
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As an out-of-network physician, I do not contract with insurance companies or participate in provider networks. This allows me to provide highly personalized, unhurried, and confidential care without the limitations often imposed by insurance-driven models. Payment is due at the time of service. Many of my patients choose to work with me because they value a level of care that prioritizes discretion, responsiveness, and clinical excellence. Upon request, I am happy to provide a detailed superbill that you may submit to your insurance carrier for possible out-of-network reimbursement, depending on your plan.
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Yes. Anxiety in high-performing children and adolescents presents differently than in the general population. Perfectionism, performance anxiety, overthinking, panic symptoms, and somatic complaints are common. Treatment is individualized and designed to support both clinical well-being and sustained functioning within demanding environments.
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The children I work with are in environments that generate a specific kind of psychological pressure: one that requires a clinician who understands the context, not just the symptoms. The concierge model allows for thoughtful evaluations, direct physician involvement, discretion, and coordination with the parents, schools, and other providers who are part of a high-achieving young person's world.
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While I am well known for my work with professional and collegiate athletes, my practice extends far beyond sports. I work with high-performing individuals across a wide range of demanding environments, including executives, physicians, entrepreneurs, creatives, and public figures. I care for children, adolescents, and adults who value personalized, elevated mental health support that aligns with their goals, responsibilities, and lifestyle. My focus is not on your profession, but on the level at which you operate. That’s where I come in to help you feel, function, and perform at your best.
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Yes. I work with youth athletes facing performance anxiety, confidence issues, injury-related stress, overtraining burnout, and pressure from competition.
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Consultation requests can be submitted through the Connect page. After review, you’ll be guided through next steps to ensure fit and clarity before scheduling.
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Yes. One of the most important dimensions of this work is the family system itself. When appropriate, I work directly with parents, both to inform the child's treatment and to support the parents navigating the specific demands of raising exceptional children inside high-performance households. What affects one person in a high-performing family rarely stays contained to one person.
