Services

Psychotherapy

In her Psychotherapy Practice, Dr. Best provides individual treatment to adults suffering from conditions and disorders such as:

Approach
Her approach to treatment is cognitive-behavioral, which research has shown to be the most effective technique for addressing these types of problems. In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), the emphasis is on helping the client to identify negative or unhealthy thoughts and behaviors and to develop practical skills and strategies to help them deal with the difficulties they are experiencing.

Education
Understanding the nature and causes of your symptoms is key to identifying and managing them. Dr. Best utilizes her extensive experience and training to educate her clients on the biological and psychological basis of their conditions according to the latest research findings.

Collaboration
Dr. Best works with her clients as a collaborative team, with the belief that "you are the expert on you". She believes strongly that her clients are consumers who have the right to voice their opinions regarding the services they are receiving. Together, she and her clients establish goals for treatment which they use to evaluate progress and the continued effectiveness of the therapy.

Confidentiality
The relationship between a therapist and client is unique and works in part because of the assurance of confidentiality. This confidentiality is your legal privilege as a client and Dr. Best cannot share the content of your sessions or even the fact that you are her client with anyone without your written authorization. There are certain legal and ethical exceptions to confidentiality, such as the threat of serious harm to self or others, which Dr. Best reviews at the time of the initial session.

Insurance
For a variety of reasons, Dr. Best has determined not to participate on any insurance or managed care panels. She is happy, however, to provide her clients with regular invoices which they can submit to their insurers to obtain reimbursement. In addition, she routinely bills worker's compensation and disability agencies, as well as private and public employers. It is important to note that in the case of worker's compensation or disability claims, session notes are routinely requested in order to obtain payment.

Forensic Psychology

In her Forensic Practice, Dr. Best conducts independent medical evaluations (IME's) and in-depth forensic psychological evaluations, and offers attorney consultation and expert witness services. [see CV]

Evaluation
Dr. Best is fortunate to have been trained by the nation's experts in psychodiagnostic evaluation and is careful to use the currently accepted "gold standards" in assessment instruments. Her training and experience in assessing PTSD and other trauma-related responses is particularly extensive. She has developed assessment batteries for a variety of studies examining traumatized individuals and has trained and supervised numerous clinicians in the administration of these evaluations.

Consultation and Testimony
Dr. Best has provided consultation and expert witness services to claimant and defense attorneys across the nation on cases including personal injury, worker's compensation, medical malpractice, immigration status, and law enforcement use-of-force. Her scientific background and clinical expertise in the area of posttraumatic stress allow her to speak toward epidemiological and pre-dispositional factors as well as individual symptom responses to traumatic exposure.

Training and Clinical Consultation

As a proud member of the mental health community, Dr. Best enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with colleagues as well as professionals from other fields. Over the years she has conducted numerous workshops, presentations and in-service trainings for groups and organizations such as EAP providers, Community mental health agencies, Private practice mental health providers, Law enforcement command staffs, Peer support teams, Police psychologists, Physicians, and Attorneys on topics such as:

Dr. Best is available to provide training and consultation services on these and other related topics to individuals, groups and organizations. She will work with you in individually tailoring her presentation to meet the unique needs of her audience.