New clients

What to expect at your first appointment

First appointments can feel daunting. Here’s exactly what happens, step by step — from the request form to a plan you agree together.

No judgment — ever
You set the pace
Confidential care
Questions welcome any time

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Step by step

From the request to a plan

Open any step for the detail.

1Request an appointment5 minutesSend the appointment request form, or call the practice.
What the form asks
Your name, email and phone number. Your date of birth, insurance plan and a note on what brings you in are optional.
What happens next
We reach out within a few business days; first appointments are typically scheduled within 1–2 weeks for non-urgent requests.
Prefer the phone?
Call (360) 342-6445 during business hours. Leave a message and we will call back.
Nicholas reviews every request.
2Complete intake15–20 minutesA short set of questions on your history, current symptoms and goals — so the visit is about you, not forms.
Setting up the portal
Once a time is set, you set up your client portal: your details, address and insurance, contacts, allergies and the consent forms.
Signing in
There is no password. You sign in with a one-time code sent to the email address the practice has on file.
Anything else to fill in
Forms or screenings the practice sends before your visit appear under To-Do in the portal.
Finish intake at least 24 hours before your appointment.
3Set up the video visit5 minutesVisits run inside your client portal on Doxy.me — nothing to download and no video account to create.
Test your camera and microphone
Do it a day ahead, not five minutes before. The telehealth setup guide walks through it.
Find a private space
Somewhere others can't overhear you, with a window or a lamp in front of you rather than behind.
On the day
Sign in to your client portal and press Join session on your appointment. The visit opens right there in the portal, and you wait in the waiting room until Nicholas admits you.
Google Chrome is the most reliable browser for video visits. Phones and tablets work too.
4The evaluation60–75 minutesA conversation, not an interrogation: your concerns, history, medications, sleep and day-to-day life.
What Nicholas asks about
What brought you here, in your own words — then your mental health and family history, medical conditions, current medications and sleep.
You set the pace
You're in control of what you share. “I'm not sure” and “not yet” are complete answers.
Ask anything
There are no right or wrong answers, and you can ask as many questions as you like.
If the video connection fails, call (360) 342-6445 — the visit can switch to a phone call.
5A plan, togetherLast 10–15 minutesNicholas shares his initial impressions and the options, and together you agree a starting plan.
The options
Therapy, medication, lifestyle changes or a combination. You are an active participant in every decision.
If medication is part of it
The prescription is sent electronically to your pharmacy. Some situations — controlled substances in particular — need more assessment first.
The next visit
A follow-up appointment is scheduled before you disconnect.
You'll leave knowing what comes next.

Prefer paper to the online setup?

Once your first visit is arranged, new clients complete a short setup in the client portal. If that’s not for you, our new client intake form does the same job. It asks the same questions as the online setup — about you, your address and insurance, your contacts, allergies and consents — and you can type into it on a computer or print it and fill it in by hand.

Download the intake form (PDF)

To send it back, upload it in your client portal under Documents & forms → Documents if you can sign in, or fax it to (360) 342-6446. Or call (360) 342-6445 and we'll work out the easiest way with you. Please don't email it: email isn't a secure way to send health information.

Before your visit, have ready

A list of current medications and doses, including supplements
Past diagnoses, treatment or hospital stays, if any
Your pharmacy's name and location
Your insurance card, if you're using insurance
One or two goals for care — vague is fine
A charged device, a private space and your phone nearby

What you’ll never get here

Feeling rushedA first evaluation typically runs 60–75 minutes — a conversation, not a 15-minute intake.
Judgment about past choicesCare here is considerate and respectful, and you can ask for a referral to another provider at any time, without judgment.
Pressure to take medicationTherapy, medication, lifestyle changes or a combination — the options are discussed openly and the plan is developed together.
Leaving your first visit without a planThe evaluation ends with initial impressions, treatment objectives and a starting plan, agreed together.
Jargon without explanationOptions, benefits and side effects are explained in plain language, and you can ask questions about your treatment plan at any time.
Being dismissed if you disagreeYou can question any aspect of your treatment, and if another provider would serve you better, a referral is offered.

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After the first visit

What the visits after look like

Follow-up visits: Typically 20–30 minutes — often monthly while treatment starts or a medication is adjusted, then less often as things settle.
Between visits: Message the practice from the Messages tab in your portal, and request refills from the Medications tab.
Changing a visit: Request, reschedule or cancel from the Appointments tab. The cancellation policy is in the practice policies.
If it can’t wait: Portal messages are not an emergency line. In a crisis, call or text 988 — free, confidential, any hour.

Ready to start?

Send the request form. We reach out within a few business days.

Request an appointment Ask a question first