About Maplewood Mental Health Clinic

In my practice, the best outcomes come from decisions made together — not handed down. That means I present what the evidence actually says, explain the tradeoffs honestly, and then ask what matters most to you. The American Psychiatric Association guidelines may recommend one path, but your medical history, your life circumstances, and your values get equal weight in the room. Shared decision-making isn't a courtesy; it's how I prescribe.

Every visit uses validated measurement tools alongside plain conversation. For depression I use the PHQ-9; for anxiety the GAD-7; for ADHD the ASRS — and others as your situation calls for them. Numbers track patterns across time and catch changes before you can articulate them. They never replace the conversation about how you're actually sleeping, working, and connecting with the people you care about. Both matter. Neither is sufficient alone.

Because I'm a PMHNP-BC, every visit integrates what other practices split into two separate appointments: medication management and brief supportive therapy happen in the same session, with the same clinician, on the same day. No referral handoffs, no retelling your history. If you want to understand the full framework behind this approach — the seven principles that shape every visit — read the full philosophy on our approach page.

You see the same clinician every visit.In a larger clinic or telehealth network, you might see a different provider each time — or a care coordinator who relays messages to someone you've never met. Here, Teresa is your clinician at the first appointment and at every appointment after it. The context from prior visits, medication trials, side effects, and patient preferences stays in one continuous clinical relationship.

Prescribing and therapy in a single visit.A PMHNP-BC can do what a split-care practice separates into two appointments: medication review, adjustment, and brief supportive therapy all happen in the same session. You don't need to coordinate between a psychiatrist for medications and a separate therapist for everything else — unless you want to, in which case we coordinate with your outside therapist seamlessly.

Bilingual care — English and Kiswahili. Describing a mental health symptom precisely is hard in any language. Doing it in your second language can mean the difference between an accurate clinical picture and a missed diagnosis. Teresa provides full clinical sessions in Kiswahili for East African diaspora patients and anyone else who communicates more naturally in that language.

New Jersey only.This is a licensed, locally-rooted practice — not a larger practice where patients may meet different clinicians over time. Under New Jersey's collaborative practice arrangement, Teresa works within a defined scope alongside licensed physicians. That legal structure means accountability, not a workaround.

Transparent fees and sliding-scale access. The initial evaluation is $250; follow-up visits are $150. Sliding-scale reductions of 20–50% are available for self-pay patients who need them — no formal paperwork, just a brief conversation on the free consultation. Superbills are provided for out-of-network reimbursement. Eighteen insurance plans are listed for the practice — verification of your specific plan and benefits happens during the free 15-minute consultation before any paid visit.