Psychiatrist for ADHD & Autism in Trumansburg, NY
Explore the world of neurodivergence and begin seeing yourself through a different lens.
You’ve learned how to “make it work,” but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy.
You may have spent years wondering why life seems to take so much more effort for you than it does for everyone else. Maybe you’re the person with seventeen reminders, five half-finished systems, and a calendar full of alarms just to stay on top of everyday life. You wait until the last minute to finally get things done (feel constantly behind, no matter how hard you try) and privately wonder how everyone else seems to manage all of this without feeling completely overwhelmed.
With conversations around ADHD and autism becoming more common, many women are starting to look at themselves in a new light. Maybe a child’s diagnosis made something click, or maybe you’ve always had the sense that life feels harder for you than it does for other people.
From the outside, you may look completely capable, “normal” even. But in reality, it feels like your brain never gets a break.
Maybe this sounds like you:
“I feel like my brain is always running ten tabs at once.”
“I thought everyone was this exhausted all the time.”
“Why can everyone else manage life without so much effort?”
“I always feel a little behind everyone else.”
“I can get things done, but it takes everything out of me.”
“If there isn’t pressure, I can’t make myself do it.”
You’re not lazy. You’re not failing. And you’re definitely not making it up.
MY AppROACH
This is more than a quick “label.”
Lots of women suspect ADHD or autism may be part of the picture, but sometimes symptoms are better explained by anxiety, burnout, sleep deprivation, depression, perimenopause, or another medical issue. Oftentimes, several things are interacting with each other at once. To find out what you’re specifically dealing with, we’ll look carefully at your history, patterns, symptoms, relationships, stress levels, sleep, hormonal factors, and overall functioning to understand what may actually be contributing to how difficult things have felt.
My approach starts with a thorough evaluation process, including screening tools, a conversation about your lived experiences over time, and sometimes input from family when helpful. Just as importantly, we’ll talk about why you’re seeking answers in the first place. While a formal diagnosis feels important and validating for some, for others, the goal is understanding themselves more clearly and finding support that actually helps daily life feel more manageable.
If ADHD or autism does appear to be the case for you, we’ll create a tailored treatment plan that may include therapy, lifestyle strategies, nervous system support, medication, supplements, improved sleep, or other tools to help life feel less chaotic, draining, and difficult to keep up with.
AN ADHD OR AUTISM EVALUATION CAN HELP YOU…
Stop always blaming yourself for struggles or challenges
Build tools, systems, and support strategies that actually fit the way you function and your brain best
Make sense of patterns you’ve been carrying for years
Feel less overwhelmed by the simple tasks of everyday life
Improve focus and follow-through, without relying purely on stress or adrenaline
Reduce the shame and knee-jerk impulse to self-criticize
Feel more understood, validated, and supported moving forward
Start treating yourself with more self-compassion
Sometimes the biggest relief comes when we finally start to understand ourselves differently.
FAQs
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That concern is something I take seriously. Medication can be very helpful, but it’s never the only option and never something I push thoughtlessly. My approach is collaborative, thoughtful, and focused on using the least medication necessary while considering the full picture of your life and health. You can learn more HERE.
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Absolutely. ADHD in women is often missed because many women internalize symptoms, overcompensate, or appear outwardly successful despite struggling significantly behind the scenes. Symptoms tend to show up as overwhelm, emotional exhaustion, chronic disorganization, procrastination, forgetfulness, or difficulty regulating attention and energy.
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Not necessarily. Having a diagnosis can be a validating step, but for many women, the deeper goal is increased understanding, clarity, and finding practical support strategies that improve daily life regardless of a label. We’ll talk together about what feels most meaningful and useful for you.
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Many women I work with are highly capable, successful, intelligent, and outwardly functioning well. That doesn’t mean things are going smoothly behind the scenes. Often, mental health is taking a big hit. Women with ADHD or autism have spent years compensating, masking, overworking, or creating systems to manage symptoms that no one else fully sees.
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Absolutely. Many women spend years feeling misunderstood in relationships without realizing how much mental overload, masking, overwhelm, or chronic stress are affecting the way they communicate. When everyday life already takes an enormous amount of effort to manage internally, relationships can start to feel harder too. Understanding the bigger picture brings a tremendous amount of relief, self-compassion, and clarity—not just individually, but relationally as well.
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A significant part of my work focuses on helping women explore, understand, and navigate ADHD and autism—particularly women whose symptoms may have been overlooked, misunderstood, or masked for years. I take a thoughtful, whole-person approach that looks beyond surface-level symptoms to understand how neurodivergence may be interacting with everything else in my patients’ lives. I seek out more than just diagnosing—I want to help you better understand yourself and build support that genuinely improves your quality of life.