A Psychiatric Evaluation That Actually Takes the Time to Get It Right.
D&Y conducts comprehensive 60–90 minute psychiatric evaluations for adults across California — structured, unhurried, and built around understanding your full clinical picture before any treatment decision is made.
This is not a 20-minute intake. D&Y conducts a full diagnostic interview covering your presenting concerns, symptom history, prior treatment experiences, family psychiatric history, and the functional impact of your symptoms on work, relationships, and daily life.
Book an Appointment
The Right Evaluation for Three Very Different Situations.
The psychiatric evaluation at D&Y is built to serve adults at three distinct points in their care history. Some are coming for the first time and want a thorough starting point. Some have been diagnosed before but never felt the diagnosis was properly explained or established. Some have tried multiple providers and are looking for a second opinion that finally makes sense.
All three types of patients are welcome. The evaluation adjusts based on what the patient brings into the room — but the standard does not change. Thorough, unhurried, clinically rigorous.
First-Time Patients
You have never had a formal psychiatric evaluation and want to start from a clear, well-established baseline. Your provider will take the time to understand your full history before any diagnosis is offered.
Previously Diagnosed Patients
You received a diagnosis — possibly more than one — but were never fully confident it was right. Your provider will review your history, evaluate the prior diagnosis carefully, and explain the clinical reasoning clearly.
Second Opinion Patients
You have been through the system and want a fresh set of eyes from a provider who will not simply defer to the previous chart. D&Y approaches every evaluation as if it is the first one.
What the Evaluation Examines in a 60–90 Minute Evaluation.
The D&Y psychiatric evaluation is a structured diagnostic interview — not a questionnaire, not an intake form, and not a rushed checklist. D&Y covers the following areas systematically in every first appointment.
"Patients often say they are surprised by how clear and structured the process feels. Many come in expecting a quick visit and a prescription, but instead leave with a much better understanding of their symptoms, diagnosis, and the reasoning behind their treatment plan."
— Denis Grigorov, PMHNP-BC-
Presenting Concerns & Chief Complaint
What brought you in, in your own words — with the time to say it fully.
-
Symptom Patterns & Onset
When symptoms began, how they have changed, and what makes them better or worse.
-
Personal Psychiatric History
Prior diagnoses, medications tried, treatment outcomes, and hospitalizations if any.
-
Family Psychiatric History
Relevant patterns in first-degree relatives that may inform diagnosis or treatment approach.
-
Medical History & Current Medications
Conditions and medications that may interact with or contribute to psychiatric symptoms.
-
Functional Impact Assessment
How your symptoms affect work performance, relationships, daily functioning, and quality of life.
-
Substance Use History
An honest, non-judgmental discussion of current and past substance use and its relationship to symptoms.
-
Mental Status Examination
Clinical observation of mood, affect, cognition, thought process, and insight during the appointment.
-
Differential Diagnosis
A systematic consideration of what the symptoms could represent — and what they likely do — before arriving at a working diagnosis.
By the End of Your First Appointment, You Will Have Three Things.
A Working Diagnosis
Not a vague impression or a provisional label tossed into the chart. A clearly stated working diagnosis with Denis's clinical reasoning explained in plain language you can actually act on.
A Structured Treatment Plan
A defined set of next steps — including whether medication is appropriate, what the options are, what the expected timeline looks like, and what success will look like at 30, 60, and 90 days.
Clarity About What Comes Next
The appointment ends with a scheduled follow-up, a clear understanding of the plan, and the ability to reach your provider between visits through the patient portal for non-urgent questions.
Learn more about how treatment decisions are made at D&Y — including the role of medication management and ADHD evaluation in the overall care plan.
D&Y Does Not Prescribe Before
Diagnosing.
This sounds obvious. In practice, it is not how high-volume psychiatric care often works. The pressure to be productive in a 15-minute appointment creates incentives to prescribe quickly and evaluate later. The medication becomes the evaluation — and if it works, the diagnosis is assumed confirmed.
D&Y inverts this. The first appointment is always an evaluation. A medication may follow from it, or it may not. But the decision to prescribe comes after a thorough understanding of what is actually happening — not before. For conditions like ADHD, anxiety, and mood disorders, this distinction matters enormously. These conditions frequently overlap, and treating one without properly ruling out the others is how patients end up on three medications wondering why nothing is working.
Getting the diagnosis right is not a luxury. It is the minimum standard for competent psychiatric care. At D&Y, it is also the first thing that happens.
Already Have a Diagnosis? A Second Opinion in Psychiatric Care Is Always Welcome.
If you have been diagnosed elsewhere — and left the appointment uncertain whether the diagnosis was right, whether the medication was appropriate, or whether the provider actually understood your full history — D&Y welcomes second opinion requests.
Your provider will review your prior treatment history, evaluate your current presentation, and offer an independent clinical assessment independent of what the chart says. You will leave with a clear picture of whether your current diagnosis and treatment plan hold up to scrutiny, and what adjustments — if any — are warranted.
What to Bring to a Second Opinion Appointment
- Prior diagnosis — written documentation or your own recollection of what you were told
- Current and past medications with dosages, and how long you took each
- Treatment history — prior providers, what was tried, and the outcomes
- Any prior evaluation notes, lab results, or psychological testing if available
- Your own account of what has and has not worked — this is the most important part
Records are helpful but not required. A full evaluation is conducted regardless of what documentation you are able to bring.
The Practical Details.
Ready for a Psychiatric Evaluation That Actually Makes Sense?
Book an Appointment — we will confirm your insurance, answer your questions, and schedule your first evaluation if it is the right fit.
Now accepting new patients · Most insurance accepted · Telehealth statewide in California
Crisis Support & Mental Health Resources.
D&Y Integrated Psychiatry provides outpatient psychiatric care — not crisis services. If you need immediate support, the organizations below provide free, confidential help 24 hours a day. You do not need to be a D&Y patient to use any of these resources.
D&Y Integrated Psychiatry does not endorse or have a formal affiliation with the external organizations listed above. These resources are provided for informational purposes only. Listing does not constitute a referral or clinical recommendation. Links are verified at time of publication and may change.