ADULT PSYCHIATRY · WASHINGTON · TELEHEALTH
What brings
you here?
You may have a diagnosis, questions about past treatment, or a change you want to understand.
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
Free 15-minute consultationVideo or phoneAccepting new patientsReplies within 24 hours, including weekends.Hoping to use insurance? Join the interest list
EXPLORE CARE AREAS
Different starting points. Room for yours.
02 / THE PERSON YOU’LL SEE
Hello.
I’m Udoka.
A familiar person on the other side of the screen.
I’m a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. I offer psychiatric evaluation and medication management for adults in Washington, and I’ll be the person you see each time.
We make room for your history, the treatment you’ve tried, and what is happening in your life. Together, we consider what could help and how we’ll know whether it is helping.
I grew up in Ghana, served in the U.S. Air Force, and worked in intensive care and inpatient psychiatric nursing before opening this practice.
Board certified, PMHNP-BC (ANCC)Verify Washington license Psychology Today profile
03 / A CLOSER LOOK
Inside your first hour.
Explore a few of the questions that guide an evaluation, and why I ask them.
Your experience comes first
“What has become harder
to do, or to enjoy?”
We start with ordinary details: getting out of bed, finishing a task, being around people, or feeling like yourself.
Why I ask
Two people can both say “I’m exhausted” and need different kinds of help. I want to understand when it began, where it shows up, and what else changed.
You can bring a few examples. We can organize the history together.
Make the history specific
“When you say it didn’t help,
what happened?”
No change, some improvement, difficult side effects, and trouble taking a medicine regularly tell us different things.
What we consider
We review past treatment alongside sleep, medical history, other medications, substance use, and changes in mood over time. Sometimes records or another evaluation will help clarify the picture.
Your past experience helps shape the next decision.
Decide together
“What would make a change
worthwhile for you?”
We discuss the benefit you are hoping for, the tradeoffs you want to avoid, and what feels manageable.
What a plan should explain
What we are trying to improve. Why a treatment may fit. What to watch for. When we will review it. Medication may be part of that plan; therapy, medical care, or more information may also be needed.
You should have room to ask questions before deciding.
04 / THE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Know what to expect.
A free conversation comes first. Ask about fit, appointments, and the practical details before deciding what comes next.
A few things you may be wondering.
Choose a question to read more.
Before your first visit
What happens in the free consultation?
We meet by video or phone for 15 minutes to discuss fit, fees, and your questions. It is not a psychiatric evaluation and does not include diagnosis, treatment, or prescribing. No payment card is required.
Who is this practice for?
Adults 18 and older who are physically in Washington during appointments and need outpatient psychiatric evaluation or medication management. I work with a broad range of adults, including veterans. I do not provide therapy-only care, disability or custody evaluations, or VA claims work.
How do appointments work?
Care is provided remotely. You need to be physically in Washington during appointments. Initial evaluations are by video; free consultations are available by video or phone.
Can I ask about care if I hope to use insurance?
Yes. Insurance participation is not yet active, but you can join the insurance interest list or use the free consultation to discuss fit. There is no confirmed participation date or guarantee for any plan.
Treatment & ongoing care
Will medication be part of my care?
We decide on a plan after the evaluation. Medication may be part of it, but a prescription is not guaranteed. Controlled medications are within my scope when clinically indicated. I do not start them at a first visit or prescribe them on request. Continuing an existing prescription requires a fresh diagnostic review, a Prescription Monitoring Program review, a treatment agreement, and regular follow-up.
Can follow-up visits be by phone?
Phone follow-ups can be arranged when we agree they are clinically appropriate and legally permitted. Contact me through the patient portal before choosing this format. We will agree on the visit type and fee in advance; a video visit, or an in-person assessment with another provider, may be needed when a phone visit cannot provide an adequate assessment.
How do I reach you between appointments?
Established patients can use the SimplePractice patient portal for non-urgent clinical messages. I respond within 24 hours, including weekends. This is not an emergency service; do not wait for a reply if you need urgent help.
Where are my clinical records kept?
SimplePractice is the practice’s main system for clinical records, appointments, and patient messaging. Use the portal for private clinical information. Audio recording or AI transcription requires separate consent, and you may decline without losing access to care. Read the Notice of Privacy Practices for details about your records and rights.
A LITTLE MORE TO GO ON
Before your next decision.
When an antidepressant
hasn’t helped enough.
What was tried, what changed, and what deserves another look before the next prescription.
Read the medication-review guide FINDING CAREWhat will care
actually cost?
Visit fees, the costs around them, and how reimbursement works.
Read the guide to costs Finding carePsychiatric nurse practitioner or psychiatrist? What the difference means for you.
The training is different and much of the outpatient care overlaps. Here is how the two roles compare in Washington, and when each may fit.
Read the article Mood & stressGrief or depression after a loss? What an evaluation can clarify.
Grief and depression can look alike. Learn how an assessment considers the pattern of your pain, your sense of self, and how daily life has changed.
Read the article Mood & stressBurnout or depression? What an assessment can clarify.
Exhaustion has more than one explanation. Here is how to prepare for a conversation about work stress, mood, and what needs to change.
Read the article Trauma & servicePTSD without combat: understanding trauma in adults.
PTSD is not limited to military service. Learn why assessment considers the event, symptoms, duration, and impact without asking you to tell everything at once.
Read the article Finding careTelehealth psychiatry in Washington: your first visit
A practical guide to this Washington telehealth practice: consultation, evaluation, preparation, costs, privacy, and what happens if the connection fails.
Read the article Trauma & serviceAfter military service: feeling on guard, finding your footing
Feeling on guard after service can overlap with sleep problems, trauma symptoms, and a difficult transition. Learn what a psychiatric assessment can clarify.
Read the article Trauma & serviceVeteran mental health is more than one diagnosis.
Military experience matters, but it does not determine a diagnosis. An assessment leaves room for mood, sleep, grief, transitions, and life outside service.
Read the article SleepAnxiety and the sleepless night.
When worry and sleep problems overlap, a careful assessment asks more than what will make you drowsy. Learn what to bring to a sleep conversation.
Read the article Mood & stressMen, relationships, and asking for help.
Relationship distress deserves a personal assessment, not a theory about how all men think. Start with what is happening and what you want to change.
Read the articleA FIRST CONVERSATION
We can
start here.
Ask your questions. Share what you’re looking for.
Decide what comes next.