Dr. Portteus is a physician who diagnoses and treats emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems experienced by children, adolescents, and adults. Some of the difficulties addressed by Dr Portteus include:
- Other medical illnesses that impact mood, thinking, or behavior
Children and Families
When problems impact a child's success at school, interactions with friends, or functioning at home, families will often seek the assistance of Dr. Portteus. He will meet with a child and his/her family to listen to their concerns, and he will work with them to identify areas of success and areas for improvement. After a thorough assessment which includes interviewing a patient and family and determining a diagnosis, a treatment plan is developed which may include individual psychotherapy, family therapy, behavior strategies, school interventions, and/or medications. Dr. Portteus is committed to helping parents understand the risks and benefits of treatment options and helping parents understand the clinical evidence which support his treatment recommendations. Dr. Portteus strives to develop a positive, productive treatment relationship with each of his patients and provide ongoing treatment as needed. He often collaborates with primary care physicians, psychologists, diagnosticians, therapists, and school personnel.
Adults
In addition to his work with youth, Dr. Portteus also provides diagnosis and treatment for adults. Many adults seek the expertise of a child and adolescent psychiatrist due to the additional training and experience with development and family systems. Adults with ADHD often appreciate a child psychiatrist's expreience with medication to treat this condition. A child psychiatrist is first fully trained to treat adults and then receives additional training to work with children and families. Dr. Portteus maintains an active caseload of adult patients, and he sees some for psychotherapy and others for medication management alone.
Appointments
Initial peditaric evaluations are usually scheduled for 1.5 hours and initial adult evaluations are 1 hour. Follow-up consultations are scheduled for 20-25 or 45-50 minutes. Psychotherapy appointments are scheduled for 45-50 minutes.
