The 75-Minute Health Strategy Session: What Happens and How to Prepare

The Health Strategy Session is a 75-minute appointment with Dr. Lewis that reviews your health history, discusses your top health concerns, explores treatment options and ends with a decision about next steps, such as lab testing, psychiatric care, coaching or the online program. The practice describes it as designed to help you understand your options with no pressure.

It is a planning visit, not an emergency service, and for people who live outside New York, New Jersey and California it is educational rather than clinical. Knowing those limits in advance helps you use the time well.

What the session covers

The practice lists four core parts of the session:

1. A review of your health history.
2. A discussion of your top health concerns.
3. An exploration of treatment options.
4. Deciding next steps, such as lab testing, psychiatric care, coaching or the online program.

It also describes the session as a beginning exploration of both psychological and physical factors, with the option to discuss comprehensive bloodwork and functional medicine testing if appropriate. In plain terms, Dr. Lewis looks at mood, anxiety, focus or sleep alongside physical health, and discusses whether testing would add useful information for your situation.

The page that describes it sits at an older address, the 75-Minute Health Strategy Session page; the address says 60, but the session is 75 minutes.

What you leave with, and what you do not

The concrete outcome is a decision about what to do next. The table below sets out what the session is designed to do and what belongs to a later step.

The practice says many people find the session valuable even if they choose not to continue. That is a useful way to think about it: if you leave with a clearer picture of your options and decide your next step belongs elsewhere, the session has still done its job.

When a planning session is the right first step

A broad planning visit earns its place when the question is "what should I do?" rather than "can you adjust this dose?" It tends to be most useful in situations like these:

• You have tried several treatments and want someone to look at the whole history before trying another.
• Your symptoms cross categories, such as low mood together with fatigue, digestive problems or poor sleep, and you want both psychological and physical factors considered.
• You are deciding between medication, therapy, coaching and lifestyle changes and want a clinician's view of the order.
• You are curious about lab testing but want to know first whether it is likely to change anything.

If your need is narrower, such as a straightforward refill or a prescription you already know works, a planning session may be more than you need. Say so on the discovery call and ask which starting point the team suggests.

When another starting point fits better

The session is broad by design, and that is not always what you need. Being honest about this on the discovery call saves you time and money. A different first step usually makes more sense in these situations:

None of these rule the session out. They are simply cases where you should ask on the discovery call whether another route gets you to an answer faster.

Why labs come later

People sometimes expect a first integrative psychiatry visit to start with test results. In this practice, the session includes the option to discuss comprehensive bloodwork and functional medicine testing if appropriate, and lab testing is one of the possible next steps it leads to.

That order is sensible. A good history often narrows which tests are worth ordering, and some tests are not worth doing at all for a given person. If labs do make sense, the practice's DISCOVER program combines a 75-minute initial assessment, advanced bloodwork and functional labs, and a 90-minute findings and strategy session. The practice notes that some of these tests (mycotoxin, toxic-metal and intestinal-barrier or "leaky gut" panels) are investigational and not validated for diagnosis, and that Dr. Lewis explains what each can and cannot tell you. Lab and supplement costs are separate from visit fees.

If you already have recent results from your primary care doctor, bring them. They may answer some questions before anyone orders anything new. The comparison of the strategy session, DISCOVER labs, ongoing care and the online course explains which route suits which situation.

If you live outside New York, New Jersey or California

Readers in other states can still book the session, with a clear limit. In the practice's words, the strategy session is educational for out-of-state residents, Dr. Lewis can provide guidance and referrals in your area if you need clinical care, and for out of state she does not diagnose or treat disease. A patient-doctor relationship is established only for New York, New Jersey and California residents.

An educational consultation can still be worth your time if you want an integrative psychiatrist's view of your options before choosing a local clinician. What it cannot do is replace one: no diagnosis, no prescriptions and no ongoing treatment. The reasons, rooted in state licensing law, are covered in where you must be for a telehealth visit.

To get the most from an educational consultation, go in with a specific goal: a short list of questions to take to a local psychiatrist, a view on whether testing is worth pursuing near home, or help deciding what kind of clinician to look for. Ask Dr. Lewis which records and questions to bring to that local clinician, since the session cannot be followed by diagnosis or treatment from her.

If what you want is education without a clinical relationship, Dr. Lewis's online program may fit better. It is a self-guided course with an option that adds live group coaching, and no New York residency or patient relationship is required. The practice is explicit that it is an educational course and does not provide diagnosis, individual medical advice, medication management or emergency psychiatric care.

How to prepare in the week before

Seventy-five minutes goes quickly when a history spans years. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that providers have limited time in each appointment and suggests preparing your questions beforehand. A little structure in the days before helps.

Five to seven days before

• Write down your top three concerns, in order. The session includes a discussion of your top health concerns, so ranking them in advance saves time.
• List every medication you take, including over-the-counter drugs, herbal remedies, vitamins and supplements, as NIMH recommends. Note doses and how long you have taken each.
• Ask relatives about family mental health history. NIMH notes that certain mental illnesses tend to run in families.

Two to four days before

• Gather recent lab results and any prior psychiatric or psychological reports.
• Write a short timeline: when symptoms started, what made them better or worse, and what treatments you tried.
• Keep a brief daily note on sleep, energy and mood. A few days of real data beats a guess.

The day before

• Write the three questions you most want answered.
• If the visit is by video, check that you will be physically located in an eligible state, test your connection, and pick a private room.
• Decide whether you want a trusted person with you. NIMH notes that a companion can help take notes and remember what was discussed.

The longer checklist in how to prepare your medication history for a new psychiatrist includes a fill-in table you can bring to the session.

Getting your records before the session

The session reviews your health history, and that review is only as good as the information in the room. Records from past psychiatrists, therapists, hospital stays and primary care often hold the details people forget: exact doses, how long a medication was tried, and why it was stopped.

Under the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule, you have a right to copies of your own health records. A provider must act on your request no later than 30 days after receiving it, and may take one extension of no more than 30 more days. You can also direct, in a signed written request, that a copy be sent to a person you name, such as a new clinician. One exception matters in mental health care: psychotherapy notes, a therapist's separate process notes, are excluded from that right of access. Your diagnosis, medication list, test results and treatment summaries are not.

Because of those timelines, request records as soon as you book rather than the week before. If something has not arrived by the session, bring what you have and send the rest later. Requesting your mental health records includes a sample request and covers New York rules as well.

A one-page summary to bring

A single page that the clinician can read in two minutes is more useful than a folder of printouts. A simple layout works:

If you are unsure whether a symptom has a physical side, note it anyway. Thyroid problems, anemia, sleep disorders and medication side effects can all look like psychiatric symptoms, and medical conditions to rule out before a psychiatric diagnosis explains which ones clinicians commonly check.

Three common situations, and how to use the time

The way to get value from 75 minutes depends on what brought you in. The examples below are illustrative, not cases from the practice; they show how the same session can serve different goals.

"I have tried several treatments and none has really worked"

Spend your preparation time on the treatment history, since that is where the session can add the most. Ask whether each past trial was long enough and at an adequate dose, whether the diagnosis still fits, and whether physical factors have been looked at. Next steps the practice lists include psychiatric care and lab testing, among others. If medication is the main question, getting a second opinion on your psychiatric medication explains what a medication-focused review covers.

"My symptoms cross categories, and no one has connected them"

Low mood with fatigue, digestive symptoms or poor sleep is a common reason people look for an integrative psychiatrist. The session is described as a beginning exploration of both psychological and physical factors. Bring a few days of notes on sleep, food, energy and mood, and ask directly which tests, if any, would change the plan and which would only add cost.

"I am deciding between therapy, coaching and medication"

Here the most useful output is an order of operations: what to try first, what to add if it is not enough, and how you will know. Because the team includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychotherapists and a health and wellness coach, ask who would be involved at each step. The practice's coaching is described in health and wellness coaching with the practice.

Questions worth asking during the session

Bring questions that will shape your decision afterward. A few that tend to be useful:

• What do you think is driving my symptoms, and what else should be ruled out?
• Which tests, if any, would change what we do next? Which would not?
• Would you suggest starting with medication, therapy, coaching or lifestyle changes, and why?
• If I continue, who on the team would I see, and how often?
• If I do not continue, what should I ask my current doctor for?

The team includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychotherapists and a health and wellness coach, so the answer to "who would I see" can differ by need. If you are unsure what kind of help you need, coaching, therapy or psychiatry explains the differences.

After the session: what each next step involves

The session ends with a decision about next steps. It helps to know in advance what each option means, so you can weigh them in the room rather than afterward.

Write the agreed next step down before you leave, along with anything you need to do yourself, such as requesting records or scheduling a lab draw. If you want time to think, say so. The practice describes the session as designed to help you understand your options with no pressure.

Common mistakes that cost session time

• Arriving without a medication list and spending the first part of the session reconstructing it.
• Leading with the least important concern because it feels easier to talk about. Rank concerns beforehand and start with the top one.
• Bringing years of raw lab printouts with no summary. Bring the most recent results and a one-line note on anything abnormal.
• Treating the session as a test-ordering visit. Testing is discussed only if appropriate, and a good history often narrows what is worth ordering.
• Joining a video visit from a state where the clinician is not licensed. The team confirms eligibility for your state before the first visit, so tell them if you will be traveling.
• Leaving without a clear next step. If the decision is "think about it," agree on what you are deciding between and when you will follow up.

For video visits, the telehealth visit checklist covers connection, privacy and location rules in more detail.

Fees, insurance and safety

Current fees are published on the practice's insurance and payment page; this article does not list them because they can change. Dr. Lewis is out of network with all insurance plans, payment is due at the time of service, and superbills for possible out-of-network reimbursement are available in the patient portal after each session. The practice also offers a Good Faith Estimate of expected costs before you start care. If you are not using insurance to pay for a visit, federal rules generally entitle you to a good faith estimate of expected charges when you schedule at least 3 business days in advance. Good faith estimates for self-pay psychiatry explains what the estimate must include and what to do if a bill is much higher. The out-of-network benefits call script helps you find out what your plan may reimburse.

A scheduled planning session is the wrong tool for an urgent problem. If you are thinking about suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to the nearest emergency room.

To book, start from the Get Started page or the free discovery call by phone or text. The full intake path, from first call to first visit, is in how to start care with Dr. Lewis, and the wider guide to choosing psychiatric care covers options beyond this practice.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the page address say 60 minutes?

The page sits at an older address (/60-minute-health-strategy-session/). The session itself is 75 minutes.

Will I get a diagnosis at the strategy session?

For New York, New Jersey and California residents, the session can be the start of a clinical relationship. For residents of other states it is educational only, and Dr. Lewis does not diagnose or treat disease.

Do I need to get blood work before the session?

The practice does not list that as a requirement. It describes the option to discuss bloodwork and functional testing during the session if appropriate, with lab testing as one possible next step. Bring any recent results you already have, and confirm on the discovery call if you are unsure.

Is the session a commitment to ongoing care?

No. The practice describes it as designed to help you understand your options with no pressure, and says many people find it valuable even if they choose not to continue.

Where can I find the current fee?

On the practice's insurance and payment page. The practice also offers a Good Faith Estimate before care begins.

Can a family member or friend join the session?

Ask the team when you book. NIMH notes that bringing a trusted companion can help you take notes and remember what was discussed, which is useful in a long, information-heavy visit.

What if I am traveling at the time of a video session?

Telehealth depends on where you are physically located during the visit, not where you live. The practice sees patients by telehealth only when they are physically located in a state where Dr. Lewis holds an active medical license, and the team confirms eligibility before the first visit, so tell them about any travel.

How far ahead should I request old records?

As soon as you book. Under HIPAA a provider has up to 30 days to act on a records request and may take one 30-day extension, so a request made the week before may not arrive in time.

Sources

1. Tips for Talking With a Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health. National Institute of Mental Health (NIH Publication No. 22-MH-8094), 2022. nimh.nih.gov
2. 45 CFR 164.524 - Access of individuals to protected health information. Code of Federal Regulations (HHS HIPAA Privacy Rule), via Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, 2026. law.cornell.edu
3. What is a good faith health insurance estimate?. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026. cms.gov

Educational information, not medical, tax or legal advice. Decisions about diagnosis, medication and treatment belong with a clinician who knows your history.