Specialty Psychiatric Services • New Jersey: in-person evaluations + in-person or telehealth follow-ups • Florida: telehealth
Psychiatric Second Opinions & Diagnostic Reassessment
A fresh psychiatric review of a diagnosis or treatment plan at ADHD, Mood & Behavior Center
Sometimes a diagnosis is on the record but still doesn’t feel right, or treatment has had a fair try, and things still haven’t improved the way anyone expected. A psychiatric second opinion gives Dr. Merritt Hubsher the chance to review that history, conduct his own psychiatric evaluation, and offer a view of what’s going on and what to do next.
Sometimes a diagnosis is on the record but still doesn’t feel right, or treatment has had a fair try, and things still haven’t improved the way anyone expected. A psychiatric second opinion gives Dr. Merritt Hubsher the chance to review that history, conduct his own psychiatric evaluation, and offer a view of what’s going on and what to do next.
The second opinion at a glance
A second opinion at the Center is a full psychiatric evaluation, with earlier diagnoses, testing, and treatment history as part of what Dr. Hubsher considers.
Why People Seek a Second Opinion
Patients and families come to this for different reasons. Common ones include:
Multiple or conflicting diagnoses
Different clinicians have reached different conclusions, or the list of diagnoses has grown without a clear explanation of how they fit together.
Several medication trials
Medication trials ended with partial response, little change, or side effects that outweighed the benefit.
Testing with open questions
Earlier testing left the results unclear or hard to connect to everyday life.
A diagnosis that no longer seems to fit
A label given in childhood, or years ago, that the patient or family isn’t sure still applies.
Progress that has stalled
Treatment has been steady, yet the original concerns still affect home, school, or work.
Wanting clarity before the next step
A patient or parent wants a fuller picture before deciding on the next treatment step.
How a Second Opinion Handles Overlapping Symptoms
Many psychiatric symptoms have more than one possible source, so Dr. Hubsher looks at the whole pattern: how symptoms began, how they’ve changed, and how earlier diagnoses and treatments fit together.
A child diagnosed with ADHD at seven may later show anxiety or a mood condition that was there all along, or that developed since. An adult treated for depression may find that long-standing attention difficulties or developmental factors were part of the picture. In both cases, the earlier diagnosis wasn’t necessarily wrong, only incomplete.
A child diagnosed with ADHD at seven may later show anxiety or a mood condition that was there all along, or that developed since. An adult treated for depression may find that long-standing attention difficulties or developmental factors were part of the picture. In both cases, the earlier diagnosis wasn’t necessarily wrong, only incomplete.
How Dr. Hubsher Uses Prior Records
Dr. Hubsher reviews any background information you provide, recognizing that previous clinicians made decisions based on the information available to them at the time. His goal is to develop a current, accurate, and comprehensive understanding of what the patient is experiencing today.
After the Second Opinion
His findings can be used in more than one way, depending on what the patient needs.
If medication changes are recommended
Dr. Hubsher can explain his personalized medication recommendations and schedule a follow-up to monitor treatment and symptom response.
If therapist-led support would help
The Center’s therapists offer therapy, parent training, and ADHD and executive-function coaching. Dr. Hubsher can recommend them if needed.
If care continues with another clinician
Patients can return to their current clinician with Dr. Hubsher’s findings in hand. With the patient’s permission, he can share his recommendations directly.
Considering a Second Opinion?
Reach out to the Center. The front desk will confirm the service fits, explain which records are useful to have on hand, and go over the new-patient paperwork.