Robert Winer, M.D.

Initial Consultation

In our initial meeting, our goal is to get a sense of why you’ve come for help. Sometimes that’s obvious – a partner left, a parent died, a job was lost, and so forth. But often it’s less clear: perhaps you’ve been feeling anxious for years but have decided to seek help just now. We try to get a sense of the forces at play in your life which might be responsible for the downturn, or for the sense of urgency. “What’s the problem,” and “Why now?” are two questions I have in mind in the first hour as we talk. I also want to get your sense of what sort of help you want, whether you just want assistance with thinking through a current crisis, or whether you’re looking for more extensive help with ongoing difficulties. I’ll be trying to figure out whether I can be of use to you, and you’ll be sorting out whether I seem to be someone you can feel comfortable talking with. We’ll also think about what the most useful form of treatment might be – should you take medication, how often should we meet, might couple or family therapy make more sense, should you have a consultation with a specialist in some other area, and the like. Usually this can be sorted out in the first meeting, although sometimes it will make sense to us to spend a bit more time together before deciding whether and how to proceed. And if you just decide that you don’t feel comfortable with me, there’s no charge for the session.

Fees

I try to work out a manageable fee and payment arrangement with my patients. I prepare bills on a monthly basis, and generally expect to be paid during the following month unless we arrange otherwise. I do not participate in any insurance panels as an in-network provider, although most plans provide some reimbursement for out-of-network clinicians. Since I’m not a provider, I don’t bill the insurance company directly. And, since I’m not involved with the insurance companies, the arrangements we make are between us, without third-party monitoring which compromises both our confidentiality and our ability to structure the treatment to meet your needs.

Contact Info

Office: 6912 Ayr Lane, Bethesda, MD

(office wing of residence; near intersection of River Road and Wilson
Lane; three minute drive from Beltway at River Road exit; ten minute
walk from bus stop)

Park on the street and walk up the brick steps from the road. You will now be on a brick path that forks; the right-hand fork leads up to the waiting room.

Phone: 301-229-0600

Fax: 301-229-1876

Email: robertwinermd (at) gmail.com
When using this address, insert the @ for (at). It is omitted here to block automated spammers.

Directions to my Office

Use Google Maps

From Beltway: Take River Road in toward Bethesda/DC. Right at 3rd light onto Wilson Lane. First left onto Selkirk. First right onto Ayr. Next to last house on left, number on mailbox.

From DC: Come out River Road to Wilson Lane in Bethesda, go left on Wilson. First left onto Selkirk. First right onto Ayr. Next to last house on left, number on mailbox.

Also from DC: Go out MacArthur Blvd. to Wilson Lane (last street before one-lane bridge). Right on Wilson. Go up about a half mile and turn right onto Selkirk (if you hit River Road you've gone too far). First right off Selkirk onto Ayr. Next to last house on left, number on mailbox.

From downtown Bethesda: Come out Wilson Lane, cross River Road, take next left off Wilson onto Selkirk. First right off Selkirk onto Ayr. Next to last house on left, number on mailbox.