Functional Psychiatry
As a physician assistant with a CAQ in psychiatry and experience practicing general psychiatry since 2019, I offer both clinical precision and a functional perspective in mental health care.
While I am skilled in psychiatric medication management, my true focus is on identifying and addressing the root causes of psychiatric illness by considering the biological, environmental, lifestyle, and whole-person factors that impact mood, cognition, and behavior.
Functional psychiatry looks beyond surface symptoms by asking why they occur and customizing treatment to your individual needs. This approach supports greater stability and well-being than traditional methods alone, whether you are seeking medication management, holistic care, or both.
Functional psychiatry combines conventional psychiatric care with a root-cause, whole-person approach.
Instead of focusing only on symptom management, we look at the factors that may be contributing to mental health concerns, including:
Inflammation
Nutrition
Hormones
Gut health
Toxins
Genetics
Immune function
Sleep
Stress
Lifestyle and environmental factors
This approach allows us to better understand what may be driving persistent mood, cognitive, or behavioral symptoms and create a care plan that is tailored to your unique needs.
What Sets This Apart?
All new patients begin with a Discovery Session.
This first appointment allows me to better understand your health history, symptoms, lifestyle, previous labs, goals, and the factors that may be contributing to your mental health concerns before recommending a care path.
Your Discovery Session may help determine whether the next step includes medication management, further investigation, lifestyle strategies, functional or conventional lab testing, or ongoing psychiatric support.
New Patients Start With a Discovery Session
What to Expect
Functional psychiatry uses both conventional and functional psychiatry principles to get to the root of your mental health concerns.
Your evaluation goes beyond symptoms to explore inflammation, nutrition, hormones, gut health, toxins, genetics, and immune function as possible contributors to psychiatric issues.
I really want patients to understand the why behind the recommendations I make. No questions or subjects are off limits. I find that when my patients are fully informed and understand why the changes are necessary, it helps them stick to the treatment plan.
Real transformation is an ongoing journey, so come ready to discuss next steps. Your voice matters here because you are the key decision-maker, whether it’s medication management, further investigation, or lifestyle strategies. Functional psychiatry is a collaborative process, and your input will be central in shaping your ongoing treatment plan.
If lab testing is needed, only labs you actually need based on your unique symptoms will be ordered to keep costs down. We utilize both conventional and functional lab testing to provide the most comprehensive assessment of your health. Even when conventional blood testing is ordered, we often interpret the results with a functional or holistic perspective.
For full details about the first appointment, visit the Discovery Session page.
Who is This For?
Functional psychiatry may be a good fit for:
Individuals with persistent mood, cognitive, or behavioral symptoms not fully addressed by standard therapies.
Those seeking a deeper understanding of persistent or complex psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, brain fog, irritability, or treatment-resistant conditions.
Those with chronic, complex health conditions, such as CIRS, Lyme, autoimmune conditions, or GI dysfunction, affecting mental health.
Anyone interested in a root-cause, whole-person approach to psychiatric care.
Patients who want expert guidance on starting, optimizing, or tapering off psychiatric medications safely as part of a bigger healing plan.
Highly motivated patients who are willing to take an active role in their health and make serious lifestyle changes.
As a highly trained psychiatric provider, I offer medication management tailored to your unique needs. Whether you need careful initiation, optimization, or a safe plan to reduce or eliminate unnecessary medications, I work collaboratively with you to ensure the safest and most effective pathway toward wellness — always with the root causes in mind.
Prescribing and Deprescribing Medications
All new patients begin with a Discovery Session. This comprehensive first appointment helps determine the most appropriate next step for your care.