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 and environmental factors that impact mood, cognition, and behavior.
What Sets This Apart
Functional psychiatry looks beyond surface symptoms by asking why they occur and customizing treatment to your individual needs. This approach empowers you to achieve greater stability and well-being than traditional methods alone, whether you're seeking medication management, holistic care, or both.
Your first appointment will be the Discovery Session, a comprehensive evaluation designed to get to the root of your mental health concerns using both conventional and functional psychiatry principles.
Detailed History and Lifestyle Assessment: Before your Discovery Session, you’ll complete intake forms to detail your current symptoms, medical and family history, and important lifestyle factors. You’ll be asked about your diet, exercise, sleep, stress, digestion, environmental exposures, and more. You’ll also upload any recent lab results to the patient portal (or bring them with you), which I will review in advance to help establish a timeline and context for your mental and physical health.
In-depth Discussion: During your scheduled appointment, we review your history, including any previous labs, and make any corrections as needed to ensure we are on the same page. We will discuss every aspect of your health including the body, mind, and spirit.
Functional Psychiatry-Focused Assessment: Your evaluation goes beyond symptoms to explore inflammation, nutrition, hormones, gut health, toxins, genetics, and immune function as possible contributors to psychiatric issues.
Education: I really want patients to understand the why behind the recommendations I make. No questions or subjects are off limits during this visit. I find that when my patients are fully informed and understand why the changes are necessary, it helps them to stick to the treatment plan.
Discuss Ongoing Care and Support Options: 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.
Functional and Conventional Labs: 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.
What to Expect
Individuals with persistent mood, cognitive, or behavioral symptoms not fully addressed by standard therapies.
Are 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 (CIRS, Lyme, autoimmune, GI dysfunction) affecting mental health.
Anyone interested in a root-cause, whole-person approach to psychiatric care.
May want expert guidance on starting, optimizing, or tapering off psychiatric medications safely, as part of a bigger healing plan.
Best suited for highly motivated patients who are willing to take an active role in their health and make serious lifestyle changes.
Who is this for?
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
$300 for the Discovery Session appointment
This fee includes the considerable time I will spend prior to your visit reviewing the comprehensive health history, intake questionnaires, and any previous medical records or lab results that are sent by your medical providers to create context for your appointment.
Both in person and telehealth appointments are available.
Does not include the cost of labs, medications, or supplements.