What Does Integrative Psychiatry Mean
What does receiving integrative psychiatric care encompass?
Seeking treatment for your mental health via integrative psychiatry involves many different factors. When we describe the phrase “Integrative Psychiatry” (whether it is here in Austin, in the state of Texas, or in other places in the world), typically we think of a few main characteristics, all of which point to a collaboration of care that works to encompass and attend to the unique context of a client and their circumstances or environment.
Medication management is the overall goal and outcome of an integrative psychiatric relationship with your provider. I always tell clients that a good goal and metric of a healthy medication management relationship is feeling heard and understood as if you are an active participant in your journey.
Here are a few key points that your provider values and will work hard to implement in your client/clinician relationship as you work toward healing via medication management:
- Building a trusting relationship with your provider in a safe space
- Exploring factors that can play a role in your mental health such as physical illnesses or psychological changes
- Identifying major life changes or current stressors
- Addressing your specific concerns and needs
- Creating the right medication regimen for you
- Utilizing additional tools & resources
- Educating patients on psychiatric conditions and treatment options
- Providing high-quality care that is easily accessible via in-person or telehealth
- Collaborating care with your healthcare team
- Maintaining a treatment plan to ensure personal growth
What are some commonly diagnosed mental health issues and what are the treatments?
Depression, Anxiety, OCD, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, Insomnia, Postpartum depression, PMDD for women, ADHD, Mood Disorders, Adjustment Disorders, and Behavioral issues are among some of the challenges clients face that working with a thorough and holistic medication provider can help to soften and improve.
Integrative psychiatry and medication management providers can prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication (both controlled and non-habit forming), mood stabilizers, sleep medication, antipsychotics, and non-stimulant ADHD medications, and other medications like antihistamines or blood pressure medication that are indicated for addressing other challenges.
For example, prescriptive antihistamine is often a great option to address sleep and anxiety and is indicated by the FDA as such.
Learn more about: How a Psychiatric Physician Assistant Can Help You Heal
What kind of care could I need with integrative psychiatry?
Every person’s mental health journey is unique based on an individual’s background, age, gender, and life circumstances. The level of care you may require can vary depending on the severity of your condition and your experience of symptoms you report.
While our clinic offers outpatient services, your provider can discuss partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, or an outside resource and refer you to a program if that is indicated and/or needed. A step such as this type of referral is described as a level of care increase and is never initiated without collaboration with you, the client.
Another option that is consistently shown to increase client experience, improvement, satisfaction, symptom reduction, and overall health is the combination of psychiatric medication management alongside counseling or therapy.
We always encourage clients to try therapy along their integrative psychiatry relationship to provide a more wrap-around and holistic experience where all angles of a client experience receive some support and help.
Get the help you need with integrative psychiatry and start healing today
If you or anyone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms or is simply curious about what could be helped with a more integrative approach or medication management, book a consultation with us today. Take good care of yourself and others!