One of the services I provide is psychiatric evaluations.
This is most likely where you’ll start your journey to wellness. Just like someone dealing with physical symptoms would visit a doctor and receive a physical examination to find the root cause and develop a treatment plan, someone experiencing emotional difficulties can go through a psychiatric evaluation as a first step.
During this stage, I’ll spend time getting to know you, your symptoms, and any other concerns you may have. There are no wrong answers here and absolutely no judgment. We’ll begin to build a rapport with one another as you paint a picture of your experiences so I can understand the challenges you’re facing.
Any symptoms that are causing you discomfort or otherwise disrupting your daily life are a good reason to go through an evaluation. It can be anything “big” or “small” that gets you started on your healing journey.
Regardless of what you’re feeling, you don’t have to go through it alone.
Though the foundation of these techniques is evidence-based medicine and science, there is no one size fits all formula for assessing your symptoms and reaching a diagnosis. Instead, I will listen to everything you share with me and decide on a recommendation based on your unique lifestyle and symptoms.
The process will generally involve insightful questions, going over your medical chart and additional questionnaires, and possibly using cognitive exams like memory tests. It’s much less intimidating than it sounds and I will be with you every step of the way in a safe, nurturing environment. This is the best way for me to understand you and your experiences so we can work toward achieving your wellness goals.
When it comes time to determine a course of treatment, we will work together to find something that suits your needs and preferences. Not everyone will benefit from prescribed medication but that is only one of the available treatment options. We can discuss what you’re comfortable with and what will be most likely to help you manage your symptoms.
There is a way for you to live a full, happy life in which you control your symptoms, not the other way around.
