Integrative/Functional Psychiatry
As an Integrative/Functional psychiatric practitioner, I treat the person as a whole. This evaluation is an extension of the traditional psychiatric evaluation and is not covered by Insurance companies. This visit involves an assessment of your life style, environment, stressors including toxins, nutrition and physical, psychological, emotional as well as spiritual well-being.
This approach leads to information about how a disease process may already have occurred or how certain habits and stressors can cause the beginning of imbalance in an individual. Our bodies usually heal themselves, however, under stressful situations from outside or from within, we need support to balance the mind and body.
The assessment could involve evaluation based on your individual life events since birth to present, organ systems imbalance, subtle energy systems, saliva or blood tests for neurotransmitters, allergens, toxins, Ayurveda (ancient medicine from India), as well as physical activity, dietary habits or relaxation and spiritual beliefs. It may take a few days to weeks for the results and recommendations based on these tests if done, so as to treat the individual as a team. Participation and sharing the responsibility of one’s own care is one of the criteria that differentiates Integrative/Functional and holistic treatment from traditional medicine. The team includes the client, the doctor and other providers such as massage, acupuncture or a nutritionist as recommended. You will still need to work with your family doctor and other allopathic specialists for your medical care. Over time, you may find that your medication doses can be decreased. This could be over several weeks or years. Supplements, herbs, detoxification, stress management, mindfulness/relaxation/meditation, energy healing or other protocols will be suggested on an individual basis. A treatment plan is discussed and follow up sessions are approximately every two to four weeks initially.
Organ systems: Such as the digestive or hormonal system imbalances. This does not replace a physical examination by your family doctor.
Subtle energy systems: These are energy channels in our body such as chakra or acupuncture and marma points. The flow of energy along these points may be blocked due to stress, negativity or other reasons, causing illness or tiredness. Acupuncture, marma therapy, pranic healing, EFT (tapping) and other techniques are performed to remove blockages leading to illness.
Saliva or blood tests: For neurotransmitters that assess physiological deficiencies or excesses in case of tiredness, depression, attention problems, hormone changes or for allergens in food, toxins in environment and within.
Ayurveda: The world’s oldest practiced medicine recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a sophisticated system of natural health care. It offers knowledge for prevention and treatment of disease and slows down the aging process. In Ayurveda a diagnosis is made by evaluating the root cause of the symptoms which involves an imbalance of the factors or doshas called vatta, pitta and kapha in our body. These dosha’s are brought back in balance with the help of herbs, behavior, environment and yoga or other modalities.
Herbs and supplements: These are not tested or regulated by the Food and Drug Administraion. Often these are researched by independent laboratories and some have funding by agencies such as the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Detoxification: This helps remove toxins from different sources e.g. the foods we have eaten and are stored undigested in our bodies mostly in our fat cells as well as in our environment.
Stress Management: Our bodies are resilient to stress with a fight or flight response to a known/unknown danger initially causing an imbalance by release of stress hormones such as cortisol. Our body restores the balance once the danger is not perceived or has been addressed. However, over time, our bodies lose the resilience, especially under chronic perceived stress. We can learn and practice mindfulness, relaxation, meditation, yoga, tai-chi, positive thinking, cognitive restructuring and various other methods to keep or restore our bodies in balance and prevent illness.
Mindfulness/relaxation/meditation: These are practices that can be learnt either in therapy or in stress management seminars. Transcendental meditation and MBSR seminars are helpful.
Energy healing: Allows the energy centers in our bodies and subtle energy channels and our auras to clear blockages of past resentments, hurt or pain. It allows energy to flow more freely. I am trained in pranic psychotherapy and pranic healing to help assess and heal the energy systems.
Acupuncture, massage therapy, aromatherapy, psychotherapy and other treatments may be recommended. These would be performed by specialists trained in those specialties.