Is Mental Health Medication Right For Me?
The conversation about mental health care has been buzzing for a few years now. Historically, mental health and medication was a topic that many people felt ashamed discussing. Now, with a younger generation promoting the virtues of therapy and self care, along with the recent pandemic that highlighted the importance of mental health, we have ushered in a new era where discussing and treating emotional and mental health symptoms is no longer stigmatized. In fact, many people are now embracing their time in therapy, sharing their healing journeys with others, and openly exploring new avenues for treatment.
At ME Psychotherapy, we have grown our therapy offerings and diversity of providers and specialties in Rhode Island over the last few years. One of the top concerns we hear about medication providers is that clients often feel rushed, unheard, and misunderstood. As a practice, we always wanted to expand our services to include medication management, but wanted to find a provider who would take their time to really get to know clients and not push people out the door in minutes. After a long search, we are happy to say that we have found our match with Kate Reilly, PMHNP-BC! Kate’s values as a medication prescriber completely align with our approach as a group of therapists and we are excited to blend our services together.
Our main goal at ME Psychotherapy is to offer medication management services with heart and soul. We want clients to come to a medication consultation with an open mind to find out if medication is a right fit for them, as an enhancement or facilitator to their therapy journey. During follow up sessions, Kate is able to support clients as they adjust and settle into a new medication regimen, while providing supportive therapy along with medication management.
Research shows that the best outcome for improving mental health functioning is a combination of therapy and medication, rather than therapy alone or medication alone. Sometimes the work of therapy can be an uphill battle if difficult mental health symptoms are interfering with a client’s efforts to grow and change. We have seen many individuals in therapy with debilitating panic attacks or heavy depression, where their actual physical symptoms can prevent making progress in session, or sometimes even attending therapy. Often, clients have been in therapy for awhile, working hard on improving their coping skills and managing their mood and behaviors, but struggle to maintain that progress due to issues related to ADHD, irritability, or other issues. Try as they may in therapy, their symptoms get in the way. If this sounds like you, adding medication might be something to consider to help get over these barriers!
Starting medication can still feel like a huge and scary undertaking for some people. We put together a few questions and answers to help determine if medication exploration is the right choice for you!
Q: If I meet with a medication prescriber, do I have to take medication?
A: Not if you don’t want to! Your one-hour consultation with Kate is a great time to explore your symptoms, medical history, and to ask questions about medications, side-effects, and other recommendations to help support your medical and mental health. If you find that medication might be right for you after your consultation, Kate can help you choose the right medication type and will provide follow up visits to manage your progress, along with supportive therapy during your sessions.
Q: How do I know which medication is right for me?
A: Kate will take an overall health history about your symptoms and concerns, along with asking about family history with mental health and medications. She may recommend getting lab work completed before beginning a medication or she might recommend genetic testing to determine which medication will be right for you specifically. Some conditions require trial and error to find the right type or dose of medication - this will all be discussed and reviewed during your follow up sessions after your initial consultation. For complicated diagnoses and symptoms, Kate may recommend neuropsychological or other psychological assessments in order to determine diagnosis as part of your treatment.
Q: Do I also need therapy along with medication?
A: In addition to medication management, Kate also provides therapy to patients in RI! Your follow up sessions will include a review of your symptoms and response to your medication, and can also include cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques to help support your wellness. If you find that you also want additional individualized therapy, we have a diverse team of 18 other providers you can work with to enhance your treatment. If you already have another therapy provider, you can still work with Kate for medication management only.
Q: How does this all work?
A: The first step is to request an initial consultation with Kate by visiting the “medication management” tab on our website. Your first appointment will be one hour long. If you decide that medication is right for you, then you will proceed with scheduling future and ongoing appointments. After you settle into a comfortable medication regimen, you will have less frequent appointments as you maintain your progress. If things change or you begin having side effects, you can request another appointment to address your concerns. Medication management is scheduled differently from therapy. You may see your medication prescriber once every few weeks but see your therapist weekly. If you see a therapist at our practice and also want to see Kate, you can request that they both collaborate on your care so there is a nice comprehensive, team approach to your treatment. This is our ideal goal and is the best scenario for clients to fully succeed!
Reach out to our Office Director, McKayla Horan, at office@mepsychotherapy.com with any questions!