Your mental health is critical to your overall well-being. So, if you need to start treatment with a psychiatrist–or wish to change from your current mental health provider–make a plan to discover the practitioner right for you.
Here are some tips for choosing the right psychiatrist in your area.
Start With Your Primary Care Doctor
Your PCP provides your medical home and keeps your medical record. Your physician and support professionals know your health needs–and even your personality–well and can suggest psychiatrists in your area who:
- Have experience in treating your specific symptoms and/or mental health diagnosis
- May be a good fit for your personality and desired treatment goals
- Understand the needs of your age group
- Are known for clinical expertise, patient education, counseling, and off-hours support
In addition, trusted friends or relatives may have used mental health services and can give you a name or two to check out.
Check Online Registries
A Google search can provide an initial list of psychiatrists in your area. Make a short list of names–no more than two or three–and filter that list through Health Grades or the American Psychiatric Association website. Also, read the doctor’s biography on the practice website.
Be sure to look for an office location convenient to you, the doctor’s gender, languages spoken, disorders treated, telepsychiatry availability, and other factors important to your needs and goals. Then, call to make consultation appointments with your top choices.
Consult with the Provider In-person
An initial consultation can tell you a lot about your prospective psychiatrist. Go to the appointment prepared with questions regarding office hours, telepsychiatry appointments (online consultations), areas of expertise (depression or substance abuse as examples), and off-hours availability.
Be sure to note the provider’s communication style. Do they put you at ease by allowing you to ask questions? Are answers complete and delivered in a friendly manner? Find out if treatment plans are collaborative: in other words, are decisions about your care going forward shared by you and the doctor?
Finally, find out what treatment modalities are available: medications, group and one on one therapies, mindfulness, and others. Many people prefer more holistic or whole-person psychiatric care.
Check Your Health Insurance
Make sure the psychiatrist you select is an in-network provider. Verify this through the office staff and with your insurance company so you have no surprise charges as you begin your treatment.
Making the Right Choice Easier
We know that selecting the right psychiatric care provider is a highly personal and very important choice. William da Silva is the psychiatric nurse practitioner at Psyhance, who delivers telepsychiatry and in-person consultations and ongoing treatment plans centered on the unique needs of every patient.
His areas of focus are ADHD, addictions, anxiety, and depression. He is known for his compassionate, multifaceted approach to attaining and maintaining the best mental health. He focuses on the whole person, including improving lifestyle elements through diet, exercise, stress reduction techniques, and counseling, but because he believes in an integrative approach to wellness, medications may be recommended as well.
To know more about our services, contact us today at s.lahlou@psyhance.com. You can also request a visit online using our convenient appointment request form.