Integrative Psychiatry

My philosophy is simple: To incorporate all necessary treatment elements into an integrative psychiatry treatment plan that includes: Therapy, Medication, Nutrition, Diet, Physical Health and Genetics.

Integrative Psychiatry Approach

I offer the most personalized integrative psychiatry service in Scottsdale. I combine the best evidence-based treatment modalities into each treatment plan. I believe that being an Integrative psychiatrist allows me to offer the best care to each patient with the goal of identifying and treating the underlying problems rather than targeting only the symptoms of a problem.

 

What is Integrative Psychiatry?

Integrative psychiatry can be a confusing for people since the term “integrative” is an over-used and popular term these days. My concept of psychiatric care has always involved the concept of integrative care. From day one of practicing, I have been practicing integrative psychiatry in Scottsdale. I believe it is absolutely necessary to combine treatments such as therapy with medication for the best possible treatment outcome. I have expertise in effectively combining treatment modalities to produce the maximum synergistic effect. Although each element of treatment can be effective, the synergy created when they are effectively combined into a single treatment plan is significantly more successful.

My philosophy is to combine the most effective tools available

Elements of Good Care

 

Therapy

 

The role of therapy is to identify and address the underlying psychological aspects of a mental health disorder. For example, if depression is the primary problem, there is usually one or more underlying psychological contributing factors. These can be things like previous trauma, poor coping skills, patterns of unhealthy relationships, self-destructive behavior, insecurity and low-self esteem. The goal of therapy is to identify where these underlying problems stem from and to then fix the problem.

 

Psychiatric Medication

 

The role of medication is to address any underlying biochemical imbalances in the brain. The term “brain chemistry” is a bit of a misnomer in terms of its role in psychopharmacology. In reality medications such as antidepressants effect thousands of neurochemical pathways including: including neurotransmitters, hormones, gene regulation and protein regulation. Psychiatric medications are best used as a short-term tool to address the most bothersome symptoms of mental illness.

For example medicine is a potent tool in addressing the symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia and OCD but they do not address the underlying cause of the problem in the majority of cases. Nonetheless with the right medication, a person is able to feel better which enables them to work on any underlying factors.

Diet and Nutrition

 

The role of diet and nutrition is to address the primary fuel that the mind needs to function normally. Most people who struggle with Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Stress or Insomnia have a history of a relatively poor diet. As someone feels worse, it becomes more difficult to take care of themselves, especially when it comes to diet and nutrition.

Diet and nutrition is a complicated topic with a lot of disagreement among experts. It is easy to overcomplicate this area but it is not necessary to do so. There are many straight forward and potent dietary changes that can make alleviate many of the problems related to most types of mental illness. I also utilize Dexcom continuous glucose monitors to identify and ultimately teach people how to regulate a steady glycemic diet. Wide swings in blood sugar create erratic swings of mood and symptoms of depression and anxiety in many people. This also contributes to insomnia, low energy, brain fog and poor motivation. it is an invaluable tool when addressing the true underlying cause of symptoms.

The best foundation is the following:

  • Elimination of sugar and refined carbohydrates

  • Elimination of processed foods and pre-made foods

  • Integrating in good quality carbohydrates (potatoes, veggies etc.)

  • Integrating in omega-3 rich foods such as Salmon, Sardines and Fish

  • Integrating in good quality meats

If someone simply incorporated even one of the above recommendations into their daily routine, they would begin to notice a huge difference in their mood, energy, sleep, stress and overall well-being.

 

Physical Health

 

The role of physical health in the context of integrative psychiatry is to address the bodies need for activity. Human beings were made to be active. When a person struggles with depression or anxiety, they have an increasingly difficult engaging in healthy activity. All activity is good activity but there are specific activities that can be maximally beneficial. I work with a team of personal trainers, yoga instructors and fitness experts who collaborate with me when it comes to the care of my patients.

I have personally used diet, nutrition and fitness to help me with many of my own struggles so I offer both my expertise as a physician and my own experience to guide my patients through this process.

 

Underlying Medical Problems

 

One of the most important benefits in seeing a psychiatrist is their background and training in the overall practice of medicine. I always look for any underlying explanations as a potential cause of any mental health diagnosis. Some examples include: Electrolyte imbalances, vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances, thyroid conditions, cardiovascular disease, auto-immune diseases, neurological illness and medication side-effects.