Methodology of Practice

"I would rather teach a skill". Although I will prescribe a pill for those in need, l have found taking a pill teaches you nothing except to place the psychological “Locus of Control” OUTSIDE of yourself. Reaching for a pill is often rooted in a poorly research-validated belief that there is a “chemical imbalance” underlying mental/emotional health disorders. I would much rather help you place your Locus of Control INSIDE yourself, developing your belief in your own self efficacy and teaching you to access your own internal pharmacy and mental skills toolkit you could use to master your mind and its conditioning. I would rather invite you into what I call "The Mind Gym" where you exercise your capacity to manage your own mind and emotions so you do not have to ask a pill to do so for you.

​"Than prescribe a pill": I learned modern psychopharmacology in my psychiatry residency and do see its immense value – at very specific times to very specific patients. I am truly grateful I have the training and ability to prescribe medications that can effectively lessen extreme anxiety, promote sleep, lessen psychotic symptoms, reduce mania, and calm the suicidal thoughts. For BREAKDOWNS to become BREAKTHROUGHS sometimes using a pill is a wise initial step.

 

One example over the years: I've had countless students in my practice who have benefited greatly from stimulant medications for their Attention Deficit symptoms. I have seen grades go from F's to A's with these meds. But over the summer, let's get you on an 8-week mindfulness meditation program so you can “grow some neurons” in your Prefrontal Cortex increasing your own dopamine and then, slowly but surely, get you off that medication!

 

How does one NOT become dependent on that pill psychologically or physically? Since there is no strong evidence basis in scientific research for a "chemical imbalance" that so many in our society have come to believe is at the root of their struggle, we must search out more holistic methods of evolving. In addition, when a patient is so depressed they struggle to get out of bed or is suicidal, antidepressants can support them in the early stages of healing. When psychosis is present, antipsychotics can bring one back into reality so the healing may begin. Mood stabilizers can bring a mania down to manageable levels and sleep aids can be invaluable as nothing gets better if sleep, the time when the body heals itself most, isn’t happening consistently.

"But I will": As stated above, there are times when psychotropic medications are amazingly helpful in getting someone to a place where they can be more engaged in the development of their mental and emotional skill sets. I am more than willing to use the best of my western medical training to get you to a place where you can be a student of your mind, body, and spirit process. When I do prescribe a pill, we will collaboratively work use the lowest possible effective dose. After the crisis of healing (breakdown) stabilizes itself, we will work towards the possibility of transitioning to lower doses or even off medication entirely (breakthrough). This process is always dependent on how hard the patient is willing to work at their own self-actualization process. This is no guarantee but over the decades of my psychiatric practice, taking people off of psychiatric medication has become one of my specialties. The majority of my patients end up off of their psychiatric medications. I will own here that I do not treat the chronically mentally ill population for whom psychiatric medications can be life-saving and my methods work best for those early in the onset of mental and emotional illness. The longer the illness has been in place the harder it is to get patients off medications as the dysfunctional mental habits tend to be more firmly fixed.