What is Integrative Psychiatry?

Integrative psychiatry is an approach to mental health treatment that combines psychotropic medications with non-medication alternatives.  These non-medication treatment options are numerous, and can include psychotherapy, nutritional or herbal supplementation, mindfulness-based interventions, meditation, yoga, lifestyle changes, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, etc.  The intention behind choosing an integrative approach may vary based on the psychiatrist, however, in my experience, most of us who identify as integrative are interested in prevention, understand both the usefulness and the limitations of medications, and want to offer our patients more choices on their path towards well-being.  Usually this requires additional education, training, and experience beyond our medical school and residency or fellowship training, in one or more complementary modality.   In my clinical practice, I rely heavily on experiential mind-body practices, based on the principles of classical hatha yoga, due to my training in yoga therapy, pranayama and meditation.  This is not instead of, but in addition to medications, the evidence-based use of nutritional supplements and life-style optimization strategies.

Why Integrative Psychiatry?

Medications play an important role in most moderate to severe mental health challenges, however not all patients respond to medications, some patients respond only partially, and others cannot tolerate medications due to their side effects.  Integrative modalities are used to augment medications, meaning that they can fill the gap in treatment that medications cannot achieve, helping patients to move closer towards their well-being goals.  The integrative psychiatry approach also offers patients something medication alone cannot, which is the opportunity to create long-lasting positive changes to their lives through building new habits, new ways of interacting with themselves and others, and a new relationship to their bodies and minds.  One way to think of this is that integrative approaches involve learning life skills that are free to use, do not have side effects, and do not depend on anyone except the individual, and their choices.   The goal of integrative psychiatry is whole-person well-being, and this usually requires more than medication alone.