Psychiatric Services
Avenues of Counseling and Mediation, LLC offers outpatient psychiatric assessments, treatment and medication management for adults ages 18 and up.
What is a Psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry and is certified
in treating mental disorders. As part of their evaluation of the patient,
psychiatrists are one of only a few mental health professionals who may prescribe
psychiatric medication, conduct physical examinations, order and interpret laboratory
tests and electroencephalograms, and may order brain imaging studies.
Psychiatrists are doctors of medicine who specialize in treating mental illness
using the biomedical approach to mental disorders. Psychiatrists can also go through
training to conduct psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and/or cognitive behavioral therapy,
but it is their medical training that differentiates them from other mental health professionals.
How is a psychiatrist different from a counselor?
Psychiatry is different from counseling primarily in that psychiatrists deal with the medical aspects of mental health and prescribe medications to help patients manage symptoms and feel better, while counselors can spend more time with clients working to help them learn why they feel they way they feel, and to find solutions.
Medication Management
The advancements in medications related to mental health and well-being have been unbelievable over the past decade. Many of these medications allow people to live fuller and richer lives; however, it is important to understand that in most cases, a behavioral health issue cannot be 'fixed' simply by taking a pill. Common illnesses like depression and anxiety can be helped by medication, but the issues that lead to the problem often require medication and therapy to resolve.