Integrative Psychiatry

Integrative psychiatry is about taking a whole-person approach to your mental health, backed by solid scientific evidence. Integrative psychiatry focuses on both a mind and body approach to wellness, treating them as connected but distinct systems that impact each other.

Integrative psychiatry combines a thoughtful use of traditional medications with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), all of which are backed by research. 

CAM is a medical term that broadly covers medical products and practices falling outside the scope of standard western medical care.

• Complementary medicine includes medical treatments that are used alongside standard medical treatments but are not considered in and of themselves as standard treatment options.
  
• Alternative medicine includes options used instead of standard medical treatment. 

CAM treatments include a range of different types of scientifically backed interventions, many of which are drawn from thousands of years of eastern medical knowledge:

• Mind-body therapies, such as meditation, hypnosis, yoga, tai chi, and biofeedback

• Biologically based practices, such as vitamins, dietary supplements, special foods, and diets, as well as botanicals. 

• Manipulative and body-based practices can include massage therapy, chiropractic therapy, and reflexology
• Alternative treatments, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, ketamine infusions, and Spravato nasal spray

CAM treatments can also include supplements and lifestyle changes. We don’t endorse one style over another, but we believe combining both western and eastern philosophies can enhance a patient’s ability to heal from mental health issues faster.

For many years, the working model of depression was based on the idea that depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions were caused by an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain - specifically, serotonin and dopamine, which are known as monoamines. 

This model is known as the monoaminergic model of depression. In recent years, the monoaminergic model of depression has been updated to a much more complex system involving other important neurochemicals, such as

• Glutamate
• Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
• Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). 

Many of the current antidepressants work by increasing serotonin or dopamine in the brain. Therefore, the updated complex model helps to explain why the most frequently used depression medications do not always work and are only 40 to 60% effective.

Over time, it has become more evident that yesterday’s depression medications are limited in the amount of benefit they provide for depression patients. This has led to a more holistic approach to treating depression and other mental health conditions.

Integrative psychotherapy combines treatments to address the many factors impacting your mental and physical well-being. At Axis Integrated Mental Health, we utilize a combination of traditional therapies, lifestyle changes, dietary changes, supplements, TMS, ketamine infusions, and Spravato nasal spray treatment to help provide you with relief. 

Integrative psychotherapy can be used to treat a variety of different conditions, such as:

• Major depressive disorder
• Treatment-resistant disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Postpartum depression
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
• Persistent depressive disorder (PDD)
• Anxiety
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Burnout
• Covid depression

Integrative psychotherapy can achieve impressive results for mental health conditions by approaching mental health treatment from numerous angles. 

First, we start with lifestyle modifications, such as:

• Addressing nutrition and gut health to optimize the gut bacteria’s production of serotonin and other neurochemicals
• Adding movement and exercise to your routine to improve your mood

Then, we add thoughtful medication prescriptions and custom treatments to create a unique treatment plan for your mental health condition. 

Our approach is focused on adding interventions outside prescription medication to create a multimodal treatment approach. This helps increase your likelihood of improving and feeling better.

Here are the core principles driving our approach to integrative psychiatry at Axis Integrative Mental Health. 

• Enhance all aspects of life: Integrative psychiatry strives to enhance all aspects of your life and not just treat the mental health disease that brought you to us. At Axis Integrated Mental Health, we want to address your current mental health issues, prevent future problems, and improve your quality of life. 

• Power of relationships:  Integrative psychiatry focuses on the healing power of relationships, including the relationship between you and your psychiatrist and your personal relationships. 

• Analyze the connection between mind, body, and environment: Your body, mind, and environment need to be analyzed to see how they contribute to your condition and what can be changed within them to improve your overall health.
• Individuality: One of the core principles behind integrative psychiatry is seeing people as individuals. Since everyone works differently and needs different treatment methods to treat their mental health conditions, an individualized approach is vital for success.

Integrative psychiatry recognizes the value of traditional treatments, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, while also realizing that these are not the only treatment options. We also analyze your lifestyle and family history to inform your treatment plan.

Integrative psychiatry can be a valuable part of your treatment plan if you suffer from a mental health condition. 

Contact Axis Integrative Mental Health at (720) 400-7025 or fill out our contact us form to learn how we can help.