What is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner?
A psychiatric nurse practitioner is a master’s level educated registered nurse who specializes in psychiatry. A trained Master’s Level Psychiatric NP can make clinical diagnoses and prescribe medications. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners are NOT medical doctors and did not attend medical school but function much as a psychiatrist does.
What is integrative psychiatry?
Integrative psychiatry is a holistic approach to mental health that looks at the whole person—not just symptoms. It combines traditional treatments like medication with lifestyle changes, nutrition, mind-body practices, and other supportive therapies to create a personalized plan that fits your unique needs. The goal is to support your mental, emotional, and physical well-being in a more complete and lasting way.
Do psychiatric nurse practitioners provide therapy?
Our psychiatric nurse practitioners may provide brief therapy during a visit, but the visit is primarily to address medication effectiveness and response to what is being prescribed. Patients should have their own therapist in addition to a prescribing psychiatric nurse practitioner for the best mental health outcomes.
How often do I see a nurse practitioner for medication management?
This will vary from patient to patient depending on stability of symptoms and whether new meds are being introduced or other med changes are happening. Once stable and on the proper doses, our patients can see their psychiatric NP every 3-4 months. Again, this will vary and be discussed with each patient and tailored to their needs.
What if I am in crisis?
We do NOT provide 24/7 crisis coverage for psychiatric emergencies. If you are in crisis outside of regular business hours please call 988 the national mental health hotline or proceed to your nearest emergency room or call 911.
Do you prescribe controlled substances such as stimulants and/or benzodiazepines?
Our nurse practitioners will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine the potential benefits and risks of these types of controlled medications. Specific medication prescriptions or refills are not guarunteed. We will individually assess your needs, the appropriateness of each medication and work together to ensure the best outcomes.
If you are already prescribed stimulants we request you provide documentation and your neuropsychological testing results to confirm your diagnosis for which you are being treated with stimulants. We may also require a recent EKG and a urine drug screen to continue these medications if clinically indicated.
Some patients with a history of drug or alcohol use may not be a good fit for these types of medications and this will be discussed with your provider.
What do I do if I run out of my medications ?
Refill requests can be addressed during your visit or requests can be made through our online HIPAA compliant texting app, Spruce, once care is established. We request a 72 hr window in which medications will be refilled.
How do I make an appointment to be evaluated?
Please contact our office at (617) 229-6852 or info@thrivepsychiatriccare.com and we will send you a brief prospective patient questionnaire. Once reviewed by our nurse practitioners, we will schedule a call for a FREE 15 minute consultation to see if we are able to meet your needs and if we are a good fit for you!
Info@Thrivepsychiatriccare.com
6 Essex Center Drive Suite 309 Peabody, MA 01960
(617) 229-6852
Fax (617) 404- 9366