How Do You Know If You Have a Good Psychiatrist?

Are Some Psychiatrists Better than Others?

The short answer is: yes. But what makes a good psychiatrist better than his or her colleagues? And how do you find a good psychiatrist?

The answer is given to us from a very interesting study in psychiatry. In 1996, a group of researchers from the University of Chicago, the George Washington University Medical Center, the Atlanta Center for Cognitive Therapy, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine published an article in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The article was titled: “The Role of the Therapeutic Alliance in Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy Outcome: Findings in the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program“.

Here’s what they discovered: a “good” psychiatrist giving a patient a placebo (a pill with no medication in it) got better results (meaning that the patient improved more) than a “bad” psychiatrist giving the patient a real medication. Whoa! Read that again.

What Makes a Good Psychiatrist?

What we now know from decades of research in psychotherapy and psychiatry it that the clinician’s skill at creating a successful therapeutic alliance is more important that any other factor in treatment. (The “therapeutic alliance” is a collaborative working relationship with your psychiatrist or therapist to help you meet your treatment and mental health goals). This means that if your psychiatrist is not very good at this, then you are much less likely to benefit from taking psychiatric medication.

So, at Plantation Psychiatry and Plantation Counseling and Wellness, the quality of the therapeutic alliance is front and center. We also practice within the philosophy of Client-Directed, Outcome-Informed therapy.  Finally, we are always working with our therapists and psychiatrists to continually increase their knowledge base and increase their clinical skills. We like to pride ourselves on having happy patients and creating the best clinical and mental health treatment outcomes we can.

How Do I Know if I Have a Good Psychiatrist?

Here are some signs of a good psychiatrist:

• You feel heard, understood and respected.
• Your concerns and preferences are taken into consideration.
• Your doctor explains things to you.
• Your psychiatrist has discussed the benefits of psychotherapy, in addition to psychiatrist medication.
• Your feel your visits are helpful.
• Your symptoms are improving.

 

Psychiatric Care in Plantation Florida – Fort Lauderdale – Davie – Cooper City – Sunrise – Weston

We are a multi-lingual, multi-specialty practice offering a variety of mental health treatments and evaluations, including psych meds, psychotherapy, counseling, faith-based Christian counseling, group therapy, coaching, classes, and mental health and educational evaluations. We serve patients throughout the state of Florida and serve individuals from all walks of life.

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What is a Psychiatrist?

What is a Psychiatrist? 

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (someone who went to medical school) who completed medical residency in Psychiatry. While many years ago psychiatrists would typical both prescribe psychiatric medication and also provide lengthy psychotherapy (think Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung), nowadays it’s much more common for psychiatrists to prescribe medication, while the therapy is left to other psychotherapists, such a psychologists, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers. School counselors and school psychologists can also provide some forms of psychotherapy. Advance Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP) can also prescribe psych meds and provide psychotherapy, although in general they have less training about medicine and medications than physicians do, and less training in psychotherapy than therapists do.

What Does a Psychiatrist Do?

A psychiatrist can do many things to help you with your mental health concerns. These can include:

• Evaluate your symptoms
• Ordering lab work
• Make a diagnosis when applicable
• Work collaboratively with you to develop a treatment plan
• Prescribe medication
• Talk with you to see if other treatment approaches, such as psychotherapy or intensive outpatient programs might be beneficial to you
• Continue to work with you until you achieve your treatment goals

What Can a Psychiatrist Help You With?

• Anxiety, Worry, Fears and Phobias
• Sleep Problems and Insomnia
• Difficulties with Focus and Concentration – ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) – ADHD
• Mood Swings or Emotional Outbursts
• Depression
• Body Image Problems and Eating Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Major Life Changes (such as Postpartum Depression, Death of a Loved One, Depression after Heart Surgery)
• Suicidal Thoughts or Self-Harm
• Anger and Impulse-Control Problems
• Hair Pulling or Skin Picking (Trichitillomania)
• Obsessive Thinking, Compulsions, or OCD
• Intrusive, Disturbing, or Recurring Thoughts
• Hallucinations of Delusions
• Uncontrolled Use of Drugs or Alcohol
• Trauma and PTSD
• Other Concerns with your Mental Health

Psychiatrist in Plantation, FL and throughout the entire state of Florida (via Tele-Health)

At Plantation Psychiatry and Plantation Counseling and Wellness our entire team of mental health professionals (including, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers) is dedicated to providing you with the best mental health treatments available. We individualize our care to the unique needs of each patient, and utilize only evidence-based, scientfically-validated mental health treatment approaches. We work in a compassionate, collaborative manner with our patients, taking into account your concerns and preferences.

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