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Psychiatry Blog

Discussing topics like how to find a psychiatrist, psychiatrist vs. counselor, what is psychotherapy, and much more.


​Our blog is meant to provide information and answers to common questions in psychiatry, cognitive behavioral therapy, mental illness, mental health professionals, talk therapy, psychologists, substance abuse, and anything else that would be helpful to those seeking mental health information. Knowing how to find a good psychiatrist, and what a licensed psychiatrist is will help you in your search.

Therapist Website

12/15/2020

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What to Include in a Therapist's Website?

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​In this age of social media and the growth of the internet, businesses are developing a stronger online presence. Fortunately, this makes it easier to get in contact with a good therapist from the comfort of your home. But, the sheer number of websites can make it challenging to find a good one. Here are some key things you need to look out for to recognize a good therapist website.

Organized Structure

The first impression on a good website is the homepage, and its structure may determine if you continue to skim the website. What you need is a clean homepage with a good headline and a section that clearly states the services offered. A clean homepage is a sign of organization, and it shows you exactly what to expect from the therapist. When a website’s homepage is too cluttered, their message is lost, and prospective patients are less sure about whether this therapist will relate to them.

User-Friendly Interface

Poor navigation is a common issue with many websites, and it can discourage you from continuing on the site. Searching for information on a website that doesn’t have a good layout can be very frustrating, especially when you need something specific. A good tip is to check that a website has a menu that puts everything into sections for you to navigate quickly.

Simple and Creative Information

A website that has clunky and cluttered information doesn’t give the right impression of the therapist in charge. You should be able to quickly understand the information on the website, without it sounding too robotic or generic. Simple information makes your search easy and lets you choose a therapist that is suited to your needs.

Personal Information

A therapist website should include some detailed information about the therapist.  I certainly prefer to know where therapists have trained and what is the current view of my particular concerns.  It is nice to see a professional photo that will help give me an idea about who I will be relating to in sessions. Details about therapies offered are essential, especially if you have specific needs from the therapist.

Straightforward Contact Details

You’re more likely to contact the therapist directly if they have a quick access contact button than if you have to copy an email address or phone number. The first step to booking a session is getting into contact with the therapist’s office, so a button that makes it easier is a plus.

A Concise List of Specialties and Experience

Once you log in to any website, it only takes you a short time to find out what services they offer, and if you don’t find that quickly, it can be frustrating. You should check first to ensure that the website has an exhaustive list detailing all the services and programs that they offer. It is more convenient for both parties, and it cuts down on your search time.


The search for a good therapist can be time-consuming and exhausting, especially when you don’t have one in mind. These tips can help you to shorten your search time, help you have a more productive experience, and narrow down your list quicker. 
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Telemedicine Psychiatry

8/31/2020

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Telemedicine Psychiatry - Finding a Provider in Texas


Online Psychiatrist Texas

Are you willing to visit a psychiatrist to get a treatment plan for depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issue but can’t go to the clinic due to mobility issues or a busy schedule?  Maybe you just prefer the convenience of seeing a board certified physician via a video conference.

Using telemedicine psychiatry, you can see an online psychiatrist in Texas that allows you to get the best treatment from the comfort of your home without having to disturb your schedule.

In this article, we’ll highlight a few important things you must keep in mind when choosing a telepsychiatrist in Texas.

With telepsychiatry, you can easily find the best online therapy for certain conditions including Psychological Testing and Evaluation, Clinical Psychiatry, Cognitive Therapy, Geriatric Psychiatry, and Child Psychiatry.

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Reasons for Choosing Telepsychiatry - Also Called Telemedicine Psychiatry

Reduce risks
When you’re suffering from mental health disorders, you may not feel comfortable visiting an office in person to seek mental health care. For instance, anxiety disorders are a common problem that prevent people from booking an appointment with a psychiatrist. Many patients suffering from anxiety prefer to see their physician from the comfort and safety of their own home.


Save time
As we’ve mentioned above, some patients can’t visit a psychiatrist due to a busy schedule or due to the distance they may have to travel to see one. So, online psychiatry is the best option to save time.

You won’t have to travel for miles to visit the therapist as you can get the treatment at the comfort of your home or in your office. You won’t even have to wait in a busy waiting room for your turn.

The online psychiatrists set aside time for each patient. It means your session will start closer to the time you were assigned. So, you won’t have to wait for hours to get the health service you need.

Medication Management
Medication Management is very important for treating mental health disorders. An online psychiatrist can help with keeping a track of medications and side effects.
Depending on the state you are in, controlled substances like ADHD medication and other psychiatric medications may require an initial face to face meeting or office visit before the telepsychiatry services can prescribe medications.
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Tips for choosing a Texas-Licensed Online Psychiatrist

Hopefully, you’ve learned all the important benefits of working with a psychiatrist online. Now, let’s take a look at the tips you may follow when choosing your Online Psychiatrist in Texas.

Choose at least 3 psychiatrists
Many psychiatrists are now providing their services online. So, you can easily choose the 3 best psychiatrists from the list of psychiatrists that are providing services online. Now, you need to prepare a chart where you can compare the services of these psychiatrists to choose the best professional for your needs.

You can add certain elements to this chart such as response time, skills,  experience, location, and cost. Based on the data you collect, you can decide which psychiatrist is best for your needs.

Ask them for Certifications
When you get in touch with the psychiatrists, you can research their certifications. You may need a general psychiatrist, or one that is certified in a specialty that you need.

Experience
Experience is another important factor you must consider when choosing a Texas online psychiatrist. Usually, people prefer choosing the most experienced psychiatrist from the list. But, with experience often comes increased cost. We recommend working with a psychiatrist that has at least two years of experience.

Reviews
You may also take help from reviews of the patients that have worked with these psychiatrists before. These reviews give a clear picture of how well the psychiatrist can solve your problem. However, you need to make sure that you’re choosing a psychiatrist from a reputable platform with real reviews.

Location
Although you’re choosing a psychiatrist online, we recommend considering choosing a person that is located near you. Thus, you’d easily be able to visit their clinic if the need arises.

Cost
The cost of each session also helps with deciding which psychiatrist is best for your needs. The benefit of working with an online psychiatrist is that they can sometimes have lower costs compared to traditional ones near your home. 

Conclusion
Working with an online psychiatrist is a bit different than online shopping because you’re supposed to trust someone with your health. Therefore, we’ve shared a detailed guide you may follow when choosing an online psychiatrist Texas. We’ve also shared the benefits you’d get while working with an online psychiatrist. We can help you if you’re still confused about finding a psychiatrist online. Please call and let us know how we can help you.

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What Do Psychiatrists Do?

8/17/2020

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What Do Psychiatrists Do? A Detailed Overview


Psychiatrist


The profession of psychiatry has a bit of an aura of mystery around it. What do the men and women of this profession actually do every day?

Psychiatrists first train as medical doctors, although their work involves human thinking, emotions, and behavior. The fact that psychiatrists work with these less tangible areas of human experiences perhaps makes their work seem more mysterious than a regular medical doctor dealing with a physical disease state.

Scientific discoveries in recent decades have broadened our understanding of mental health disorders, and we now know that thought, emotion, and behavior are rooted in the processes of the brain and nervous system. Disorders of thought, emotion, and behavior can often be treated with medications and a broad range of other psychotherapy treatment options.

In essence, a psychiatrist’s job is to evaluate people for mental disorders, offer a diagnosis, and set out a treatment or management plan for the patient’s benefit. In some cases, treatment means a total recovery from the problem. For others, effective management of symptoms is the goal in psychiatric care.

Because of their medical training, psychiatrists can utilize all types of medical tests and lab work to rule out physical diseases as the cause of the patient’s symptoms, and they can prescribe medications.
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A psychiatrist’s advanced training in genetics and their understanding of family medical history allows them to provide a comprehensive evaluation of all factors involved in a patient’s condition. 
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The Day to Day Work of a Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists work in private practices, mental health clinics, hospitals, prisons and rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and research settings at universities and in industries. Many also practice online psychiatry and see patients through a phone or computer. A psychiatrist’s daily work depends on where they work.

However, most psychiatrists have regular appointments with clients, whether they are in an out-patient office or an institutional location. Psychiatrists evaluate new patients to determine their condition and to make a diagnosis.

The evaluation may require medical tests like blood tests, x-rays, or cat-scans to see if a physical disease such as a brain tumor or neurological disorder underlies the person’s mental health symptoms.

A person whose mental health problems are arising from a physical disease may still need the help of a psychiatrist. For example, people with severe, chronic conditions often need medications for anxiety and depression, and prescribing and monitoring the use of these medications is one job of a psychiatrist.

When psychiatrists use medications to treat mental conditions, a psychiatrist’s job includes regularly monitoring the patient’s response to the drug and changing the prescription as the person’s symptoms improve or in response to side-effects.

Psychiatrists and their patients must work closely together to understand a medication’s effect on that person. The risks, benefits, side-effects, and outcomes require on-going evaluations by both the patient and the psychiatrist.

Besides prescribing medication, many psychiatrists also offer patients psychotherapy counseling and other forms of treatment, such as behavior modification, EMDR therapy, and desensitization therapy for phobias.
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People who make the best psychiatrists are those with a high degree of empathy and patience who are also good at listening and communicating compassionately to a broad range of people. 

Psychiatrist References:
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness
https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/psychiatrist/
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-psychiatry

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What is an Online Psychiatrist?

7/27/2020

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What is an Online Psychiatrist? A definitive Guide

online psychiatrist

Many businesses have moved online recently as there have been limitations and lockdowns imposed throughout the world. As these lockdowns have been put in place, individuals have found themselves wondering how they will meet with physicians, physical therapists, or their psychiatrist.
 
Fortunately, we live in the era of technology, in which there are many different ways that you are able to meet with the health professional that you are in need of meeting. If you are someone that is in need of seeing a psychiatrist, then you may be wondering what an online psychiatrist is and how you are able to speak to one online. As you search for information on online psychiatrists, this blog may be able to help.
 
What is an Online Psychiatrist?
An online psychiatrist, via telepsychiatry, is able to conduct most, if not all, of the same essential functions of a psychiatrist that you would meet in person. The only main difference is the inability to meet in person and all functions are performed through phone, email, or face-to-face video technology - just like FaceTime, Zoom, WebEx, or Skype.
 
An online psychiatrist would meet with you during the timeframe that you request and ultimately perform the same functions as an in-person psychiatrist, such as analyzing, diagnosing, and treating mental health conditions. Online psychiatry has advantages above in-person psychiatry, which include convenience, comfort, cheaper, and ultimately has much more accessibility.

Online psychiatrists have the same degree and education as other in-person psychiatrists, they just specialize in meeting online as opposed to in person. This would be particularly common during the time of the coronavirus this year.
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How to Locate an Online Psychiatrist


Locating and speaking to an online psychiatrist is not a difficult task, but can be fairly time consuming. It will require making calls, reading up on physician credentials and treatment methods, and obtaining an overall feel as to who you find to be the most comfortable. Once you locate the psychiatrist that you are the most comfortable with, you will begin the scheduling process and incorporate weekly, biweekly, or monthly sessions that can help you as you continue throughout your treatment.


Overall, online psychiatry is becoming more prevalent than ever before, and can be just as beneficial as seeing a psychiatrist in person. As the coronavirus continues to make waves across the world, it is important to take care of your mental health. If you find yourself needing to reach out or are struggling dealing with a mental health issue, online psychiatry is a wonderful option to look into. Call us for more information 281-849-4080
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The Top 10 Benefits of Online Psychiatry (Telepsychiatry)

4/18/2020

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Online Psychiatry
Telemedicine is the process of providing healthcare through technology with video and audio input.  Telepsychiatry is the subset of telemedicine used in the treatment of mental health with a licensed psychiatrist.  Many of us are already familiar with video conferencing  applications like Facetime, Skype, Zoom, and others.  Some of the leading benefits of telepsychiatry are:

1.  Easier Access to Care 

The most widely held reason to utilize telepsychiatry is convenience.  You can perform your sessions in the comfort of your own home.  Traffic, waiting rooms, commutes, etc. become a thing of the past.  Some patients elect to have every session via telepsychiatry.  Depending on your psychiatrist, rare visits may be required to be in-person due to federal regulations.  Those get more complicated so ask your psychiatrist if you can continue telepsychiatry at the next appointment.
 
2.  No Commute

Finding a good psychiatrist that you trust isn’t easy for everyone.  Sometimes the ideal psychiatrist for you involves in a bit of a drive.  Patients that experience high anxiety in traffic may forego treatment rather than seek out a psychiatrist that involves a fair commute. 

3.  Avoid Waiting Rooms

My least favorite part about medical appointments is the waiting room.  Most waiting rooms feel relatively claustrophobic, there are many people there that you don’t know, and there is little to do.  Telepsychiatry solves those issues as you can be in your own bedroom alone or with family.  Best of all, you can be completing other tasks while you wait.

4.  More cost effective

While the price per session with your psychiatrist is likely to be the same, you will save transportation costs and minimize time away from work.  Many employed patients see their psychiatrist over their lunch break.  No time off work required.  Vacation days stay vacation days.

5.  Reduce delays in care 

Once your primary care doctor, counselor, or other specialist refers you to a psychiatrist, you still need to perform a search to find psychiatrists in your area with availability in the coming days or weeks.  I can’t tell you how often patients cancel in the last 24 hours or even with 1 hour notice.  This may not be enough time for you to shower and commute to a new office.  Some psychiatrists are even willing to stay later to see some patients via telepsychiatry.  Like any professional business open after typical business hours, there is some concern of safety when you are the last one at the office.  Telepsychiatry  is an option that maintains everyone’s safety even at later hours.
 
6.  No stigma

I believe that the stigma surrounding mental health is gradually disappearing.  The general population is becoming more accepting and understanding that mental health is vitally important.  Treatment is more accepted and better studied than ever before. 

7.  Continuity of Care

Life is not stagnant.  People move for work, college, proximity to family, and many other reasons.  While the purpose of the move may be mostly positive, it is troublesome to find all new doctors, counselors, financial advisors, and every other type of professional that you may need.  While doctors must be licensed in the state where the patient is present for ongoing visits, many people will move within the state, and sometimes physicians hold licenses in multiple states.  Your move may not require switching doctors.

8.  Technology is improving

Most new phones and laptops have built in cameras and microphones now. That means you likely already have the equipment to participate in a telepsychiatry appointment.  Even the instructions can be quite simple to reach your physician.  With a connection to the internet, you may be all set.

9.  Physical obstacles are not a hindrance

One of my biggest reasons to cancel an appointment is either due to injury or weather event.  Accidents happen.  A broken leg can make it quite difficult to drive to your appointment.  New antibiotics can cause nausea which makes it unsafe to drive.  The electricity going out during a storm can make it difficult to get your car out of your garage.  These events aren’t easy to overcome and often result in cancelled appointments.  Not anymore!  Transitioning your appointment to telepsychiatry can make it simple and easy.

10.  Maintain social distancing

I’m not sure there has ever been a time similar to the present in which Americans are unified to maintain a social distance due to a global pandemic.  There is a general increase in anxiety throughout the nation related to being in public.  While doctors are spacing out appointments and utilizing strategies to make waiting rooms less crowded, there is no better way to social distance and see your doctor than by telemedicine.  
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