The great American author Frederick Douglass once stated, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” A mental health condition can feel like a struggle that you didn’t sign up for, a struggle without a payoff. But the human psyche is sensitive and complicated. Who is to say that mental health conditions can’t eventually lead you toward progress in the form of insights and emotional growth? It happens everyday. People recover from depression and anxiety with greater empathy for the inner lives of their fellow humans. And mental health conditions can force you to turn inward and discover important truths about yourself.
That being said, we know it’s a struggle. We don’t want to romanticize psychological and behavioral conditions that can cause suffering. But there are ways to recover from mental health issues with your strength, self-worth, and sense of identity intact. Psychiatrists at Thriveworks in La Habra, CA are extensively trained in diagnosing, treating, and helping to prevent mental health conditions that can have detrimental effects on clients’ lives. Thriveworks psychiatrists are fully licensed, highly qualified, and recruited from the top 4% of mental health providers in the area, ensuring clients get the best care available.
Are Psychiatrists Primary Care Doctors?
Licensed psychiatrists are not considered primary care doctors, though mental health care is essential health care. Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that specializes in psychological and behavioral health. It can address moods, cognition, behaviors, and perceptions. Psychiatrists graduated from medical school with doctor of medicine (MD) degrees. They can prescribe and manage medications like antidepressants.
Thriveworks in La Habra, CA employs a number of top-rated psychiatrists as well as the following mental health providers:
- Psychologists (PhDs or PsyDs), who have doctorate degrees in psychology. Psychologists can be counseling psychologists or clinical psychologists and they do psychotherapy (talk therapy). They are not medical doctors, thus they cannot prescribe medication as psychiatrists can.
- Licensed professional counselors (LPCs), who provide solution-focused counseling, usually for people with specific problems.
- Psychotherapists, who are any providers who do psychotherapy.
- Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), who provide counseling and guidance for social services.
- Licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), who treat couples or family members in group therapy.
If you’re not sure if you need a psychiatrist, a psychotherapist, or another type of provider, the team at Thriveworks can help you figure it out.
Do Psychiatrists Do CBT?
Some psychiatrists do cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In medical school psychiatrists are trained in a variety of psychotherapy approaches, not just pharmaceutical interventions. CBT is one of the most popular and effective therapies available, so many psychiatrists are experienced in it. Mental health providers at Thriveworks in La Habra, CA use CBT to help clients identify and modify distorted thinking and belief patterns. Thriveworks providers may also use any of the following approaches to mental health:
- Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)
- Person-centered therapy (PCT)
- Existential therapy
- Psychotropic medication
- Gestalt therapy
- Exposure therapy, especially for phobias
- Psychodynamic psychotherapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness therapy
- Holistic therapy like meditation training
- Supportive-expressive therapy
- Anger management
- Emotion-focused therapy (EFT)
- Narrative therapy
- Lifestyle modifications that address nutrition and exercise
- Psychosocial interventions like support groups
- Motivation enhancement therapy (MET)
- Biofeedback
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
- Family therapy
- Couples therapy
How Do Psychiatrists Diagnose Bipolar Disorder?
Psychiatrists at Thriveworks in La Habra, CA diagnose bipolar disorder (manic depression) in a similar fashion to how they diagnose any mental health condition. The first step is a comprehensive evaluation for first-time clients. This full assessment may include any of the following elements:
- A patient physical
- Medical history
- Psychological tests
- Discussion of goals for treatment
- Discussion of symptoms, both cognitive and behavioral
- Psychoeducation on mental health conditions
- Discussion of lifestyle habits
- A psychosocial evaluation
- A family medical history
Other mental health conditions that psychiatrists can treat include the following:
- Mood disorders like major depression and postpartum depression
- Anxiety
- Panic disorder (panic attacks)
- Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Personality disorders
- Specific phobias
- Eating disorders
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
- Sleep disorders
- Addictions and substance abuse issues
Does Insurance Cover Psychiatry?
At Thriveworks in La Habra, CA, our team of mental health providers accept most major forms of health insurance coverage. If you’re not sure if your medical insurance plan covers mental health, Thriveworks can help answer your questions. For clients who are paying out-of-pocket, Thriveworks offers affordable self-pay rates.
Get Mental Health Support from a Licensed Psychiatrist at Thriveworks in La Habra, CA
Thriveworks psychiatrists in La Habra, CA can meet with first-time clients quickly, usually within 24-48 hours of their initial call, through secure, HIPAA-compliant online video conferencing technology. These telehealth appointments are just as effective as in-person psychiatry appointments.
Don’t wait to get the mental health support that you need and deserve. Thriveworks psychiatrists are here to help. Call today.
