Choosing a Psychiatrist is Hard!
When looking for a trusted psychiatrist, residents of Wesley Chapel, Florida may find themselves Googling “Psychiatrist Near Me.” This will bring up tons of local doctors (MDs or DOs) and nurse practioners (NPs) to choose from. But how do you pick the one for you? Today’s article aims to break things down for you.
How to Choose the Right Clinic
After Google executes your “psychiatrist near me” search, you may see yourself with tons of different options. Some clinics specialize in medication management using medications like SSRIs, SNRIs, antipsychotics or mood stabilizers. A few clinics specialize in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). There are also providers who offer esketamine (Spravato) for depression.
At InnerVision Psychiatry, we specialize in IV ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD and anxiety. We do not offer medication management, TMS or Spravato. We aim to function as consultants to your primary psychiatry team.
For more information related to our treatment process, please check out our FAQ Page
Table of Contents
- Which Clinic is “The Best?”
- How To Decide Who is an “Expert” in Psychiatry?
- The Difference at InnerVision Psychiatry
Which Clinic is “The Best?”
Many Factors at Play
Interestingly, you may search “best psychiatrist near me” followed by “top psychiatrist near me” and “psychiatrist near me,” only to find that the results are the same. As with many things in life, the “best” is subjective. Like with restaurants, you can scroll through 50 positive reviews of a meal but then see a few who absolutely hated it. My advice is always to look at a large amount of opinions and formulate your own.
It also depends on what you are looking for: medications, psychotherapy, TMS, Spravato, IV ketamine or a combination of modalities? There are plenty of clinics that specialize in traditional psychiatric medications and psychotherapy, which is a reasonable first option. If these treatments have failed to give the results you want, I would suggest looking for alternatives.
What Are The Alternatives?
After you have failed two or more medications, we have a mountain of evidence in psychiatry to suggest that other oral medications are unlikely to be effective. This dates all the way back to the largest study of depression at the time: the STAR-D trial. This data from 2008 tells us that after you have failed 2 oral medications, the likelihood that you respond to a 3rd or 4th antidepressant medication is <15%.
After medications, your options include TMS, Spravato, ECT (aka “shock therapy”) or IV ketamine. Each of these are reasonable options with varying levels of success based on which study you are reading. ECT has been around the longest and thus has the largest amount of evidence, but naturally comes with inherent risks of memory impairment. Dr. C has a great breakdown on ECT with more information in this blog. TMS has shown promising results but requires 5 visits a week for 4-6 weeks, which may be impractical for busy schedules.
TMS and Spravato are FDA approved for certain conditions, meaning your insurance may cover them. Though it should be noted that most insurances will require you to have documented “proof” that you failed 2-3 medications before. This often means more hurdles for both you and your psychiatrist to have it approved by your insurance.
How To Decide Who is an “Expert” in Psychiatry?
First, Look at Credentials
When you’re scrolling through Google’s results after searching “psychiatrist near me,” you may see a bunch of different letters behind names. Board certified psychiatrists such as Dr. C and myself have completed 4 years of medical school, 4-5 years of residency and have been certified by the American Board of Psychology and Neurology.
Nurse practioners (NPs or APRNs) begin with a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) and then complete a master’s (MSN) or doctoral degree (DNP) in nursing. Specializing in psychiatry, they pursue a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) track. The psychiatric requirement of this track is 600 hours (or 75 eight hour days, or 15 weeks, or just under 4 months). When compared to a board certified psychiatrist, this is significantly less. Often times they operate under the supervision of an MD or DO psychiatrist, but in the state of Florida they can also practice independently if they meet certain requirements.
Next, Look at What Each One Specializes In
While most psychiatrists are comfortable treating most illnesses, there are some who have chosen to specialize. Some members of our community specialize in ADHD, eating disorders, OCD or autism. Some specialize in child and adolescents, while others specialize in geriatric populations. Here at InnerVision Psychiatry we specialize in IV ketamine therapy. Our clients come to us when they have not responded well to traditional treatments. We have treated clients ranging from 16 to >80 years old.
The Difference At InnerVision Psychiatry
IV Ketamine Experience
Both myself and Dr. C have extensive experience with IV ketamine treatments. We have treated many clients in the community and have seen incredible results. We feel very confident that we are more than just another name on your “psychiatrist near me” search. Our treatments are personalized and tailored to your individual needs.
Not Your Average Clinic
Our team at InnerVision comes from a multitude of cultural backgrounds and caters to all walks of life. From your intake through your infusion days, you will feel safe, welcome and comfortable. If you made your way to us, your mental health journey thus far hasn’t been the smoothest of rides. Our goal is to change that and help you rewrite your story!
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend looking over reviews, credentials of the providers and narrowing down the type of treatment you are looking for. InnerVision Psychiatry offers IV ketamine therapy. We do not offer oral ketamine, TMS, Spravato or routine medication management.
InnerVision Psychiatry specializes in IV Ketamine therapy for treatment resistant depression, anxiety and PTSD. We are the only IV Ketamine clinic in Wesley Chapel.
InnerVision Psychiatry is the only IV Ketamine clinic in Wesley Chapel. In addition, we are owned and operated by two board-certified psychiatrists who have expert-level training in depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Lastly, our clinic offers IV Ketamine therapy at the most affordable rate in all of the Tampa Bay area.
Patients undergoing IV Ketamine therapy for depression, PTSD or anxiety often see results within days! There is clinical evidence to suggest that upwards of 65-80% of patients will see >50% reductions in symptoms after 6 infusions.
