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Functional Psychiatry for Holliston, MA

A traditional psychiatric work-up asks what symptoms you have and which medication might address them. A functional approach asks a broader question: what is happening in the body that might be driving those symptoms in the first place. Harborside uses targeted testing to look at nutrient levels, thyroid function, and other physiological factors that can affect mood, focus, and sleep, alongside a standard evaluation of mental health history.

In Holliston, that question often comes from parents managing full households on tight schedules, or from professionals commuting toward Boston or Worcester who have already tried the obvious fixes and want a more complete picture before adding another prescription. This page explains how that work is actually done by video, what it addresses, and who does it.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in Holliston, MA

Harborside is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care to patients across the state by secure video. For someone in Holliston, that means appointments happen from home, a car during a lunch break, or wherever there is privacy and a stable internet connection. You do not need special equipment: a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and microphone is enough, and the platform is accessed through a link sent ahead of each visit.

An initial evaluation typically runs longer than a follow-up, since it covers history, current concerns, and a discussion of which lab testing might be useful for a functional work-up. Follow-up appointments are shorter and scheduled at an interval that fits your situation, often every few weeks at the start and spacing out over time. Lab work is ordered through standard outside labs, and results are reviewed together in a later session. When medication is part of the plan, prescriptions are sent electronically to a pharmacy of your choosing in Holliston or nearby, the same way an in-person visit would work.

How telehealth care actually works

Functional psychiatry at Harborside is used alongside standard evaluation for concerns like persistent low mood, anxiety that has not responded the way you expected, brain fog, chronic fatigue tied to mental health symptoms, and difficulty concentrating or regulating attention. It is also used when someone has been on medication for a while and wants a fuller look at what else might be contributing, including things like thyroid function, iron and vitamin D levels, or other markers that can affect how the brain and body work together.

This is not a replacement for therapy or for medication when it is needed. It is an additional lens: a way of checking whether something physiological is part of the picture, so that treatment decisions are made with more information rather than less.

What we treat

Your first appointment is a conversation, not a set of forms filled out in silence. Expect questions about your current symptoms, your health history, sleep, diet, stress, and any medications or supplements you already take. From there, your clinician will talk through whether lab testing makes sense for you and which panels would be most useful. You will leave that first visit with a plan for next steps, whether that is bloodwork, a therapy referral, a medication conversation, or some combination.

There is no assumption going in that everyone needs the same tests or the same treatment. The point of the first appointment is to figure out what your situation actually calls for.

What the first appointment involves

Medication management and functional psychiatry at Harborside are performed by psychiatric nurse practitioners: Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, who is also the practice’s clinical director, Emily Pardue, RN PMHNP-BC, and Kirstin Ritchie, RN PMHNP-BC. Each is qualified to evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe for mental health conditions, including the kind of combined medical and psychiatric evaluation that a functional approach requires. Full bios and credentials for each clinician are available on the team page.

Therapy is delivered by Harborside’s licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. When a Holliston patient’s plan includes both medication and therapy, these two parts of the team coordinate on care.

Who our clinicians are

Harborside is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly for appointments. Current fees for an initial evaluation and for follow-up appointments are listed on the pricing page, and any questions about cost can be answered before you book anything.

What it costs

If you are in Holliston and considering functional psychiatry, the next step is scheduling an initial evaluation. That first conversation will help clarify whether testing is appropriate for you and what a reasonable plan looks like from there. You can review the broader functional psychiatry service page, check the Massachusetts telehealth page for state-specific details, or look at the MetroWest region page to see how care is organized across nearby towns.

Getting started

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988. Harborside does not provide emergency or after-hours care.

This page is educational and is not medical advice. It does not create a provider-patient relationship. Decisions about testing and treatment should be made with a qualified clinician who knows your full history.

[CITATION: National Institute of Mental Health overview of nutrition, physical health, and mental health, to support the functional psychiatry framing with a government health source]

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is functional psychiatry the same as functional medicine?

No. It’s psychiatric care from a licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner that also reviews lab work and lifestyle factors, not a separate functional medicine practice.

No. Whether labs make sense is decided together at the first visit, based on your history and symptoms.

Bring it to your first appointment. Existing results can often be used instead of repeating tests.

No. Labs are typically billed separately by the lab itself and may be partly covered by insurance depending on the plan.

Yes. It’s meant to work alongside an existing therapist or primary care provider, not replace them.

Functional psychiatry includes the same prescribing and monitoring, plus a review of physical health factors like sleep, nutrition, and lab markers.

If you need help right now

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988. Harborside Psychiatrics does not provide emergency or after-hours care.

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