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Functional Psychiatry for Medfield, MA

A traditional psychiatric work-up usually starts and ends with symptoms: what you feel, how often, how severe. Functional psychiatry asks a different first question. It looks at the whole person, including sleep, gut health, nutrient status, hormones, and inflammation, and uses targeted testing to check for underlying deficiencies or physiological concerns that may be driving how someone feels. In Medfield, a lot of the households looking into this are already stretched thin managing school schedules, youth sports, and long commutes into Boston or along Route 27, and they want a mental health approach that treats the body as part of the picture, not something separate from it.

That is often what brings a Medfield parent or professional to functional psychiatry in the first place: a sense that standard symptom-checklists have not gotten at what is actually going on. Harborside works with people across Medfield through this lens, combining careful evaluation with lab-based testing to build a fuller picture before deciding on a plan.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in Medfield, MA

Harborside is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care to patients across the state by video, which means Medfield residents do not need to travel to be seen. You will need a private space, a stable internet connection, and a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera. Sessions happen through a secure telehealth platform, and the link is sent ahead of each appointment.

An initial functional psychiatry evaluation runs longer than a standard intake, since it covers history, current symptoms, and a review of any lab work or physiological testing that may be recommended. Follow-up visits are shorter and are scheduled based on what the treatment plan calls for, sometimes every few weeks at first, then spaced out as things settle into a routine. If a prescription is part of the plan, it is sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice, including pharmacies in or near Medfield. Lab orders, when needed, can typically be completed at a local draw site.

How telehealth care actually works

Functional psychiatry at Harborside is used alongside standard evaluation for concerns such as persistent low mood, anxiety, attention and focus difficulties, sleep disruption, and low energy that has not responded to a more conventional approach alone. It can also be relevant when someone has a mental health diagnosis already but wants their care to account for physical factors like thyroid function, vitamin or mineral levels, or blood sugar regulation. This is not a replacement for a full evaluation of mental health symptoms. It is an additional lens applied alongside that evaluation, with testing used to inform, rather than replace, clinical judgment.

What we treat

The first visit is mostly conversation: your history, your current concerns, your daily patterns around sleep, food, movement, and stress, and any prior treatment you have tried. From there, your clinician will talk through whether targeted lab testing makes sense, what it would look at, and how the results would shape next steps. You will leave the appointment with a clear sense of what happens next, whether that is bloodwork, a follow-up visit to review results, or a plan for medication, therapy referral, or both.

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, and each brings that qualification to the functional approach, reading lab results alongside clinical symptoms to build a treatment plan. Full bios and credentials for each clinician are on the team page.

When therapy is part of the plan, including support for eating disorders, that work is carried out by Harborside’s licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC, ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Medication and therapy can run together or separately, depending on what a person’s plan calls for.

Who our clinicians are

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

What it costs

If you are in Medfield and considering functional psychiatry, the first step is booking an initial evaluation. From there, your clinician will walk you through whether testing is appropriate and what a realistic plan looks like, built around your history and your goals rather than a fixed protocol.

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. Reading it does not create a provider-patient relationship with Harborside Psychiatrics or any of its clinicians.

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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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