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Functional Psychiatry for Scituate, MA

Unlike a traditional psychiatric work-up, a functional medicine approach takes the whole person into account, not just a checklist of symptoms. Harborside uses targeted testing to look for underlying deficiencies and physiological concerns that may be contributing to how someone feels, thinks, and functions day to day. That matters in a place like Scituate, where households often run on two commuting schedules, harbor-village routines, and a week that is already full before anyone adds a medical appointment to it.

For a lot of people in Scituate, the practical question is not just whether care exists, but whether it fits. Care that happens by video, on a schedule that does not require a half-day off work or a trip off the South Shore, is the fit this page is built around.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in Scituate, MA

Harborside Psychiatrics is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care by video to patients across the state, including Scituate. You do not come to an office. You need a private space, a phone or computer with a camera, and a stable internet connection.

A first appointment for functional psychiatry typically runs longer than a standard follow-up, because there is more ground to cover: history, current concerns, and a discussion of what testing might be useful. Follow-up appointments are shorter and are scheduled at a pace that fits the person, often more frequently at the start of care and spacing out from there.

If a prescription is part of your plan, it is sent electronically to the pharmacy you choose, near your home in Scituate or wherever is convenient. Lab or testing orders, when part of a functional psychiatry plan, are arranged through outside labs, with results reviewed together at a follow-up visit.

Everything happens on a set schedule you know in advance, so a session slots into a lunch break or an evening rather than displacing a full day.

How telehealth care actually works

Functional psychiatry at Harborside is used alongside standard evaluation and treatment for concerns like persistent low mood, anxiety, fatigue that does not resolve with rest, sleep disruption, and attention or focus difficulties. The approach is also used when someone has already tried standard treatment and wants a broader look at physiological factors, such as nutrient levels, thyroid function, or other markers that can influence mental health, before or alongside medication changes.

This is not a replacement for a full evaluation. It is an additional lens that some patients want as part of how their care is built.

What we treat

The first visit is a conversation. Expect questions about your health history, current symptoms, sleep, diet, stress load, and any prior testing or treatment. From there, your clinician will talk with you about whether additional lab testing makes sense and what it might look for. Nothing is ordered without a discussion of why it is being suggested and what it might show.

You will leave the first appointment with a plan: what happens next, what to expect from any testing, and when your next visit is scheduled.

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 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. Full bios and credentials for each of them are on the team page.

Therapy and eating disorder care at Harborside are delivered by the licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Some patients in Scituate work with a prescriber alone, others combine medication management with ongoing therapy, depending on what their care 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 Scituate and thinking about functional psychiatry, the next step is a first appointment. You can look over the functional psychiatry service page for more on the approach, or the Massachusetts telehealth page and the South Shore region page for how care by video works across your area. If anxiety is a bigger piece of what brought you here, the anxiety treatment page has more detail on that specific concern. Booking does not commit you to a particular testing plan. It starts with a conversation.

Getting started

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.

This page is educational and is not medical advice. It does not create a provider-patient relationship. For guidance on nutrition and mental health, see the [CITATION: National Institute of Mental Health or NIH Office of Dietary Supplements resource on nutrition and mental health].

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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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