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Functional Psychiatry for Weston, MA

A traditional psychiatric work-up usually starts and ends with symptoms: what you feel, how often, and for how long. Functional psychiatry takes a wider view. It asks what might be driving those symptoms in the first place, using targeted lab testing to check for nutrient deficiencies, hormonal shifts, and other physiological factors that can affect mood, focus, and sleep. In Weston, where many of the adults who reach out to us are also managing demanding careers, packed family schedules, and the particular pressure of raising kids in a high-achieving school district, that fuller picture often matters. A parent who feels anxious and depleted may be dealing with more than stress alone, and it is worth finding out what.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in Weston, MA

Harborside Psychiatrics is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care to patients across the state by secure video. For a household in Weston, that means no drive to the Cape and no waiting room. You need a private space, a stable internet connection, and a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera.

A first appointment usually runs about 60 minutes and covers your history, current symptoms, any prior testing or treatment, and whether targeted lab work makes sense for your situation. If labs are recommended, they are typically completed through a local lab or an at-home kit, and results are reviewed together at a follow-up visit. Follow-up appointments are shorter, generally 20 to 30 minutes, and are scheduled based on your treatment plan, often every four to eight weeks once things are stable. If medication is part of your plan, prescriptions, including certain controlled medications when clinically appropriate, are sent electronically to a pharmacy near you in Weston or wherever is most convenient.

How telehealth care actually works

Functional psychiatry at Harborside is used for conditions where physiological factors may be contributing to how you feel, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, chronic fatigue tied to mood or focus, and mood symptoms that have not responded fully to a standard medication approach alone. It is not a separate diagnosis category. It is a way of evaluating and treating the conditions people already come to us for, with a broader set of information on the table before a plan is made.

What we treat

Your first visit is a conversation, not a checklist. A psychiatric nurse practitioner will ask about your symptoms, your medical and family history, your sleep, your diet, and anything you have already tried. Based on that conversation, they may recommend targeted lab testing to check for things like thyroid function, vitamin D, B12, iron stores, or other markers relevant to your symptoms. You will leave the appointment with a clear next step, whether that is lab work, a treatment plan, 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 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 ordering and interpreting the lab work used in functional psychiatry care. Full bios and credentials for each clinician are on our team page.

If your plan also includes therapy, that work is delivered by our licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Therapy and medication management can run together or separately, depending on what you need.

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 our pricing page, and any questions about cost can be answered before you book anything.

What it costs

If you are in Weston and thinking about functional psychiatry, the next step is a first appointment by video. You can review our approach on the functional psychiatry service page, see how we work across the state on the Massachusetts telehealth page, or check the MetroWest, MA region page for how we work with other nearby communities. If anxiety is a primary concern, our anxiety treatment page has more detail on that specific care.

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. [CITATION: American Psychiatric Nurses Association or NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health resource on integrative approaches to mental health, for general background on functional and integrative mental health care]

Reviewed by Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, Clinical Director. Last reviewed: {LAST_REVIEWED}.

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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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