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Functional Psychiatry for Stratham, NH

A traditional psychiatric work-up asks what symptoms you have and which medication might address them. Functional psychiatry starts further back. It asks what might be driving those symptoms in the first place, using targeted testing to look for underlying deficiencies and physiological concerns that can affect mood, focus, and energy. For people in Stratham, NH, weighing this kind of care, that distinction matters. This is a town where people tend to be deliberate about their choices, whether that means a family that has been on the Seacoast for generations or someone who moved from Boston or Portsmouth, NH for a slower pace and better air. Deliberate people tend to want a clinician who looks at the whole picture before reaching for a prescription pad.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in Stratham, NH

Stratham sits in a part of New Hampshire where residents are used to having options and used to asking questions before committing to a plan. Functional psychiatry fits that mindset. Instead of treating a diagnosis in isolation, this approach considers sleep, nutrition, thyroid function, inflammation, and other physiological factors that can influence mental health, alongside a standard psychiatric evaluation. For someone in Stratham who has already tried a conventional approach and wants a more complete assessment, or someone starting fresh and wanting a broader lens from the beginning, this is a way to build a picture of mental health that accounts for the whole body, not just a symptom checklist.

How telehealth care actually works

Harborside Psychiatrics is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care by video to patients across New Hampshire, including Stratham. You do not travel to an office. You 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 to you ahead of each appointment.

An initial evaluation runs longer than a follow-up, giving your clinician time to go through your history, current concerns, and relevant lab work or testing. Follow-up appointments are typically shorter and scheduled at an interval your clinician recommends based on where you are in your care, whether that is every few weeks or a longer stretch once things are more settled. If medication is part of your plan, prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice in Stratham or anywhere nearby, so there is no separate errand involved in getting started.

What we treat

Functional psychiatry at Harborside is used with adults dealing with concerns like persistent low mood, anxiety, chronic fatigue that has a mental health component, brain fog, sleep disruption, and mood changes that have not fully made sense within a standard treatment approach. It can also be a fit for people who want a fuller physiological picture before starting or adjusting a treatment plan, or who have concerns that a purely symptom-based approach has not addressed. This is not a specialty limited to one diagnosis. It is a way of evaluating and treating mental health concerns more broadly, with attention to what else might be contributing.

What the first appointment involves

Your first visit is a conversation, not a quick check-in. Your clinician will ask about your current symptoms, your medical and mental health history, your sleep, diet, and stress levels, and any medications or supplements you are already taking. Depending on what comes up, they may recommend specific lab testing to look for nutritional deficiencies, thyroid irregularities, or other physiological factors that can affect mood and cognition. From there, you and your clinician build a plan together, which may include medication, lifestyle changes, referrals for additional testing, or a combination. Nothing is decided before that first conversation happens.

Who our clinicians are

Medication management and functional psychiatry at Harborside are performed by psychiatric nurse practitioners: Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, who is also Harborside’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 how functional psychiatry is practiced here, combining a standard psychiatric evaluation with attention to the physiological factors that can shape mental health. Full bios and credentials for each clinician are available on the team page.

When therapy is part of your care, or when eating disorder support is needed alongside medication management, 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.

What it costs

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.

Getting started

If you are in Stratham and considering functional psychiatry, the next step is scheduling an initial evaluation. That appointment is where your clinician gathers the full picture and decides, with you, what testing or treatment makes sense. You can learn more about the approach on our functional psychiatry service page, see how care works across the state on our New Hampshire telehealth page, or check our Seacoast NH region page for more on how we work with towns near Stratham. If anxiety is a primary concern, our anxiety treatment page has more detail on how that is addressed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is functional psychiatry the same as functional medicine?

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 does not constitute medical advice. It does not create a provider-patient relationship. Mental health conditions and treatment approaches vary by individual, and any decision about your care should be made with a qualified clinician.

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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