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Functional Psychiatry for South Burlington, VT

A traditional psychiatric work-up asks about symptoms and moves toward a prescription. The functional medicine approach asks a broader question first: what else might be driving how you feel. Harborside uses targeted testing to look at underlying deficiencies and physiological factors that can affect mood, focus, sleep, and mental health, alongside a full clinical evaluation.

South Burlington is a well-educated, professional community, and it is also Vermont’s most populous suburb, sitting next to the state’s largest city. People here tend to want a provider who takes real time to understand the whole picture before deciding on a plan. That is the starting point for how we practice functional psychiatry. Because controlled medications cannot be prescribed in Vermont, our approach in South Burlington centers on evaluation, non-controlled medication management, and testing-informed care rather than any controlled substance.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in South Burlington, VT

Harborside is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and we work with patients across South Burlington by video. 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.

A first appointment typically runs longer than a routine visit, since it includes a full history and a conversation about what testing might be useful. Follow-up appointments are shorter and happen on a schedule your clinician sets based on your situation, often monthly or every few weeks once a plan is in place. If a non-controlled medication is appropriate, the prescription is sent electronically to a pharmacy you choose near you in South Burlington, so you pick it up locally without an extra step.

Testing, when it is part of your plan, is usually done through a local lab or an at-home kit, with results reviewed together on a video visit. Nothing about the video format changes how carefully your case is considered.

How telehealth care actually works

Functional psychiatry at Harborside is used for people dealing with persistent low mood, anxiety, fatigue that will not resolve, sleep disruption, brain fog, and mood changes that seem tied to hormonal or nutritional shifts. It is often a fit for people who have tried standard approaches without a full picture of what might be contributing, or who want any medication decision grounded in a broader evaluation rather than a symptom checklist alone.

This is not a replacement for emergency care, and it is not a fit for every condition. Your clinician will talk with you about whether this approach makes sense for what you are experiencing, and will refer you elsewhere if it does not.

What we treat

The first visit is a conversation, not a test day. Expect questions about your health history, current symptoms, sleep, diet, stress, and any prior treatment. Your clinician will explain which lab or testing options might be relevant to you and why, and you decide together whether to move forward. You leave the first appointment with a plan, even if that plan is simply to review test results at the next visit.

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

Therapy and eating disorder care are delivered by our licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Depending on your needs, your care in South Burlington might involve one clinician or a combination of medication management and therapy working together.

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 questions about cost can be answered before anything is booked.

What it costs

If you are in South Burlington and thinking about functional psychiatry, the next step is a first appointment where you talk through your history and decide together whether testing makes sense. You can review our functional psychiatry services or see how we work across the state on our Vermont telehealth page and in our Chittenden County region page. If low mood or anxiety is part of what brought you here, our anxiety care page has more detail on how we approach it.

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. [CITATION: National Institute of Mental Health or SAMHSA resource on integrative/whole-person approaches to mental health, for general background on functional and nutritional factors in mental health]

Reviewed by Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, Clinical Director, Harborside Psychiatrics. 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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