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Functional Psychiatry for Franklin, MA

Unlike a traditional psychiatric work-up that starts and ends with a symptom checklist, a functional approach takes the whole person into account, including the physiology underneath the mood or attention concern. Harborside uses targeted testing to look for underlying deficiencies and physiological patterns that may be contributing to how someone feels, thinks, or functions day to day. In a town like Franklin, where households are often running two working parents, a full sports and activity calendar, and a school schedule that leaves little slack, that whole-person view matters because the question is rarely just “what medication” – it’s what else might be going on physically that a fifteen-minute checklist would miss.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in Franklin, MA

Harborside Psychiatrics is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care by video across the state, including to people who live and work in Franklin. You do not travel to an office. Appointments happen over a secure video platform from home, a car during a lunch break, or anywhere private with a stable internet connection and a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera.

An initial evaluation typically runs longer than a follow-up, giving the clinician time to go through history, current symptoms, and any relevant lab or testing information. Follow-up appointments are shorter and scheduled on a cadence that depends on what’s being managed, sometimes monthly, sometimes further apart once things are stable. If medication is part of the plan, prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice, so a Franklin-based patient picks up a prescription at a local pharmacy the same way they would after any in-person visit.

How telehealth care actually works

Functional psychiatry at Harborside addresses concerns like persistent low mood, anxiety, attention and focus difficulties, sleep disruption, and the kind of low energy or mental fog that doesn’t resolve on its own. Because the approach includes targeted testing, it’s also suited to situations where someone has already tried standard treatment without the full picture, or where a parent or adult patient wants to understand whether a nutritional, hormonal, or metabolic factor might be part of what’s driving symptoms. This is not a replacement for emergency or crisis care, and it is not a general medical work-up. It’s a mental health evaluation that looks more broadly at contributing physiological factors before or alongside a medication plan.

What we treat

The first visit is mostly conversation. Expect questions about your history, current symptoms, sleep, diet, stress, and any medications or supplements you’re already taking. The clinician will explain what testing, if any, makes sense given what you describe, and will walk through how results would shape a plan. Nothing is decided in the first ten minutes. You leave the appointment with a clear next step, whether that’s scheduled testing, a trial of medication, a referral to a therapist on the team, or a combination.

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 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 work are delivered by the licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Depending on what a Franklin patient needs, a plan might involve a prescriber alone, a therapist alone, or both 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 the pricing page, and questions about cost can be answered before anything is booked.

What it costs

If you’re in Franklin and considering functional psychiatry, the next step is to schedule an initial appointment by video. You can review clinician backgrounds on the team page, check current fees on the pricing page, or reach out with questions first. For a broader look at how this service works across the state, visit the Massachusetts telehealth page, the functional psychiatry service page, or the MetroWest region page covering nearby towns. If attention and focus concerns are the main reason you’re looking into this, the ADHD treatment page has more detail on that specific process.

Getting started

This page is educational. It is not medical advice and does not create a provider-patient relationship. 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.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, medication decisions should always be made in consultation with a qualified clinician who can evaluate your full history. [CITATION: NIMH page on mental health medications, used to support the general statement on evaluation and prescribing]

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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