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Functional Psychiatry for Milton, MA

A traditional psychiatric work-up often starts and ends with a symptom checklist. Functional psychiatry starts somewhere else: with the whole person, including the physiological factors that a checklist can miss. Harborside uses targeted testing to look for underlying deficiencies and other physical contributors that may be affecting mood, focus, sleep, or anxiety, alongside a standard evaluation.

For families in Milton, weighing an unfamiliar kind of care usually comes down to two questions: what does this actually involve, and what does it cost. Those are the questions we try to answer plainly on this page, without dressing either one up.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in Milton, MA

Milton is a town where people tend to research something thoroughly before they commit to it. That’s a reasonable instinct when it comes to your own mental health care or a family member’s. Functional psychiatry asks you to think about the mind and body together rather than treating them as separate systems. If you’ve already tried a standard medication approach and felt like something was still missing from the picture, or if you’d simply rather start with a broader evaluation, this is a way to look at physiological pieces, like nutrient levels, thyroid function, and metabolic markers, that can influence how you feel, in addition to a standard psychiatric assessment.

This isn’t a replacement for medication when medication is appropriate. It’s a way of deciding what’s appropriate with more information in front of you.

How telehealth care actually works

Harborside is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and we work with patients across Milton and the rest of the state entirely by video. There’s no office to drive to and no waiting room. Here is what the process actually looks like:

  • Technology: you’ll need a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and a stable internet connection, plus a private, quiet space for your appointment.
  • The first session: typically runs longer than follow-ups, since it involves a full intake and discussion of your history, symptoms, and any testing that may be recommended.
  • Testing: if labs are ordered, you’ll go to a local lab or use an at-home kit, depending on what’s needed. Results are reviewed with you on a follow-up video visit.
  • Follow-up visits: shorter than the initial appointment, generally scheduled based on your treatment plan and how you’re responding to it, and used to review any testing, adjust medication if needed, and check in.
  • Prescriptions: sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice, so you pick them up locally in Milton without needing to visit our office.

Everything happens on a secure video platform, and you can ask questions about the process before you book anything.

What we treat

People come to this service for a range of concerns, including persistent anxiety, depression, attention and focus difficulties, mood instability, and ongoing fatigue or low energy that hasn’t responded to a first round of treatment. Functional psychiatry can be a starting point or a next step if you’ve already been through a standard evaluation and want a broader look at what might be contributing to how you feel. It’s also relevant if you’re managing a chronic condition alongside a mental health concern and want your care to account for both.

What the first appointment involves

Your first visit is a conversation, not a test in itself. Expect to talk through your current symptoms, your medical and mental health history, any medications or supplements you’re taking, and your goals for treatment. Based on that conversation, your clinician may recommend specific lab work to check for things like nutrient deficiencies, thyroid irregularities, or other markers relevant to your symptoms. From there, a plan is built that may include medication, lifestyle adjustments, referral to a therapist on our team, or a combination of these, depending on what fits your situation.

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 our 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 testing used in a functional psychiatry evaluation. Full bios and credentials for each clinician are on our team page.

When therapy is part of your care, or when eating disorder support is needed, you’ll work with a member of our licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, or Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Your clinician can help you decide whether therapy alongside medication management makes sense for you.

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 our pricing page. If you have questions about cost, you can ask before anything is booked.

Getting started

If you’re in Milton and thinking about whether functional psychiatry makes sense for you, the next step is scheduling an initial appointment with one of our psychiatric nurse practitioners. That first conversation is where you’ll decide together whether testing, medication, therapy, or some combination is the right direction. You can review our full range of services on the functional psychiatry page, learn more about telehealth care across the state on our Massachusetts telehealth page, or see how we work with other communities in the area on our South Metro Boston page. If anxiety is a primary concern for you, our anxiety treatment page has more detail on that specific approach.

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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 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. For guidance specific to your situation, please schedule an appointment.

For general information on functional and integrative approaches to mental health care, see the [CITATION: National Institutes of Health / NCCIH overview of integrative approaches to mental health, for general patient education context].

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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