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Functional Psychiatry for Portsmouth, NH

Unlike a traditional psychiatric work-up, the functional medicine approach takes the whole person into account. Instead of matching symptoms to a diagnosis and stopping there, Harborside uses targeted testing to look for underlying deficiencies and physiological concerns that may be contributing to how someone feels and functions. Portsmouth, NH draws people who tend to ask exactly this kind of question before accepting an answer: a mix of long-settled families and people who chose the Seacoast on purpose, for the pace of life and the water. If you are the sort of person who wants to understand the mechanism behind a diagnosis, not just the label, this is the piece of Harborside’s care that speaks most directly to you.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in Portsmouth, NH

Portsmouth, New Hampshire is a small city with an outsized appetite for information. People here read the label on their food, ask their contractor why one material outperforms another, and expect the same rigor from their health care. Functional psychiatry fits that expectation. It does not replace a careful clinical evaluation. It adds to it, using lab work to check for things like thyroid function, inflammatory markers, vitamin and mineral levels, and other physiological factors that can influence mood, energy, sleep, and concentration.

For someone in Portsmouth weighing whether standard psychiatric care has told them the whole story, this approach offers a more complete picture before decisions are made about a treatment plan. It is one part of a broader evaluation, not a stand-alone test kit, and it works alongside the rest of what Harborside offers.

How telehealth care actually works

Harborside is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care to patients across New Hampshire, including Portsmouth and the surrounding Seacoast towns, entirely by video. There is no waiting room and no in-person office to travel to. You will 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 standard visit, since it includes a detailed history and a discussion of whether functional lab testing makes sense for your situation. If testing is ordered, it is usually done through a local lab or an at-home collection kit, with results reviewed together in a follow-up session. Medication follow-ups, when part of your plan, are generally shorter and scheduled at an interval that fits your needs, often every four to eight weeks. If a prescription is part of your care, it is sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice in New Hampshire.

What we treat

Functional psychiatry at Harborside is used for people dealing with persistent low mood, anxiety, fatigue that has not responded to obvious explanations, sleep disruption, and difficulty concentrating that has not improved with standard approaches alone. It can also be a useful piece of the picture for someone managing a mood disorder who wants to understand whether nutritional or metabolic factors are playing a role. This is not a replacement for an emergency evaluation or for conditions that require a higher level of care than outpatient telehealth can provide.

What the first appointment involves

The first visit is a conversation. Expect questions about your current symptoms, your medical and psychiatric history, sleep, diet, exercise, and stress. Your clinician will explain whether functional lab testing is appropriate for you and, if so, what it will check for and how the results will inform your plan. You will leave the appointment with a clear next step, whether that is scheduling testing, starting a therapy referral, or discussing medication options that do not involve controlled substances, which Harborside does not prescribe in New Hampshire.

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 the practice’s clinical director and cofounder, 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 her own approach to how functional testing fits into a patient’s care. Full bios and credentials for each clinician are on the team page.

Therapy and eating disorder work at Harborside are delivered by the licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. For patients whose care benefits from both medication management and therapy, these two parts of the team coordinate directly.

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 Portsmouth or elsewhere on the Seacoast and want to explore functional psychiatry, the first step is scheduling an initial appointment. You can review Harborside’s full approach on the functional psychiatry page, learn more about telehealth availability across the state on the New Hampshire telehealth page, or see how care is organized for your part of the coast on the Seacoast NH page. If mood symptoms are a primary concern, the depression treatment page has more detail on that specific area of care.

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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 is not medical advice. It does not create a provider-patient relationship. Speak with a qualified clinician about your specific situation before making decisions about your care.

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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