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Functional Psychiatry for Scarborough, ME

A traditional psychiatric work-up asks what symptoms you have and matches them to a diagnosis. Functional psychiatry asks a broader question: what is happening in your body that might be driving those symptoms in the first place. For the professionals who have moved to Scarborough over the past decade, drawn by the coastline, the schools, and a pace of life that still allows for a walk on Higgins Beach before work, that broader question tends to land well. It fits a mindset that already treats health as something to look into rather than something to just manage.

Harborside uses targeted testing to assess for nutritional deficiencies, thyroid and metabolic issues, and other physiological factors that can contribute to anxiety, depression, and related conditions. The goal is a fuller picture of what is going on, not a faster label.

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Functional Psychiatry for people in Scarborough, ME

Scarborough has changed shape in recent years. Longtime residents share the town with newer arrivals who chose it deliberately, often after weighing it against other coastal suburbs of Portland. That is a population used to doing its own research before making a decision, whether the decision is about a school district or a home inspection. Functional psychiatry rewards that kind of thinking. It involves lab work, a detailed intake, and a conversation about how sleep, diet, stress, and physical health intersect with mood and mental clarity. It is not a quick fix and it is not marketed as one. It is a more thorough starting point for people who want to understand the why behind how they feel, not just the what.

Care at Harborside is delivered entirely by video, so where you live in Scarborough, whether that is near the Pine Point shoreline, closer to Route 1, or out toward the Black Point Road side of town, does not change how appointments work.

How telehealth care actually works

Harborside is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and works with patients across Maine by telehealth 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. Sessions are held through a secure video platform, and a link is sent ahead of each appointment.

An initial functional psychiatry evaluation typically runs longer than a standard follow-up, since it includes a full history and a discussion of which labs make sense given your symptoms and health background. Lab work itself is usually done at a local blood draw site near you in Scarborough, with results reviewed together in a follow-up video visit. After the initial evaluation, follow-up appointments are scheduled at whatever interval fits your care, often monthly at first and then spaced out. If medication is part of the plan, prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacy you choose, so you pick it up locally the same way you would with any other prescription.

What we treat

Functional psychiatry at Harborside is most often used alongside care for anxiety, depression, mood changes, low energy, and difficulty concentrating, particularly when someone suspects that diet, sleep, hormonal shifts, or nutrient status may be playing a role. It is also used by people who have tried more conventional approaches and want a more complete look at their physical health before deciding on next steps. It is not a stand-alone treatment for crisis-level symptoms, and it works best as one part of an ongoing care plan rather than a single appointment.

What the first appointment involves

The first visit is a conversation, not a test day. Your clinician will ask about your mental health history, your physical health, your medications and supplements, your sleep and eating patterns, and your family history. Based on that conversation, they will recommend which labs are worth ordering. There is no set panel that applies to everyone. Once results are back, you and your clinician review them together and talk through what they might mean for a broader plan, which can include changes to diet, supplementation, referrals for further evaluation, or medication where appropriate.

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

Therapy and eating disorder care are delivered by Harborside’s licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Depending on your goals, functional psychiatry can be coordinated with therapy from this team as part of the same overall plan.

Maine law does not permit Harborside to prescribe stimulant medications, benzodiazepines, or other controlled substances to patients in the state. Functional psychiatry visits focus on physiological assessment and on the non-controlled medication and lifestyle options available for your care.

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 curious whether functional psychiatry is a reasonable fit for what you are dealing with, the first step is scheduling an initial evaluation. There is no separate screening call required. You can also review the functional psychiatry service page or the Maine telehealth page for more on how care is structured across the state, or the Greater Portland region page for information relevant to Scarborough and nearby towns. If anxiety is part of what you are managing, the anxiety treatment page has more detail on how that work fits alongside functional psychiatry.

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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. For guidance specific to your situation, schedule an appointment with a Harborside clinician.

[CITATION: National Institute of Mental Health page on the role of nutrition and physical health in mental health conditions, to support the functional psychiatry framing]

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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