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Harborside Psych

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Medication Management for Needham, MA

Medication Management for people in Needham

Harborside is physically located on Cape Cod, but the practice was built around video care so that people anywhere in Massachusetts can work with the same clinicians. That matters in a town like Needham, where a lot of the people looking into medication management are parents fitting one more appointment into a schedule that already includes school pickups, club sports, and their own jobs. A video visit that starts on time and does not require a drive into Boston or a trip to Newton is not a convenience feature here. It is often the difference between getting care handled and letting it slide another month.

We work with adults, and in some cases adolescents, across Needham who want a prescriber who takes the time to understand what is actually going on before reaching for a medication, and who will stay involved once a plan is in place.

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Medication Management for people in Needham, MA

Harborside is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care to Needham entirely by video. You do not need to travel to Cape Cod, and you do not need to travel anywhere. All you need is a private space, a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera, and a stable internet connection. Sessions happen through a secure telehealth platform, and you will get a link ahead of time so there is no guesswork about how to join.

An initial medication evaluation typically runs longer than a follow-up, giving the prescriber time to go through your history, current symptoms, any medications you have already tried, and what you are hoping care will look like. Follow-up appointments are shorter and focus on how things are going, whether a dose or medication needs adjusting, and any side effects worth discussing. How often you are seen depends on where you are in treatment. Someone starting a new medication is usually seen more frequently at first, and visits space out as things stabilize.

If a prescription is part of your plan, it is sent electronically to a pharmacy of your choosing in Needham or wherever is most convenient for you. There is no paper script to carry around and no separate call to make.

How telehealth care actually works

Medication management at Harborside covers a range of conditions that respond to a combination of careful evaluation and ongoing prescriber involvement. This includes depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and OCD, along with support for people managing insomnia or mood symptoms tied to another medical condition. Some clients come in already on a medication that is not working well. Others have never taken anything and want to understand their options before deciding. Both are reasonable starting points.

Medication is rarely the only piece. Where it makes sense, a prescriber will talk with you about whether therapy alongside medication would be useful, and Harborside’s therapy team is available for that if you want it.

What we treat

The first appointment is an evaluation, not a prescription handed over on the spot. Your prescriber will ask about your current symptoms, your health history, any medications or supplements you take now, family history where it is relevant, and what has or has not helped before. You will have a chance to ask questions and talk through concerns, including anything you have read or heard that worries you about a particular medication. From there, you and your prescriber decide together on a plan, which may or may not include medication at all.

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 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, and each brings her own areas of focus to the work. Full bios and credentials for all three 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. If your care plan involves both medication and therapy, your prescriber and therapist coordinate directly so you are not left relaying information between them yourself.

Who our clinicians are

 Harborside is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly for appointments. Current fees for an initial evaluation and for follow-up appointments are listed on the pricing page, and if you have questions about cost, you can ask before anything is booked.

What it costs

If you are in Needham and thinking about medication management, the first step is scheduling an initial evaluation. You can look over medication management services more broadly, check whether your situation fits with what Harborside offers across Massachusetts telehealth care, or see how this fits into care across the MetroWest region. If anxiety is part of what brought you here, our anxiety treatment page has more detail on how that is approached.

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. Any decisions about your care should be made with a licensed clinician who knows your full history. Reviewed by Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, Clinical Director. Last reviewed: {LAST_REVIEWED}.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a diagnosis already to book an appointment?

No. The first appointment includes a full evaluation, so a prior diagnosis isn’t required to get started.

Yes, with your permission. Many patients keep an existing therapist and use Harborside only for medication management.

It depends on the medication and how you’re responding to it. Some patients are seen monthly at first, then less often once things are stable.

Prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice, the same as they would be after an in-person visit.

Harborside is private-pay and doesn’t bill insurance directly. A superbill is available for out-of-network reimbursement, where a plan allows it.

That’s part of ongoing management. Changes are discussed and made together at a follow-up visit, not on your own.

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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