Functional & Metabolic Mental Health 

What it is: Psychiatric care that includes a medical workup rather than assuming one isn’t needed. Alongside standard psychiatric assessment, I look at thyroid function, glucose and insulin regulation, inflammatory markers, nutrient status, hormonal changes, sleep and circadian patterns, and the metabolic effects of medications you may already be taking.

Why it matters. Mental health symptoms and metabolic health are connected more often than either field tends to account for. That connection runs in both directions and is still being studied. What’s clear is that treatable medical contributors are frequently present and frequently missed.

What it isn’t. It isn’t a replacement for therapy, and it isn’t an argument against psychiatric medication. Sometimes a workup identifies something that changes the plan. Sometimes it comes back unremarkable, which is also useful, because it means we’ve ruled things out rather than assumed. I’ll tell you either way.

Who this tends to help. People whose depression or anxiety hasn’t improved after multiple medication trials. People who gained significant weight or developed metabolic problems on a psychiatric medication. People with fatigue, brain fog, or mood changes around perimenopause. Shift workers. People who want to reduce or stop psychiatric medication with supervision and a plan.