Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation in Grand Rapids
To understand what psychiatric diagnostic evaluations are, it is important to first distinguish between psychotherapy, psychology, and psychiatry.
- Psychotherapy and psychology attempt to address mental health issues through “talk” therapy, which takes place typically on a weekly (or more frequent) basis. A psychologist is one type of psychotherapist. Counselors and social workers are also trained to provide psychotherapy. A psychiatrist is a medically trained physician who emphasizes biological treatment.
- Psychiatry also uses the power of talk out one’s problems to help patients, but currently psychiatry’s primary means of treatment is through medication. Many mental health diagnoses can be helped with medication including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and bipolar disorder just to name a few. Most studies indicate that long-term success in mental health treatment is accomplished most successfully if medication is an adjunct to psychotherapy and not just used on its own.
Depending on the issue, diagnosis, or treatment the patient may be referred to their medical doctor or a psychiatrist for medication, if that were a treatment route of interest to that client. If you have a Primary Care Physician, we can coordinate care by sharing your psychiatric diagnostic evaluation information through a release of information form. This will provide your doctor with a deeper understanding of your psychological health needs. The information in the psychological diagnostic evaluation that will be shared may include biological, social, as well as psychological data. Your doctor may then require further assessment in his or her office and prescribe medication when he or she deems it appropriate.
In sum, medication can be an important adjunct to psychotherapy but it is important to have a psychiatric diagnostic evaluation to have a clearer picture of what you need. At Sollars, we endorse the use of psychotherapy and if necessary, medication simultaneously to increase the probability of a successful outcome to treatment. If you feel you would like a psychiatric diagnostic evaluation or are interested in our diagnostic services, please call Sollars and Associates Grand Rapids and schedule a Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation today.
