For All Seasons
When it comes to mental health, healing is often multifaceted. Combining psychotherapy and psychiatry offers a comprehensive approach by treating both the psychological and biological aspects of a mental health disorder. Psychiatry provides medical expertise for diagnosis and medication management, often addressing chemical imbalances in the brain, while therapy (psychotherapy) offers a space for patients to process emotions and develop skills. When combined, these approaches can provide a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses both the mind and body.
Studies have shown that individuals receiving both medication and psychotherapy experience greater symptom relief than those receiving only one form of treatment. A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, for instance, found that patients with depression who received both medication and cognitive behavioral therapy had a 60% greater reduction in symptoms compared to those who received medication alone.
While medication can alleviate symptoms, therapy provides individuals with tools to manage stress, anxiety, and other challenges. Techniques learned in therapy can help individuals understand and alter behaviors. Combined therapies, using medication and talk therapy, have been shown to result in significantly better short- and medium-term treatment outcomes in several conditions, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“In the field of psychiatry and mental health treatment, recent medical trials continue to affirm that combined medication and therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe depression was superior to either medication or therapy alone,” Dr. William Cerrato, Chief Medical Officer at For All Seasons, says. “This recognizes the important biopsychosocial interplay between medication management and therapeutic modalities that we are implementing at For All Seasons.”
The best approach to combined treatment is one based on the principles of individualized or personalized medicine, as well as finding the right mental health professional and the right approach to therapy. If you or a family member has questions about your mental health, reach out.
For All Seasons Behavioral Health & Rape Crisis Center offers mental health services, victim and crisis support, and education & outreach. The agency’s comprehensive continuum of care includes psychiatry and therapy services. 410.822.1018 | ForAllSeasonsInc.org
