Your mental health is influenced by more than your symptoms alone. Sleep, stress, physical health, medications, life experiences, and other factors can all play a role in how you feel. At Sabanosh Psychiatry & Wellness, our holistic assessment approach considers these connections to help us better understand your concerns and develop an individualized treatment plan.
We believe thoughtful psychiatric care starts with listening. Rather than focusing exclusively on a diagnosis or a list of symptoms, we take time to understand your experiences, health history, daily life, and goals. This broader perspective helps us make informed treatment recommendations that reflect your needs as an individual.
What Is a Holistic Psychiatric Assessment?
A holistic psychiatric assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of your mental health in the context of your overall well-being. It combines a thorough psychiatric history and symptom assessment with consideration of relevant physical health, lifestyle, and environmental factors.
Depending on your concerns, an assessment may explore:
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Current symptoms, their duration, and how they affect daily life
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Previous psychiatric diagnoses and treatment experiences
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Medical history, current medications, and relevant physical symptoms
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Sleep patterns, energy levels, nutrition, and stress
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Hormonal or reproductive changes when relevant
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Family history and personal experiences that may influence mental health
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Relationships, work, responsibilities, and other life circumstances
When clinically indicated, we may recommend discussing additional medical evaluation or laboratory testing with an appropriate healthcare professional. These steps can help assess whether a physical health concern may be contributing to or overlapping with psychiatric symptoms.
Why Consider the Whole Person?
Symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, low motivation, anxiety, and changes in sleep can have multiple contributing factors. Some may be associated with psychiatric conditions, while others may be influenced by physical health concerns, medications, sleep disruption, or significant life stressors.
Looking at these factors together can help us develop a more complete understanding of your experience. It also helps us avoid assuming that every symptom has the same cause or that one treatment approach will work for everyone.
Our goal is not to assume that every mental health concern has an underlying physical cause. Instead, we consider the available information carefully and recommend appropriate next steps based on your individual circumstances.
Our Approach to Personalized Care
We start by listening.
We want to understand what has brought you to seek care, what you have already tried, and what improvement would look like for you.
We consider relevant health factors.
Your medical history, medications, sleep, stress, and other factors may provide important context for your symptoms.
We develop individualized recommendations.
Depending on your needs, recommendations may include medication management, further medical evaluation, lifestyle considerations, psychotherapy, or coordination with other members of your healthcare team.
We revisit the plan as your needs change.
Your symptoms and circumstances may evolve. Ongoing care gives us an opportunity to reassess progress and refine your treatment plan.
Who May Benefit From a Holistic Assessment?
A comprehensive psychiatric evaluation may be helpful if you are experiencing persistent anxiety, low mood, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, mood changes associated with hormonal transitions, or symptoms that have not responded as expected to previous treatment.
It can also be a useful starting point if you are seeking psychiatric care for the first time or want a more thorough review of your current treatment.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
Your initial visit is an opportunity to discuss your concerns, review relevant history, and identify the questions you would most like to address. We will work with you to understand your symptoms, consider appropriate explanations, and determine what additional evaluation or treatment may be beneficial.
You do not need to arrive with all the answers. Our role is to help you work through your concerns and identify reasonable next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does holistic psychiatric care mean avoiding medication?
No. Holistic care considers a range of appropriate treatment options. Medication may be beneficial for some people, while others may benefit from additional evaluation, psychotherapy, or a combination of approaches.
Can physical health conditions affect mental health?
Yes. Certain medical conditions, medications, sleep problems, and hormonal changes can contribute to or overlap with psychiatric symptoms. Determining whether these factors are relevant requires an individualized clinical assessment.
Will I need laboratory testing?
Not necessarily. Testing is considered when appropriate based on your symptoms, history, and clinical findings. Your clinician can discuss whether additional evaluation is warranted.