What is integrative psychiatry?

Psychiatrists can play an important role in a person’s mental health journey. If you’re looking for care that goes beyond medication management, consider working with a psychiatric provider who practices integrative psychiatry.

Integrative psychiatry combines traditional psychiatric treatment with complementary methods like talk therapy, mindfulness, and acupuncture. The goal is to treat the whole person — the mind, body, and spirit — rather than focusing only on specific symptoms or your diagnosis.

How integrative psychiatry works

Integrative psychiatry is a complete, holistic approach to managing your mental and emotional health. It considers all aspects of a person’s well-being, including lifestyle choices, social relationships, and biological and psychological risk factors. With the support of a psychiatric provider, you’ll learn to identify the causes of your mental health concerns and explore solutions to improve your symptoms and daily life.

Integrative psychiatry proposes that each person has their own unique mental health needs and their treatment plan should reflect that. What works for one person may not be as effective for someone else. For example: Let’s say you’re experiencing symptoms of depression. Your provider might start with medication management. Then, they may add complementary methods, like nutritional counseling or music therapy. 

Other techniques that can be used in integrative psychiatry include:

• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Ayurvedic massage
• Dreamwork and symbology
• Guided visualization
• Art therapy

Collaboration is another important component of integrative psychiatry. People are encouraged to take an active role in their treatment plan so they feel more empowered to create positive change. Through a strong client-provider relationship, you can learn to enhance your emotional resilience, self-awareness, and overall well-being.

The care you need, when you need it

Learn how Rula can support your mental health journey

Subscribe

I agree to receive emails from Rula and accept the terms outlined in Client Email Consent and Privacy Policy.

What’s the difference between integrative and functional psychiatry?

When researching alternative mental health treatments, you may have come across integrative psychiatry and functional psychiatry. While both approaches emphasize the importance of whole-person care, they have some notable differences. 

Functional psychiatry focuses on identifying and addressing the biological causes of your mental health concerns. It typically involves lab testing to understand more about factors like hormones, microbiome, and any nutritional deficiencies. Depending on your needs, your provider may suggest dietary supplements, detox protocols, or exercise therapy.

Integrative psychiatry focuses more on the mind, body, and spirit. In addition to lab work, your provider may ask about your relationships, sleep habits, and past trauma. You might explore supplements or dietary changes, and your provider can also recommend practices like mindfulness, meditation, or yoga.

Who integrative medicine can help

Integrative psychiatry is a versatile approach that can help manage a range of mental and behavioral health conditions, like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance use disorders (SUDs). Research also makes the case for an integrative approach to care for people with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are a few factors to consider when deciding if integrative psychiatry is right for you. 

Integrative psychiatry may be an effective option if you:

• Want a collaborative care experience: Integrative psychiatry empowers people to take an active role in managing their health and well-being. 
• Are open to alternative types of therapy: It may include nontraditional evidence-based therapies, like acupuncture, nutritional counseling, and movement exercises.
• Want to know what’s causing your symptoms: Integrative psychiatry helps people explore the causes of their concerns instead of just addressing their symptoms. 
• Had limited success with conventional treatments: If talk therapy or medication management alone weren’t effective, integrative psychiatry can help you expand your therapeutic horizons. 
• Are focused on long-term health: Integrative psychiatry involves sustainable strategies to optimize your well-being. 

How to start integrative psychiatric care

Integrative psychiatry isn’t a replacement for traditional treatments like medication management. Instead, the goal is to supplement those approaches with additional evidence-based strategies to help people feel their best. Providers may not label themselves as integrative practitioners, so you might want to specify that you’re interested in integrative care when reaching out to potential providers. 

It can also be helpful to prepare a few questions to understand if their approach is a good fit for your needs. For example: 

• “How long have you been practicing integrative care?”
• “What complementary therapies do you use in your practice?”
• “How do you decide when to use medications versus other approaches?”
• “Do you have experience treating my specific mental health concerns?”
• “How do you collaborate with other healthcare professionals?” 

The client-provider relationship plays an important role in integrative care, so take your time finding a provider you feel comfortable with. Whether treatment is short term or long term, individual or in a group setting, a strong therapeutic relationship is essential for an effective and collaborative experience.

Find care with Rula

Managing your mental and emotional health is a personal experience, and everyone deserves care that reflects their unique challenges, strengths, and experiences. Integrative psychiatry can help you understand the causes of your concerns and develop strategies to manage symptoms, build emotional resilience, and improve your well-being. 

At Rula, we’re committed to delivering a comprehensive behavioral health experience that helps people feel seen and understood so they can get back to feeling their best. 

Rula makes it easier to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who accepts your insurance so you don’t have to choose between affordable care and excellent care. With a diverse network of more than 15,000 providers, 24/7 crisis support, and appointments available as soon as tomorrow, we’re here to help you make progress — wherever you are on your mental health journey.

Find a provider with Rula