Medication. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor, which allows the psychiatrist to consider all aspects of the individual’s health and wellbeing, including the ability to prescribe medications that may help correct chemical imbalances that are possible factors in mental health disorders. Psychotropic drugs may include:

• Antidepressants, such as SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, and tricyclic medications
• Anti-anxiety drugs, such as benzodiazepines, which include Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, or Librium
• Anti-psychotic drugs, such as Abilify, Seroquel, and Clozaril
• Mood stabilizers, such as Lithium, Neurontin, and Tegretol

Psychotherapy. There are a wide variety of evidence-based psychotherapies to utilize in helping patients with a range of mental health disorders. These include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Prolonged exposure therapy (PE)
• Solutions focused therapy
• Interpersonal therapy

Both individual therapy sessions and group therapy can be beneficial to the patient in the process of examining past traumas, family issues, self-sabotaging behaviors, interpersonal issues, triggers and maladaptive behaviors, and more.

Adjunctive therapies. In addition to the traditional treatment protocol of psychotherapy and medication, psychiatrists are increasingly accessing adjunctive tools to enhance treatment results. These might include:

• TMS therapy
• EMDR
• Holistic therapies, such as mindfulness training, yoga, meditation, equine therapy