A comprehensive psychiatric evaluation may be needed to diagnose emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorders. An evaluation of a child, adolescent, or adult is made based on behaviors present and in relation to physical, genetic, environmental, social, cognitive, emotional, and educational factors that may be affected as a result of these behaviors. Mental health questionnaires and medical diagnostic testing are required to be completed prior to initial and follow up appointments.
Following a comprehensive mental health evaluation, medication management may be recommended for certain clients diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Routine vitals, laboratory testing, and ECG monitoring will be required for any client prescribed psychiatric medications. Follow-up appointments are necessary for monitoring a clients therapeutic response to medication and any potential side effects or adverse reactions.
Telehealth lets you see your health care provider without going to their office. You can have a telehealth visit online using your computer, tablet, or smartphone. While you may need to see your provider in person, telehealth has many benefits. North Andover Behavioral Health offers telehealth services through the Athena Health online patient portal.
Individual therapy refers to one-on-one mental health treatment that is personalized to suit an individual’s unique needs. It involves setting therapeutic goals, processing one’s past, and learning how to manage one’s symptoms or triggers in order to live a healthier life.
Family therapy helps family members understand each other and work through difficult feelings in a safe space. This type of therapy focuses on improving the interactions and communication between family members. It is usually used when the family is contributing to a person's difficulties or when one person's problems are impacting other family members. When each person feels supported and works within their strengths, positive changes in relationships and in people's lives will hopefully result.
Group therapy involves one or more mental health professionals who lead a group of roughly five to 10 clients for approximately 1 hour. Some people attend individual therapy in addition to groups, while others participate in groups only. Many groups are designed to target a specific problem, such as depression, social anxiety, or substance abuse. Other groups focus more generally on improving social skills or helping people deal with a range of issues such as anger, shyness, loneliness and low self-esteem. Joining a group of strangers may sound intimidating at first, but group therapy provides benefits that individual therapy may not. People have different personalities and backgrounds, and they look at situations in different ways. By seeing how other people tackle problems and make positive changes, you can discover a whole range of strategies for facing your own concerns.
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