Telepsychiatry

Telepsychiatry offers an easier way to get your mental health care, without ever leaving your home. At Wholesome Psychiatry LLC, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Dorothy Borkiewicz, PMHNP-BC, LMHC, launched the practice amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, when it was particularly crucial to have a remote option for mental health care. Telepsychiatry has remained a popular choice for quality mental health care in the years since. Call the South Boston office in Boston, Massachusetts, or click the online scheduler now.  

What does telepsychiatry mean?

Telepsychiatry is psychiatric care from the comfort of your own home. Also known as virtual visits, telepsychiatry involves using video chat technology to see your Wholesome Psychiatry LLC provider for psychiatric care. 

When might I need telepsychiatry?

Telepsychiatry can help with mental health difficulties of all types, such as:

• Anxiety 
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Stress
• Grief
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Drug dependence, such as opioid use disorder (OUD)
• Alcohol dependence (alcohol use disorder or AUD)

Telepsychiatry can help you address and overcome the mental health difficulties you’re facing in an environment that’s comfortable and familiar to you. It removes a lot of barriers to mental health care, so you never have to drive in busy traffic, spend time in a waiting room, or cope with crowds thanks to telepsychiatry. 

Is telepsychiatry as effective as office-based psychiatry?

According to The American Psychiatric Association®, research shows that telepsychiatry is equal to in-office care in terms of treatment effectiveness. It also has high rankings for diagnostic accuracy, patient satisfaction, patient confidentiality, and overall quality of care. 

These results hold true across all age groups. For certain groups, telepsychiatry can actually be more effective than office-based care. 

What happens during telepsychiatry visits?

After you schedule your appointment, you get an email with detailed instructions about how you can access a HIPAA-compliant video chat service at your scheduled appointment time. Then, you only need to log in from your internet-connected device (phone, computer, watch, or tablet) to meet your provider for your appointment. 

Your visit works a lot like it would in the office. You’re able to see your provider on screen, and they can see you as well. 

Can I do medication management through telepsychiatry?

The practice sets up your initial visit in the South Boston office, but you can choose telepsychiatry care for your follow-up visits and regular psychotherapy. 

This includes medication management, although you may need in-office visits from time to time based on your situation and medication needs.

For example, with Spravato® for treatment resistant depression, you must be in the office to administer the treatment.  However, you can come into the office for Spravato® and still schedule your psychotherapy sessions through telepsychiatry. 

It’s easy to schedule a telepsychiatry visit at Wholesome Psychiatry LLC.Just click the online booking feature or call the South Boston office to request your appointment today.