Finding the best psychiatrist to help manage your medications in New York can be challenging. Your insurance company may offer a long list of potential providers, but how do you know if they are any good? Location and availability aren’t always the best determining factors for who will be the best doctor for you.
In an effort to cut down the time you spend on your search for a psychiatrist, we’re here to help. Below we’ve outlined some of the reasons it’s hard to find a good psychiatrist in NYC and we’ve provided a few unexpected considerations to help guide your search for the best New York City psychiatrist.
1. There are a lot of mental health care providers in the city. The city is saturated with mental health care providers with all types of degrees. After all, psychology has a rich history in New York, particularly in the area of psychoanalysis. While this is a major benefit to living in New York, it can also make the search exhausting.
2. Many prominent psychiatrists use outdated methods and lack diversity of clients and approach. One of the reasons our director started Healthy Minds NYC was out of a passion to provide contemporary psychiatric care to a diverse group of New York professionals. In his training here in the city, he found that some psychiatrists can be very rigid in their treatment, leaving clients feeling unknown, unsupported, and funneled through a process. It is important to our practice to take a modernized and tailored approach that honors the individual clients best.
3. Psychiatrists in Manhattan who don’t take insurance can be expensive. The cost of care can be one the most difficult challenges of finding a good psychiatrist in the city. Psychiatrists in-network on insurance panels are often full or have poor availability. Those who do not work with insurance often charge very high rates. One pro tip is to find a psychiatric practice that is out of network yet still works with your insurance benefits. For example, at Healthy Minds NYC we are not in-network with any insurance panels. However, we regularly work with our client’s out of network insurance benefits and functionally operate much like your in-network provider. We file all of the reimbursement claims and only charge you a reduced co-insurance rate that takes into account what your insurance company will pay for your care. Learn more about our insurance policies here online or contact our care coordinator to find out what your specific care rate would be.
4. Psychiatrists in private practice can be hard to reach. Unlike a primary care physician who has more frequent breaks between patient interactions while nurse practitioners or physicians’ assistants handle some of the preliminary assessment work for you, your psychiatrist is a one-stop shop. Your doctor does all of the work directly meaning he or she has little time to handle some of the administrative tasks that come along with caring for patients. (Note: this is also why the per-hour cost of seeing a psychiatrist may be more than you’re used to paying other physicians out of pocket.) While they can be hard to find, there are some group practices like Healthy Minds NYC and other larger counseling centers who have dedicated administrative staff to field your calls and inquiries while your doctor is in-session.
So, given the constraints outlined above, how can you find a reputable psychiatrist who is a good fit for your particular needs? We have found that you can best navigate finding a psychiatrist in New York by trying some of the following methods.
1. Choose an office where it is easy to contact the doctor. Medication management frequently takes the form of monthly visits to your psychiatrist. Be sure you are able to easily communicate with your doctor outside of session if you need a change to or refill of your prescriptions. For example, Healthy Minds NYC offers texting with your provider as well as a responsive care coordinator who can respond to messages when your doctor is in session with another patient.
2. Select a psychiatrist who provides medication management and psychotherapy. Even if you’re only seeking medication management at this time, find a psychiatrist who is willing and able to provide psychotherapy. Research shows the best treatment for most disorders is a combination of addressing the biological components of your condition as well as addressing the psychosocial factors that influence your health. You need a psychiatrist who is comfortable hearing not only how your prescription regimen is impacting your body but also how the other aspects of your life may be impacting your condition.
3. Choose a doctor with a connection to a teaching hospital. Prescription drug coverage and options change every day. It’s important that the doctor caring for you knows the latest drugs available for you on the market as well as the latest research on how these drugs may impact you. Physicians in private practice who also stay connected to teaching hospitals are more likely to be up to date on the latest treatment techniques and medications. For example, here at Healthy Minds NYC, our director, Dr. Lanre Dokun, is also a Faculty Advisor for Mount Sinai Hospital helping guide the training for younger doctors. This connection helps our practice stay in the know on many of the offerings of a top hospital like Mount Sinai.
4. Find out if video sessions are available. Your schedule is likely quite busy if you’re a professional in New York City. Having the flexibility of fitting in short medication management sessions around other critical meetings and appointments is important. Make sure you’re working with a psychiatrist who is able to leverage modern technology by offering remote video sessions you can take from the comfort of your home or office. Just make sure the technology they are using is HIPAA compliant to protect your privacy. At Healthy Minds NYC we use the VSee app for our video conferencing that meets the latest standards in patient confidentiality.
We would love to help connect you to a great psychiatrist here in the city. Contact our office today or book a free consultation to see how our care coordinator can help you find a trustworthy doctor that meets your needs.
