Our Services

All new patients to PSIMED Charleston complete an assessment with either a psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, licensed psychologist, licensed social worker or licensed professional counselor to assess their individual mental health needs. This involves the patient reporting his or her current needs and concerns, as well as answering specific questions about their medical, mental health, and social history. Based upon the information gathered, we formulate a treatment plan, which may include medication management and therapy services. Our diagnosis is based upon DSM-5-TR criteria, the current standard for diagnosing psychiatric conditions. Your diagnosis and treatment plan are kept confidential.

Sometimes it is important for clinical team members to communicate with other providers, such as your primary care physician, a specialist physician, or your therapist. In these situations, you will be asked to sign a consent before the information is released.

PSIMED offers a full range of services for children and their families. We provide individual therapy to children, family therapy and therapy between groups of family members (e.g. between parent and child). Our clinicians use a combination of Play Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with teens and children and also work with parents on behavior management and addressing special needs in children, such as parenting a child with ADD. We also provide psychological testing of children of elementary school age through adulthood to determine the presence of ADD, Depression, Anxiety disorders, Autistic disorders and learning disorders. PSIMED has licensed social workers, psychologists and therapists who are experienced in dealing with special issues such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, families who are impacted by divorce, families who are impacted by substance use, teens who are using substances, suicidal thoughts/ideation/attempts, cutting and gaming disorders.

Individual therapy is a process in which patients work one-on-one with a Licensed Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor or a Licensed Psychologist. People seek counseling for a variety of reasons; to cope with feelings of depression or anxiety, to process a traumatic life experience, to set goals for change in their life or to cope with life stressors. Others may seek therapy for personal growth and self-knowledge. In therapy, patients explore their feelings, beliefs, and behaviors that may be contributing to their distress and work with their therapist on how to make changes to meet therapeutic goals. PSIMED offers a safe, caring, and confidential environment.

Providers will discuss medication treatment options and discuss risks and benefits associated with these medications upon prescribing the medication.  We encourage all patients to share their questions and concerns about their medication and follow up on a regular basis as this is the best way to assess the effectiveness of medications.  We follow best practice standards, meaning the medications we use have been well-studied and shown to be effective and considered the standard of care.  Medication management may involve checking blood pressure, weight changes, blood work, urine screens or similar tests as well as discussing any residual symptoms or side effects with your provider.

PSIMED has several clinicians who have many years of experience working with couples counseling addressing issues directly related to a couple’s relationship with each other. The therapist will assist the couple in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship and to develop more appropriate ways to communicate and relate to each other.

PSIMED provides this service to all types of couples.

Psychological testing can be utilized with both children and adults to help clarify diagnoses, provide insight into a particular situation and to accurately assess treatment and other needs for patients. This testing can be requested by both the patient and other clinicians in the practice.  

PSIMED provides psychological testing for children (age 6 and up) as well as adults.

When a child or teen has a particularly challenging mental health issue, the therapist can work with the parents/caretakers on developing patient-specific behavioral plans to implement with the child. The therapist also provides on-going support and assessment of the parent’s strategies in order to ensure that the methods used are most effective and that appropriate behavioral consequences are provided by the parent.

Families are a system that require all components to function cooperatively and effectively for the family to be psychologically healthy. Family counseling assists families when problems arise related to issues such as divorce, substance abuse, trauma, death and other social and environmental stressors.  PSIMED has many licensed therapists that are experienced in family dynamics and therapeutic support for families.

Counseling is available by professionals who have specialized training in the treatment of substance use disorders and other addictive disorders to individuals suffering from issues related to substance use or addiction.  Services are also provided for those family members impacted by a loved one’s use of substances or another type of addictive disorder. These may include issues related to the use of drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, food, etc. Often families or persons close to an individual suffering from issues related to use or addictive behaviors, seek counseling to learn how to best help their loved one.

We address the potential need for medication related to substance use on an individual basis when we discover that substance use is an underlying issue.  If your evaluation suggests that medication may improve your functioning, and there is an appropriate option available, we may offer it.  There are some medications that may not be available.  If we prescribe medication, we will follow up with you on a regular basis.