Before I even finished training as a psychiatrist, I knew I wouldn’t fit into the “conventional” model. Mental health is so much more than a checklist of symptoms and a diagnosis. From the gut-brain axis to meaning in life, from the genetics of neurotransmitter production to time spent in connection with the world and the people in it, what affects mental health is wide and varied, and psychiatric treatment must honor this.

I know this not just as a doctor—I know it as a patient too.

I’ve experienced mental illness, sat across from a psychiatrist, and taken medication. While conventional treatments have been undeniably helpful, I’ve also felt the power of quality sleep, appropriate supplements, a nourishing diet, varied exercise, meditation retreats, deep breathing, forest bathing, yoga, feeling connected, fostering gratitude, doing psychotherapy, journaling, planting in the garden, and so many other things.