The Practice
Illumination has profound symbolism throughout history and across cultures. Light and dark have served as metaphors for emotional and spiritual experiences, with each serving a purpose. I believe that every person is walking their own path of growth and discovery through life; darkness is an incubator for evolution, and my goal is to help you illuminate your way forward.
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.
10 Beliefs That Guide My Practice
Each person has a unique story, and their way of healing will be as individual as they are.
The telling of one’s story in the setting of deep connection is essential to good medicine and is intrinsically healing to the spirit.
Doctors, therapists and other health professionals are guides and partners in the journey of healing.
Psychiatric medication can be a helpful and sometimes central part of treatment, especially when symptoms are particularly severe; medication is rarely enough on its own to create lasting and satisfying improvement.
Few conditions require a lifetime of medication, but it can be difficult to know when and how to stop.
Many important concerns, like insomnia, go minimally treated, even when they are at the heart of distress.
Most people can benefit from some form of therapy or coaching to help improve symptoms and build self-awareness.
Most people can benefit from taking a look at their lifestyle and making positive change; we’ve all got room to take better care of ourselves!
Many psychiatric conditions can provide opportunities for growth, self-exploration, and the appreciation and development of personal strengths.
Mental health and well-being are works in progress, things that we recommit to each and every day.