Medication is not a shortcut or a last resort. For many people, it is the piece that finally makes therapy work. Our board-certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners partner with you to find the right approach, monitor it carefully, and adjust it as your life changes.
Medication and therapy address different things. Medication reduces the neurobiological intensity of symptoms so that the work of therapy can actually stick. Therapy builds the skills, insight, and behavioral changes that make medication more than a temporary fix. At Riverside, our psychiatrists and nurse practitioners work alongside our therapists, not separately from them.
That coordination matters. When a prescriber knows what is happening in your therapy sessions, and your therapist knows what your medication regimen looks like, the care you receive is coherent. That is harder to find than it should be, and it is one of the things that sets Riverside apart from a prescription-only psychiatry practice.
Your first psychiatric appointment covers your full symptom history, prior diagnoses, any medications you have tried, family mental health history, and how your current struggles affect your daily life and work. From there, your provider explains the options, the evidence behind them, and what to expect.
Follow-up visits focus on how you are responding, whether dosage adjustments are needed, side effects, and any changes in your life that might affect your medication needs. We see patients for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, sleep disorders, and other conditions that respond well to medication as part of a broader plan.
Medication is not about being weak or not trying hard enough. It is a clinical tool that works on real biology. The American Psychiatric Association is clear that psychiatric medications are among the most studied and effective treatments in all of medicine when matched correctly to the patient and condition.
Taking medication does not mean you will take it forever. Many people use medication to get stable enough to do the therapy work, then taper off under their provider's guidance. Others find long-term maintenance is right for them. Both are valid. The decision is always yours, made in partnership with your prescriber.
A lot of people in the Dulles corridor and Loudoun County know they should see a psychiatrist and have been putting it off for months or years. The commute, the job, the family schedule. Our telehealth appointments remove the logistical barrier. Most medication management visits can be done securely via video from wherever you are in Virginia.
If you are not sure whether medication is right for you, or you want to understand your options before committing, that is exactly what an initial appointment is for. Use provider matching to get connected with the right prescriber on our team.
Dr. Crawford provides thorough psychiatric evaluation and medication management for adults, specializing in depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and complex presentations that have not responded well to prior treatment.
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Dr. Hall brings decades of psychiatric experience to each evaluation, taking a comprehensive, unhurried approach to diagnosis and medication management for adults navigating mood disorders, ADHD, PTSD, and anxiety.
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Dr. Missimer specializes in psychiatric evaluation and medication management for teens and adults, with particular expertise in mood disorders, anxiety, and cases where medication has previously felt like a guessing game.
View Profile →Our prescribers work with a wide range of conditions, always alongside therapy for the best outcomes.
Our psychiatric team manages medication for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, insomnia, and other mental health conditions. We work collaboratively with your therapist when applicable to ensure coordinated care.
Frequency depends on the complexity of your situation and how stable your medication regimen is. New patients typically have more frequent visits initially. Once stable, many patients are seen every one to three months.
Medication management is always a collaborative decision. Our psychiatrists discuss the risks, benefits, and alternatives with you. Many clients choose a combination of therapy and medication; others prefer one or the other. We respect your preference and work with you.
Yes, our licensed psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can evaluate for and prescribe stimulant medications when clinically appropriate, including for ADHD. Controlled substance prescriptions follow all federal and Virginia state regulations.
Yes, most medication management appointments can be conducted via secure telehealth video. Virginia law allows our providers to prescribe and manage most medications through telehealth visits. Call us to confirm eligibility for your specific situation.
Our psychiatrists and nurse practitioners in Ashburn take a careful, collaborative approach to medication. New patients welcome.
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Same-week appointments available in Ashburn, VA, in person or via telehealth.
