TIPS FOR SEEKING A PROVIDER 
Seeking psychiatric and psychotherapeutic care can be overwhelming and difficult, especially if you are newly seeking care. People visit a psychiatrist and/or therapist with hopes of sharing deeply held beliefs and emotions that might disturb them. Trust and confidentiality are essential to this process. When seeking a psychiatrist and therapist, it is important to discuss what matters to you and what you want to be attended to.  Also, it is important to ensure the person whom you are consulting addresses the problems you face. It is important to align your problem areas with their skill set. Next, it is necessary to feel comfortable with their orientation and philosophy. This can be sought by reading their personal profile and a phone discussion with them. Lastly,  you need to be ready to address your concerns, work towards your goals, and agree to commit to your care with time, finances, and interest. This work differs from other areas of medicine in that it requires your deep interest, curiosity, and effort to be successful given the most important area of human life will be addressed-the human mind/soul.

PSYCHODYNAMIC/PSYCHOANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY
There are different names given to this process: talk therapy, talking cure, or therapy that deals with deep emotions. The treatment is established through consultation around the problem. After discussing what brings one to seek therapy, a basic idea is conveyed that attempts to underscore the nature of the problem. The relationship begins at the consultation and continues to deepen as trust level increases through the course of treatment. The focus of therapy is designed to build a relationship with the therapist, developing ways to manage painful emotions, and difficult situations. It then progresses towards looking at past relationships and events as far back as childhood. It is important to grasp the events and relationships that shaped ones sense of self, beliefs, behaviors, and reactions as such dictates one’s path in life. The past connects to the present and shapes the future. It is often pondered the benefit of looking into one’s past because such events can’t change. For the mind, it possesses the ability to change the meaning and intensity of past events that shaped one’s current distress. Therefore, past events do not need to change or be erased to alter the effects it has on a person.

INTRODUCTION TO MEDICATION MANAGEMENT 
In this contemporary time, modern science and medicine has undergone extensive advancement over last 100 years. In the last 30 years, medications have become safer and more understood. In conjunction with other medical treatments, medications can offer measurable benefits. Questions often arise regarding the need of medications to address mental illness.  We are living in a time where people do not have to suffer for lack of or inadequate treatment compared to 100 years ago. People remarkable improve when they received proper medication. Medications are utilized on a case-by-case basis. They are often used in conjunction with psychotherapy. In some cases, psychotherapy can be used alone. In other cases, it is absolutely necessary to combine with medication as it could mean life or death. Medications help to accelerate recovery given psychotherapy takes time alone. However, it largely addresses symptom distress and helps with biological controls. There are some instances where medications are contraindicated; meaning could produce little to no benefit.  It is important to discuss with a qualified provider whether medications are a fit for you.