Medication management by a board-certified psychiatrist

Medication management is for anyone whose mental health treatment includes, or might include, a prescription. Some people come to us already taking an antidepressant, a stimulant or a mood stabilizer that was started by a primary-care doctor and want a specialist to take over. Others have never taken psychiatric medication and want an honest opinion about whether it would help. Many come because something isn't working: side effects they can't tolerate, a medication that helped at first and then stopped, or a list of prescriptions that has grown without anyone looking at the whole picture.

We treat adults and adolescents for depression, anxiety and panic, ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, trauma and PTSD, insomnia and other conditions. If you are looking for a second opinion on your current medications, that is a common and welcome reason to book.

Your first appointment is a full psychiatric evaluation and usually lasts 45 to 60 minutes. Your clinician will ask about your current symptoms, how long they have been going on, past treatment, medical history, sleep, substance use, family history and what you want to get out of care. You leave with a working diagnosis, a plan you have agreed to, and a clear idea of when the next visit is.

To get the most out of the visit, bring:

• A list of every medication and supplement you take, with doses
• Names of medications you have tried before and why you stopped them
• Records or discharge summaries from previous psychiatrists or hospital stays, if you have them
• Your insurance card and a photo ID
• Recent lab results from your primary-care doctor, if available

After a new medication is started or a dose is changed, follow-ups are usually every two to six weeks until things are stable, then every one to three months. Follow-up visits are shorter — typically 15 to 30 minutes — and focus on what has changed: symptoms, side effects, sleep, appetite and how you are functioning at work and at home.

Most follow-ups can be done by secure video, which helps if you live in Orange County, commute, or care for children. Some medications need periodic blood work or an in-person check of weight, blood pressure or heart rhythm, and we will tell you up front if yours does. Refills are handled between visits as long as you are keeping your scheduled appointments; controlled medications follow New York State rules, including the I-STOP prescription monitoring check.

Good medication management also means knowing when medication alone is not enough. If two or more antidepressants have not helped, we will talk with you about treatment-resistant depression options, including TMS therapy at our New City office, and about adding therapy with one of our clinicians.

Primary-care doctors prescribe a large share of antidepressants in the United States and often do it well. A psychiatrist adds depth when the picture is more complicated: more than one condition at once, several medications that interact, a history of side effects, symptoms that suggest bipolar disorder rather than depression, or a treatment that simply isn't working. We are glad to coordinate with your primary-care doctor and send them a summary after your evaluation, with your permission.

The practice is led by Dr. Balveen Singh, D.O., a board-certified psychiatrist, together with Dr. Kuljit Singh, M.D., and a team of board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners. Several clinicians speak Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and Gujarati in addition to English. You can read about each clinician on our team page.