Very few private practices in Central Pennsylvania can offer clients a direct path to psychiatric medication management. Through LiveUp Counseling’s partnership with Pennsylvania Counseling Services (PCS), active LiveUp clients can be referred by their therapist to a PCS prescriber, allowing the therapist and prescriber to work together as part of a coordinated treatment team.
Medication is rarely meant to work alone and research backs this up. A 2014 meta-analysis of 52 clinical trials published in World Psychiatry found that combining psychotherapy with medication was more effective than medication alone for depression, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the benefit held up for as long as two years.
Therapy helps you work through what’s going on, build skills, and make lasting changes. Medication can ease symptoms enough to make that work easier. Together, they can support a more complete recovery.
Talk with your therapist about whether medication may be helpful as part of your treatment. If so, you can be referred for a psychiatric evaluation, where a provider will make treatment recommendations and, when appropriate, prescribe medication. Regular follow-up visits help monitor how the medication is working and allow adjustments to be made when needed.
Medication management referrals are available to active LiveUp Counseling clients.
If you are not currently a client, your first step is to schedule an intake appointment. During that visit, you can discuss whether a psychiatry referral may be appropriate for you.
To schedule an intake appointment, call (855) 272-1653. Appointments are available at our offices in Chambersburg, East Petersburg, Lebanon, Harrisburg, and York.
Have questions about medication management for LiveUp Counseling clients? Here are answers to some of the most common ones.
LiveUp Counseling serves clients in Lebanon, East Petersburg, Harrisburg, York, and Chambersburg in central Pennsylvania. Psychiatry referrals are available to active LiveUp Counseling clients, so your care starts with your therapist at the office that’s most convenient for you.
No. Medication management referrals are only available to active LiveUp Counseling clients, and referrals are made by LiveUp Counseling therapists to prescribers at our parent company, Pennsylvania Counseling Services. If you’re new, start by scheduling an intake.
Yes. Let us know during your intake appointment that you’d like a psychiatry referral, and we’ll guide you through the referral process from there.
Talk with your therapist at your next session. They’ll review whether a psychiatry referral is a good fit and help you start the process.
It depends on the medication. For example, the National Institute of Mental Health notes that antidepressants usually take 4 to 8 weeks to work, and some symptoms such as sleep, appetite, and energy may improve before mood does. Your prescriber will check in with you along the way.
Tell your prescriber. Many side effects are mild and fade over time, and changing the dose, the timing, or the medication itself can often help.
Please talk with your prescriber first. Stopping a medication suddenly can cause unpleasant or harmful effects, and your prescriber can help you lower the dose safely if that’s the right step.
Your treatment team may recommend therapy as part of your treatment plan along with medication management. If you choose not to follow these recommendations, your prescriber may discontinue treatment and may close your case.
Current clients, ask your therapist about a referral. New clients, call to schedule your intake, or follow the button below.
