Why “Just Take the Meds” Isn’t Enough: A Holistic Approach to Mental Health
Medication can be a powerful part of mental health care—but it’s rarely the whole answer.
If you’ve ever felt dismissed by providers who rushed through appointments, handed you a prescription, and sent you on your way, you’re not alone.
At The Serene Sanctuary, I believe your mental health deserves more than a pill bottle. You deserve care that looks at the whole you—not just your symptoms, but your sleep, stress, habits, hormones, and daily challenges.
Let’s talk about why a holistic approach matters—and what it can actually look like in real life.
Medication Can Be Helpful—But It's Not a Magic Fix
For many women, medications like SSRIs, SNRIs, or ADHD meds are an important part of treatment. They can help regulate mood, calm anxiety, improve focus, or lift depression enough to get your footing.
But meds alone often don’t address the full picture—like why your anxiety spiked in the first place, why your body is stuck in fight-or-flight mode, or how your lifestyle may be working against your recovery.
Mental Health Is Deeply Connected to the Way You Live
Here’s what I often hear from patients:
“I feel anxious the second I wake up.”
“My mind never shuts off.”
“I take the meds, but I still feel off.”
“I know I need better routines, but I don’t know where to start.”
That’s because mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s tied to how well you sleep. What you eat. How much time you spend on your phone. How often you move your body. Your boundaries. Your hormones. Your relationships. Your nervous system.
In short: it’s not just about brain chemistry—it’s also about how you’re living and what your body has been through.
What Holistic Psychiatry Looks Like at The Serene Sanctuary
Here’s what we might explore together in addition to medication support:
🌿 Sleep hygiene: Are you sleeping enough? Is your nervous system wired at night?
🥦 Nutrition & gut health: Food and mental health are more connected than most people think. Are your blood sugar levels spiking and crashing all day?
🧘🏽♀️ Stress management & nervous system regulation: What’s helping you feel safe and calm—and what’s keeping you in survival mode?
🪩 Daily rhythm: Do you have routines that support you—or keep you overwhelmed?
🌸 Hormonal factors & cycle tracking: How does your mood change throughout the month? Do you notice anxiety or depression around your cycle?
🗂️ Mental clutter & executive functioning: Are tasks piling up? Are you procrastinating and feeling shame?
It’s Not About Perfection. It’s About Support.
You don’t need to “fix” everything all at once.
In fact, most of the women I work with are already doing everything they can to keep it together—career, caregiving, relationships, the mental load of life.
That’s why our work together is collaborative, judgment-free, and paced in a way that feels supportive—not overwhelming. I’ll offer practical tools and real-life strategies you can actually use in your daily routine.
We focus on what matters most to you—because your care should reflect your real life, not an idealized version of it.
Why This Matters (Especially in a Private-Pay Model)
Because I’m not tied to insurance restrictions, I have the time to actually get to know you. To slow down. To listen to the whole story—not just your symptoms.
That means:
✔️ 75-minute initial evaluations
✔️ Longer follow-up options when needed
✔️ A customized plan that evolves with you
✔️ No rushed visits or confusing insurance barriers
✔️ Real continuity—you’ll work with me every time
You Deserve More Than a Quick Fix
If you’re tired of surface-level care and ready to feel truly supported in your healing, a holistic, whole-person approach might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
✨ Book a free 15-minute consult to learn more and see if we’re a good fit.
This is your space to be seen, supported, and empowered—without pressure, shame, or shortcuts.
