FAQs

Yes. I am a Board-Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with full prescriptive authority, including DEA registration. While my practice leads with botanical medicine, culinary medicine, and holistic approaches, I can and do prescribe conventional psychiatric medication when it's clinically indicated or when you prefer it. Your treatment plan might be entirely herbal, entirely pharmaceutical, or most often a thoughtful integration of both. The beauty of this practice is that you never have to choose between worlds or be referred to a different provider for medication.

This is one of the most common reasons women come to me. I specialize in medically supervised medication tapering with simultaneous botanical support. This means we don't just stop your medication and hope for the best. We create a careful, gradual tapering plan while building your herbal foundation, monitoring your symptoms closely at every step. If at any point the transition isn't going well, we slow down, adjust, or maintain your current medication. Your safety always comes first.

Absolutely not. This practice is rooted in the philosophy that healing is not one-size-fits-all. Some women thrive on herbs alone. Some need medication. Some need both. Some start with medication and transition to herbs later. All of those paths are valid, and I am here to support whichever path is right for you without judgment, ideology, or rigidity. The most holistic thing I can do is meet you where you are.

Many herbs have a strong evidence base, including randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Herbs like St. John's Wort, saffron, ashwagandha, passionflower, kava, and lavender have clinical trial data supporting their use for specific mental health conditions. I only recommend herbs with credible evidence and/or a well-established traditional use history. That said, the evidence base for herbal medicine is still growing compared to pharmaceuticals, and I am transparent about what the research does and does not yet support.

In many cases, yes but this requires careful clinical oversight, which is exactly what I provide. Some herbs and medications can interact, and some combinations are contraindicated. As a provider trained in both worlds, I screen for all herb-drug interactions, monitor your response to the combined regimen, and adjust as needed. This is precisely why having one provider who understands both botanical and pharmaceutical medicine is so important and so rare.

Then we pivot seamlessly, without judgment, and without sending you to someone new. I will always be honest with you about whether your current plan is working. If herbs alone aren't producing adequate improvement, I'll discuss options with you: adjusting the herbal plan, adding conventional medication, or transitioning fully to pharmaceuticals. You will never be left without a next step.

Herbal medicine is most effective for mild to moderate conditions. For **severe major depression with active suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder (particularly manic or mixed episodes), psychotic disorders, and acute psychiatric crises**, conventional medication is typically necessary — at least initially. I can prescribe and manage that medication while simultaneously incorporating botanical and nutritional support. As your condition stabilizes, we can explore transitioning toward a more botanical-centered plan if that's your goal.

The Integrative Mental Wellness & ReLeaf Clinic does not participate in any health insurance plans. All services are self pay but you will be given a superbill to submit to your insurance for reimbursement. Most patients use their FSA/HSA accounts or credit/debit cards to cover services.

Most of our clients are able to use their FSA/HSA dollars for our services.

Services are available to individuals in the USVI, Arizona, New Mexico, Maryland, DC and Nevada. The ReLeaf Boutique is available nationwide.

Of course! It is encouraged to have a team of providers (PCP, acutpuncturist, nuritionist, specialists etc.) to manage your overall wellness. We only ask that you allow us to do our best in managing your psychotropic medications should you decide to continue taking them as part of your intergrative mental wellness plan or if you decide tapering off them is the route you would like to take.

Adult and pediatric patients is our specialty. While we primarily see women, men are welcome as well. Geriatric individuals require a level of care that virtual visits are not able to accomodate. Therefore, our age range is 13-55 years of age.