Mental Health & Psychiatric Care in St. Petersburg, FL

Yes. Our internal medicine team diagnoses and treats common conditions such as depression, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and insomnia, including starting, adjusting, and monitoring medication. Call (727) 820-7800 to schedule a visit.

Often, yes. Bring your records and a complete list of your current medications and doses to your first visit. We review what you take, check for interactions with your other prescriptions, and coordinate with your previous prescriber when needed. Some complex regimens are best continued with a psychiatrist, and we will tell you if that applies to you.

Follow-up is closest when a medication is started or its dose is changed, usually within a few weeks, so we can check how you are responding and catch side effects early. Once you are stable, visits become less frequent. Many follow-ups can be done by telehealth.

Your internist knows your complete health history. We can screen for depression and anxiety, rule out physical conditions that cause similar symptoms (such as thyroid disorders or vitamin B12 deficiency), and start treatment with medication and lifestyle counseling. We refer to therapists and psychiatrists when specialized care is needed.

An internist manages overall adult health and treats common mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, with close attention to how they connect to physical health. A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes only in mental illness and usually handles more complex conditions, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or depression that has not responded to several treatments. We coordinate care and refer to psychiatrists when that level of care is needed.

No. For many patients, talk therapy, better sleep, regular exercise, and stress reduction make a real difference, and for mild symptoms they may be enough. Medication is one tool, and the choice is always part of a conversation about what fits you best.

Please talk with us first. Stopping some antidepressants suddenly can cause discontinuation symptoms such as dizziness, irritability, and flu-like feelings, and it raises the chance of symptoms returning. When it is time to stop, we plan a gradual taper with you.

All conversations, records, and treatment are confidential and protected under HIPAA. We provide a non-judgmental setting where you can talk openly about your concerns.

Expect a confidential conversation about your symptoms, sleep, stressors, and health history. We often use standardized questionnaires, such as the PHQ-9 for depression and the GAD-7 for anxiety, and may order lab work to rule out physical causes. Then we build a treatment plan together.