Can a Psychiatrist Do Both Therapy and Medication? Yes, and Here Is What That Looks Like

Yes. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor trained in both psychotherapy and medication management, which means a psychiatrist can provide talk therapy and prescribe and manage medication within the same treatment relationship. In practice, most psychiatrists do not. The dominant model has psychiatrists focused on brief medication management while therapy is referred out to a separate provider. That is a function of insurance economics, not of training or capability. A psychiatrist who chooses to provide both delivers integrated care: one provider, one complete clinical picture, medication and therapy informed by each other rather than coordinated across two separate offices. At Empathy Therapy, Dr. Mark Chofla provides both psychiatric medication management and formal psychotherapy through a single ongoing relationship, for patients across seven states via telehealth.

Empathy Therapy is a telehealth psychiatry and psychotherapy practice built around empathic therapy, where genuine connection, careful listening, and integrated care are the foundation of every patient relationship. Dr. Mark Chofla, DO, is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Davis, his medical training at Midwestern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, and his psychiatry residency and internship at the University of Southern California (USC). He has also served as a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, Davis Medical Center and School of Medicine. Dr. Chofla provides psychiatric medication management and formal psychotherapy for adults, adolescents, and children, and executive life coaching for adults, across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska, New York, and Florida via telehealth. New patient intakes are 75 minutes. Follow-up appointments are 45 minutes. New patients are typically seen within days, not weeks. Evening appointments are available for patients in New York and Florida.

Why Most Psychiatrists Only Do Medication

The training is not the limitation. Psychiatrists complete medical school, a psychiatric residency, and learn psychotherapy alongside psychopharmacology. Every board-certified psychiatrist is qualified to provide therapy.

What changed the model was reimbursement. Over the past several decades, insurance paid relatively more for brief medication management than for the longer sessions therapy requires. A psychiatrist could see four patients for medication checks in the time one therapy session takes, and be paid more for doing so. The economically rational choice within an insurance-based practice became medication management, with therapy pushed to lower-cost providers.

The result is the split-care model most patients encounter: a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner for prescriptions, and a separate therapist for talk therapy. It is so common that many people do not realize a single psychiatrist providing both is even an option. It is, and for many patients it is the better one.

What Integrated Care Actually Means for a Patient

When one provider handles both medication and therapy, several things change for the patient.

There is no coordination gap. In split care, the prescriber does not automatically know what comes up in therapy, and the therapist does not know what the medication is doing. The patient becomes the messenger between them. When one provider does both, that gap does not exist.

Treatment decisions are better informed. A medication adjustment can be made with full knowledge of what is happening in the therapeutic work. The therapy can account for how the medication is affecting mood, sleep, and energy. Each side of the treatment informs the other in real time.

The patient does not repeat themselves. There is no retelling of a difficult history to a second provider, no summarizing one provider to the other. The story is held in one place.

One patient described what that felt like on Healthgrades:

"I have had a hard time finding a psychiatrist. Dr. Chofla challenges me when it is needed, but it always feels respectful and grounded in a real understanding of what I am going through." — Patient on Healthgrades

How to Tell Whether a Psychiatrist Provides Therapy

Most psychiatric practices do not advertise therapy as a core service even when a provider is capable of it, so it is worth asking directly. A few questions clarify quickly whether a practice offers genuine integrated care or split care under one roof.

Does the same provider deliver both the medication management and the therapy, or are they handled by different people in the practice. Some group practices describe themselves as offering both, but a psychiatrist handles medication while a separate therapist handles therapy, which is split care inside one organization.

How long are the appointments. Formal psychotherapy cannot happen in a fifteen minute medication check. A practice that provides real therapy has appointment lengths that reflect it.

Is the therapy formal and ongoing, or occasional and informal. Some prescribers offer supportive conversation during medication visits and describe it as therapy. That is different from structured, ongoing psychotherapy.

At Empathy Therapy, Dr. Chofla personally provides both the medication management and the formal psychotherapy. New patient intakes are 75 minutes. Follow-up appointments are 45 minutes, long enough for genuine therapeutic work rather than a symptom check.

One patient described that depth of attention on WebMD:

"I've been seeing Dr. Mark Chofla for a few months now, and I've been impressed with his ability to listen and provide thoughtful feedback. He has a calm, professional demeanor that immediately puts you at ease. He takes the time to thoroughly understand your concerns before offering solutions. He doesn't rush through appointments, which I really appreciate. While no psychiatrist can work miracles, I've noticed meaningful improvements in my mental health under his care." — Patient on WebMD

Who Benefits From Seeing One Provider for Both

Integrated care serves patients across the full range of need.

Someone early in their mental health care, dealing with a first episode of anxiety or depression, benefits from a provider who has time to understand them and stays consistent across every visit, rather than being routed between a prescriber and a therapist before they even know what they need.

Someone managing more than one condition benefits from a provider who holds the entire clinical picture, so that treatment for one issue accounts for its effect on the others.

Someone who has been in split care that did not work well, where the prescriber and therapist never quite aligned, often finds that a single provider resolves the friction they were experiencing.

For patients who need only medication, or only therapy, a psychiatrist who offers both can still provide exactly that. The advantage is that if the need changes, the same provider can adjust without a referral or a handoff.

One patient reflected on what that consistency produced over time on Vitals:

"Dr. Chofla is one of the best medical professionals I have been to. I have progressed under his care and expect to continue to do so. He sincerely cares about his patients' well-being." — Patient on Vitals

Private Pay, Superbills, and How Costs Work

Empathy Therapy is a private-pay, fee-for-service practice. Insurance is not accepted. The same insurance economics that pushed psychiatry toward medication-only care are the constraints a private-pay practice removes. Appointments are as long as the clinical situation requires, therapy and medication are provided by the same person, and the provider relationship stays consistent from the first appointment forward.

Patients receive a detailed superbill after each appointment, which can be submitted to insurance for potential out-of-network reimbursement. Many patients with PPO plans recover a portion of their costs this way. Dr. Chofla's office can provide guidance on that process.

Dr. Chofla provides telehealth psychiatry and psychotherapy for patients across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska, New York, and Florida.

The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Anyone with questions about their mental health is welcome to contact Empathy Therapy at 888-832-9635 or book a new patient appointment online at www.empathytherapy.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a psychiatrist provide therapy as well as prescribe medication? Yes. Psychiatrists are medical doctors trained in both psychotherapy and medication management. A psychiatrist can provide talk therapy and prescribe medication within the same treatment relationship, though many choose to focus only on medication management. Dr. Chofla provides both.

Is it better to have one provider for both therapy and medication? For patients who need both, a single provider eliminates the coordination gap that exists when a prescriber and a therapist work separately. Medication decisions and therapeutic work inform each other, and the patient does not have to act as the messenger between two providers.

What is the difference between a psychiatrist who does therapy and a medication-only psychiatrist? A medication-only psychiatrist focuses on prescribing and managing medication, usually in brief appointments, and refers therapy to a separate provider. A psychiatrist who provides therapy delivers both within one relationship, with longer appointments that allow for formal psychotherapy.

How long are appointments? New patient intakes are 75 minutes. Follow-up appointments are 45 minutes.

How quickly can I be seen? New patients are typically seen within days, not weeks.

Does Empathy Therapy accept insurance? No. Empathy Therapy is a private-pay, fee-for-service practice. Patients receive a superbill after each appointment for potential out-of-network reimbursement.

Which states does Empathy Therapy serve? Empathy Therapy serves adults, adolescents, and children across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska, New York, and Florida via telehealth.

Are evening appointments available? Evening appointments are available for patients in New York and Florida. The fully telehealth model means patients across all seven states can schedule without commuting.

How do I get started? New patient appointments can be booked directly at www.empathytherapy.com. You can also review frequently asked questions at www.empathytherapy.com/faqs or call 888-832-9635 with any questions before booking.