How to Find a Psychiatrist Who Does Both Therapy and Medication

To find a psychiatrist who provides both therapy and medication, search for the terms "integrated care," "psychiatrist who does therapy," or "medication and therapy from one provider," and then confirm during your initial contact that the same psychiatrist personally delivers both, rather than referring therapy to a separate clinician. Ask three questions directly: does the same provider handle both the medication and the therapy, how long are the appointments, and is the therapy formal and ongoing. Brief fifteen-minute appointments cannot accommodate real psychotherapy, so appointment length is the fastest way to tell integrated care from medication-only care with a therapy referral. Many of the psychiatrists who practice this way are private pay, because the insurance model favors brief medication management, and they provide a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement. At Empathy Therapy, Dr. Mark Chofla personally provides both medication management and formal psychotherapy across seven states via telehealth.

If you are reading this on the Empathy Therapy website, you have already found a psychiatrist who does both. Dr. Chofla is exactly the kind of provider this article describes: one board-certified psychiatrist who personally delivers medication management and formal psychotherapy in the same relationship. The reason for explaining how to search is that integrated care is uncommon and easy to mistake for its lookalikes, and knowing what separates the real thing from a group practice that simply offers both services under one roof helps you evaluate any practice with confidence, including this one. What follows is what to look for and what to ask.

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 This Is Harder to Find Than It Should Be

Most psychiatric practices do not lead with whether the psychiatrist provides therapy, because most do not. The dominant model separates the two: a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner manages medication in brief appointments, and a separate therapist handles the talk therapy. A patient looking for one provider who does both has to sort through a field built around the split model to find the exception.

This is a function of insurance economics rather than clinical training. Every board-certified psychiatrist is trained in psychotherapy. Over time, insurance reimbursement favored brief medication management so strongly that most psychiatrists moved away from providing therapy themselves. The ones who still do are often private pay, because that is what makes the longer appointments financially sustainable.

The search is worth the effort for patients who want it, because integrated care removes the coordination gap that split care creates. It just requires knowing what to look for and what to ask.

One patient described what finding the right fit produced 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

Where to Search

A few approaches surface integrated providers more efficiently than a general search.

Use the specific terms. Searching "psychiatrist who does therapy and medication," "integrated psychiatric care," or "medication and therapy same provider" filters toward practices that offer it, rather than the broader "online psychiatrist" searches that return high-volume medication-management platforms.

Look at private-pay practices specifically. Because the integrated model is difficult to sustain under insurance, a disproportionate number of the psychiatrists who provide both therapy and medication are out-of-network. Filtering toward private-pay practices raises the odds of finding one.

Read how the practice describes appointments. A practice that provides real therapy describes longer appointment times and often describes the therapeutic approach. A practice built around medication management describes brief medication checks. The language on the site usually signals which model it is.

Check directories, but verify. Directory listings sometimes indicate that a provider offers both therapy and medication, but the listing does not always distinguish between one provider doing both and a group practice where different people handle each. Verify directly.

The Questions That Settle It

Once a practice looks like a possibility, a short conversation confirms whether it is genuine integrated care.

Does the same provider deliver both the medication management and the therapy. This is the question that separates integrated care from split care inside one organization. Some group practices offer both services, but a psychiatrist handles medication while a separate therapist handles therapy. That is not the same as one provider doing both.

How long are the appointments. Formal psychotherapy requires time. If follow-up appointments are fifteen or twenty minutes, the practice is doing medication management, whatever it calls the brief conversation that happens alongside it. Longer appointments are the structural requirement for real therapy.

Is the therapy formal and ongoing, or occasional. Some prescribers offer supportive conversation during medication visits and describe it as therapy. Genuine psychotherapy is structured and continuous, not a few supportive minutes at the end of a medication check.

At Empathy Therapy, the answers are direct. 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.

One patient described that depth 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

What You Get When You Find It

The reason to go through the search is what integrated care delivers once you have it.

There is no coordination gap. The person managing the medication is the person doing the therapy, so nothing gets lost between two providers who may not communicate.

Treatment decisions are better informed. A medication adjustment is made with full knowledge of what is happening in the therapeutic work, and the therapy accounts for how the medication is affecting mood, sleep, and energy.

You do not repeat yourself. There is no retelling a difficult history to a second provider, no summarizing one provider to the other. The story stays in one place.

The relationship is consistent. The same provider sees you at every appointment and knows your history, which is what continuity of care actually requires.

One patient reflected on that consistency 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, which is what allows one provider to deliver both therapy and medication in appointments long enough to do both well.

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. For current rates, patients are welcome to call 888-832-9635 or review the details available when booking online.

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

How do I find a psychiatrist who does both therapy and medication? Search for terms like "integrated care" or "psychiatrist who does therapy," focus on private-pay practices where the model is more common, and confirm directly that the same provider delivers both. Appointment length is the fastest signal: real therapy requires longer appointments than a medication check.

Do most psychiatrists provide therapy? No. Most focus on medication management and refer therapy to a separate provider, largely because of how insurance reimburses psychiatric care. Psychiatrists are trained in therapy, but relatively few provide it, and many who do are private pay.

How can I tell if a practice offers real integrated care or split care? Ask whether the same provider handles both the medication and the therapy, how long appointments are, and whether the therapy is formal and ongoing. A group practice where a psychiatrist prescribes and a separate therapist provides therapy is split care under one roof, not integrated care.

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.

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.

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.