The Williamsburg Psychiatry Group, a psychiatry practice partnered with the Williamsburg Therapy Group, offers psychiatry services in Brooklyn to New York residents. Our full time psychiatrists provide consultation about psychopharmacology options along with attentive ongoing medication management. Each provider takes time to get to know each patient and provides comprehensive medical assessments so that they can make thoughtful recommendations about psychotropic medications that may benefit the patient.

Psychiatry is a medical field focused on understanding and treating mental health issues. Psychopharmacology is the practice of using medications to help the mind, emotions, and behaviors. Our psychiatrists, Dr. Shane Konrad and Dr. Rob Roy are experts in providing both medical recommendations and psychotherapy. We offer treatment of a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including mood disorders, anxiety, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, trauma related disorders, substance abuse, and ADHD.

Research indicates that for many patients, a combination of therapy and psychotropic medication can be effective in treating a variety of mental health issues. Because each person’s needs are unique, our psychiatrists take time to carefully understand each patient’s background and respectfully listen to concerns and questions about using medication to manage symptoms. Our psychiatrists also consider ways that therapy can complement medication use through helping the patient develop skills and find support to create a well-rounded treatment plan. Psychiatrists can also provide consultation and support if a patient is interested in discussing whether they should stop taking a prescribed medication.

There are several types of psychotropic medications that are used for a variety of reasons, including both short-term relief from mental health symptoms and longer-term stabilization and improvement of mood. Depending on the patient’s diagnosis and preferences for psychotropic medications as part of their treatment plan, medication management can range from a few weeks to several years.

• Antidepressants are a class of medications that impact serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which are naturally-occurring chemicals called neurotransmitters that affect mood and other areas of functioning. These medications are often effective in managing depression and anxiety disorders.
• Mood stabilizers are another type of medication that is used to treat specific types of depression and cycling mood, including bipolar disorder. Some medications of this type require regular blood tests to monitor and ensure that the medication is at appropriate levels in the body.
• Benzodiazepines are medications that help treat panic attacks and symptoms related to intense anxiety, including insomnia. Because these medications are short-acting (i.e., they have a stronger effect in a shorter amount of time), they are categorized as controlled substances and benefit from close monitoring to lower the risk of addiction.
• Stimulants are medications used to treat attention difficulties, including both inattentiveness and hyperactivity characteristic of ADHD diagnoses.
• Antipsychotic medications are used to treat different types of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. They can also be used to improve treatments for bipolar and depressive disorders.

Psychotropic medications can provide increased effectiveness in managing mental health symptoms. These benefits can include improved mood and less extreme ups and downs, increased ability to focus and organize, calming anxiety, and lowering intensity of disruptive thoughts. Certain medications can also help with decreasing triggers and cravings for people struggling with substance use. We believe that these benefits are more achievable when providers are attentive and responsive to each individual’s mental health needs and goals for treatment.

If you are a patient in New York City and would like psychiatric consultation and medication management, please schedule an appointment at one of our Brooklyn-based offices with Dr. Shane Konrad at our Grand Street office or Dr. Rob Roy at our Greenpoint office.