Riverside Counseling and Psychiatry is home to Ashburn's most experienced psychiatric team, including board-certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners who provide thorough evaluation, expert medication management, and compassionate ongoing care for teens and adults.
Psychiatric care done well looks very different from a quick medication check with a primary care provider. At Riverside, your initial psychiatric evaluation runs 60–90 minutes. Your psychiatrist or nurse practitioner will take a full psychiatric, medical, and family history; explore your current symptoms in depth; discuss any medications you've taken in the past and how they worked; and explain their thinking clearly before making any recommendation. You should always know what you're being prescribed, why, and what to realistically expect, including timeframes and potential side effects. Medication decisions at Riverside are always collaborative, never unilateral.
You should always know what you’re being prescribed, why, and what to realistically expect. Medication decisions at Riverside are always collaborative, never unilateral.On the Riverside approach to psychiatric care
Our psychiatric team, which includes board-certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners, treats a full range of conditions: depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders including panic and OCD, ADHD in teens and adults, bipolar disorder, PTSD, insomnia, and complex presentations involving multiple co-occurring diagnoses. We do not have a one-condition specialty that excludes others; most of our psychiatric patients have nuanced presentations that benefit from experienced, broad-based psychiatric evaluation.
One of the most significant advantages of receiving psychiatric care at Riverside is the integration with our therapy team. Many patients benefit most from a combination of medication management and psychotherapy. The evidence for the combined approach is consistently stronger than for either modality alone, particularly for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. When you work with both a therapist and a psychiatrist at Riverside, those providers communicate directly about your care, not just through records but as colleagues who can discuss your progress and coordinate your treatment plan in real time.
For patients who are already working with an outside therapist, our psychiatrists can serve as a medication-focused partner in a collaborative care model, providing clear documentation and communicating with your other providers when authorized. We are also happy to accept patients transitioning from other psychiatric practices who need a new prescriber.
Most psychiatric follow-up appointments at Riverside are available via secure telehealth video, a practical option for medication management once an initial in-person evaluation has established care. We serve patients across Loudoun County from our Ashburn and Leesburg offices, and telehealth patients across Virginia. New psychiatric appointments are typically available within one to two weeks. Call us at (703) 724-0200 or request an appointment online to get started.
Many people are uncertain whether they need a therapist, a psychiatrist, or both, and what the practical difference actually is. Therapists (licensed counselors, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers) provide psychotherapy: structured, evidence-based conversations designed to change patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior. Psychiatrists (MD/DO) and psychiatric nurse practitioners (PMHNP) specialize in the medical aspects of mental health: diagnosis, medication evaluation and management, and the intersection of psychiatric and physical health. The conditions best treated with psychiatric medication management include moderate-to-severe depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and insomnia. In practice, the best outcomes for most of these conditions involve both therapy and medication, which is exactly what Riverside's integrated model provides. You don't have to choose one or coordinate between separate practices; we manage both dimensions of your care as a unified team.
National Institute of Mental Health — how to find a mental health professional and what to expect
National Alliance on Mental Illness — guidance on finding the right mental health professional
findtreatment.gov — find mental health and substance use treatment near you
Call or text 988 — free, confidential crisis support 24/7
The difference between good psychiatric care and merely adequate care is often invisible until you experience it. Thorough evaluation, genuine partnership, and expert monitoring: that's what our psychiatric team provides to every patient, at every appointment.
Our psychiatrists (MD/DO) and board-certified nurse practitioners bring deep expertise in complex mood disorders, ADHD, anxiety, PTSD, and co-occurring conditions.
Our psychiatric and therapy teams communicate directly. When you see both, your care is coordinated, not siloed across two practices that never speak.
Initial psychiatric evaluations run 60–90 minutes. We cover full medical, psychiatric, and family history before making any prescribing decisions.
Most psychiatric follow-ups are available via secure video throughout Virginia, practical for ongoing care without disrupting your schedule.
Your initial psychiatric evaluation typically runs 60–90 minutes. Your provider will review your current symptoms, full psychiatric and medical history, any medications you've tried previously, family history of mental health conditions, and how your mental health is affecting your daily life and functioning. The goal is a thorough understanding of your presentation before any medication recommendation is made. Any treatment plan will be explained clearly before you leave, and you'll have ample time to ask questions.
No referral is required. You can contact Riverside directly to schedule a psychiatric evaluation: call (703) 724-0200 or use our online appointment request. We accept new psychiatric patients and can typically schedule an initial evaluation within one to two weeks.
Yes. Our psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners are licensed to prescribe controlled substances, including stimulant medications for ADHD such as amphetamine and methylphenidate formulations, when clinically appropriate. Controlled substance prescribing requires an in-person evaluation to establish care and is conducted within a careful, ongoing monitoring relationship per Virginia DEA regulations.
Follow-up frequency depends on your clinical situation. When starting a new medication or adjusting dosage, follow-ups are typically scheduled every 4–6 weeks until your regimen is stabilized. Once stable and doing well, many patients are seen every 2–3 months for ongoing monitoring and prescription renewal. Most follow-up appointments are available via telehealth for convenience.
Yes. Most psychiatric follow-up appointments at Riverside are available via secure telehealth video for patients throughout Virginia. We typically require an initial in-person evaluation to establish care before transitioning to telehealth follow-ups, which allows us to conduct a thorough assessment before beginning any prescribing. Telehealth is available for Virginia residents only.
Thorough evaluations, coordinated care, and telehealth available throughout Virginia. New patients welcome.
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