Psychiatric Medication Management
The Counseling Center is excited to add psychiatric medication management to our list of services. Psychiatric medication management involves prescribing medications and other medical interventions for the treatment of psychological suffering. When paired with effective psychotherapy, medication offers many patients the best chance at relief from a wide range of psychological difficulties including: depression, anxiety, OCD, Bipolar Disorder and thought disorders like schizophrenia. We are happy to be able to integrate this important service and will do so with the same devotion to excellence and expertise that we bring to all of our services.
Integration: Why It’s Better to Get Your Meds and Therapy in the Same Place
In many settings, psychiatric prescribers and therapists operate without any input from one another and patient care suffers as a result. Our medication providers are fully embedded in our team of therapists, have expertise in both medication and psychotherapy and are fully able to consult and exchange information with our therapy staff. This means that your providers will be working together to give you the best care.
Introducing our Psychiatric Prescribers!
At The Counseling Center, we have worked hard to maintain a high standard of expertise and talent in our therapy staff and have developed a strong culture of continuing improvement. As a result we have attracted some of the most talented and knowledgeable therapists in the region. We have brought that same approach to building our psychiatric staff. We have prioritized finding prescribers with a deep understanding of the science of medicine and the art of caring for people.
Introducing Neeta Lal, MD
As a board-certified adult neurologist and clinical social worker with significant psychiatric medication prescribing experience, I am in a distinct place to holistically understand and prescribe for clients. My treatment approach is to utilize medications in conjunction with behavioral interventions, to minimize overprescribing and adverse side effects, and to educate my clients.
I completed my medical degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, in 2010, and my neurology residency at Washington University, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri, in 2014. After working in various locum tenens positions in underserved areas across the country and at Intermountain Neurosciences Institute in Murray, Utah, I became disillusioned by the lack of time, psychoeducation, and counseling opportunities within medicine. This led me to pursue my Master of Social Work in 2023 from the University of Southern California, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, which has remained one of my best endeavors. My counseling experience helps me to seamlessly integrate therapeutic strategies into medication management, which allows for a synergistic effect.
My unique skill set led to opportunities to work as a psychiatric medication prescriber at New Roads Behavioral Health and the Steinmann Institute, treating a range of clients and conditions, from high acuity clients at residential levels of care, to lower acuity outpatient clients. I have experience and comfort in treating bipolar, psychotic, substance use, impulse control, traumatic brain injury and headache, sleep, mood and anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, autism spectrum, and attention disorders, among more.
In summary, my interests and skills lie at the intersection of medicine and social work, with dedication to collaborative treatment, and a unique, holistic perspective. In my free time, I keep busy raising my four young children, and continually learning and growing from my work and from my clients. In addition to medication prescribing at The Counseling Center, I also work two days here as a clinical social worker. Please reach out to schedule an appointment, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with you.