Psychiatric evaluation
A full assessment of symptoms, history, and what has helped before, leading to a diagnosis where one genuinely fits and a plan you understand and agree with.
Services
Psychiatric Care & Medication Management
Psychiatric care asks a different question from therapy: whether medication can help with what you are living with, and how to manage it safely if it can. Our psychiatric nurse practitioner evaluates children, adolescents, and adults, and works with you on a plan that is reviewed and adjusted over time rather than set once and left alone.
An evaluation starts with your history, your symptoms, what you have already tried, and what you want to be different. Medication is one possible outcome of that conversation and not a foregone conclusion. Where it does make sense, you should expect a clear explanation of what it is for, what to watch for, and how long it usually takes to know whether it is working.
This sits alongside counseling rather than replacing it. You can see a counselor here and a prescriber here, see only one, or come for an evaluation and take what you learn elsewhere. Each part of your care is delivered by someone qualified for it, and the two work from the same record so nothing has to be explained twice.
What this involves
Medication management
Ongoing review of how a medication is working, what it is costing you in side effects, and whether the dose or the choice should change. Not a prescription handed over once and forgotten.
Care alongside counseling
Treatment coordinated with the counseling you are already receiving, here or elsewhere, so medication and therapy are pulling in the same direction.
Telepsychiatry
Appointments by secure video anywhere in Texas, which for medication reviews is often the difference between keeping an appointment and skipping it.
Who provides it
Available by telehealth anywhere in Texas, from our Austin practice.
- Brandy L Johns, APRN, PMHNP-BC
I believe mental health care works best when it is compassionate, collaborative, and built around your own journey. After nearly a decade as a registered nurse and seven years of active-duty military service, I care for children, teens, and adults across the Central Texas community I have called home for over 15 years.
Common questions
- Do I have to be in counseling here to be seen?
- No. You can receive psychiatric care on its own, alongside counseling with one of our counselors, or alongside therapy you are already doing somewhere else. Each service is delivered by a provider qualified for it, and you choose which ones you want.
- Will I be prescribed medication?
- Not necessarily. An evaluation is an assessment, not a prescription. Sometimes the answer is medication, sometimes it is therapy, sometimes it is a change to sleep, substance use, or a medical issue that needs a different kind of attention. You will get a clear explanation either way.
- Who provides psychiatric care at Mental Health Counseling Group?
- Brandy L Johns, APRN, PMHNP-BC. Credentials and licence details are on their profile.
- Is it available by video?
- Yes, anywhere in Texas. Appointments can also be in person. Medication reviews are often short, and video is frequently the difference between keeping an appointment and skipping it.
- What does it cost?
- We are a private-pay practice, so payment is due at the time of your appointment. Contact us and we will explain what an evaluation involves and what it costs before you book.
Mental Health Counseling Group is a private-pay practice, so payment is due at the time of your appointment. Tell us what you are looking for and we will explain what an evaluation involves and what it costs before you book anything.