Concierge psychiatry involves an evidence-based, highly personalized approach to psychiatric care. Dr. Patel makes herself available by phone or text for her patients, removing the barriers to communication. She also offers appointments that work around your schedule, including evenings and weekends pending availability. This model also allows for providing care virtually or in-person, whether in-office or traveling to you.

Dr. Patel has treated patients from age 5 to age 95. However, Dr. Patel will only see patients ages 5 to 64. Parents must accompany their child or adolescent to the appointment.

Dr. Patel currently holds a medical license in the state of Mississippi, and Dr. Patel is a board certified psychiatrist by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Patel offers both virtual (video) and in-person appointments (in-office or possibly travel to you) and is here to support your mental health and wellness needs that fits seamlessly into your lifestyle.

We DO NOT accept any walk-ins. All new patients must fill out the consultation request form. We also do not allow anyone without an appointment or approval from Dr. Patel to enter the office to maintain privacy and safety.

Prior to scheduling your consultation, please fill out our consultation request form. This will help us gather important information regarding your current mental health needs. Once we review your submitted form, we will contact you directly to schedule your consultation.

Dr. Patel provides both medication management and some therapy at each appointment. She also offers stand-alone therapy and executive coaching sessions which can be discussed on a case-by-case basis. Dr. Patel spends quite a bit of time providing educations on risks and benefits of medication management and other modalities of treatment.

Please visit our Services page for a comprehensive list of treatment services.

In this initial session (60 minutes for adults & 75 minutes for children and adolescents), we will review current symptoms and impacts on well-being; medical/surgical/psychiatric history including past treatments; familial and social background; and current life circumstances. Dr. Patel will provide you with the most appropriate diagnoses, though in certain situations we may need to refine and clarify this with further time. As a physician, Dr. Patel may recommend laboratory studies such as blood or genetic tests, brain scan studies, conduct a mental status examination and/or a physical examination, or obtain additional testing if indicated to thoroughly investigate the concerns that brought you into treatment. Recommendations for medications, psychotherapy, along with lifestyle and behavioral changes may be discussed during the comprehensive evaluation. If you have a primary care physician or other specialists involved in your care, Dr. Patel offers to collaborate with them at your preference for an additional fee. No treatment relationship will necessarily emerge from this first meeting. If we decide that we are a good fit for each other, we will then develop a treatment relationship where Dr. Patel can be considered your doctor/psychiatrist. Please note, the initial evaluation must be fully paid in advance to schedule a booking. This is 100% refundable if canceled within the 72 hours of the scheduled appointment.

Follow up visits with monitoring, occurring once every month or up to six months depending on need, to address any need for changes to your treatment plan, including but not limited to refining your diagnoses, ongoing laboratory tests such as monitoring medication levels, medication dose adjustments, tracking progress toward your treatment goals as well as obstacles that hinder that progress, updated behavioral and environmental interventions, and any necessary referrals.

Psychiatrists (MD or DO) are physicians who have completed four years of college, four years of medical school, and then completed a four to five-year residency/fellowship training (a minimum of 12 years of education) to specialize in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions which include medication management and therapy. Other providers are not physicians, but rather have completed non-physician training programs and have degrees such as masters level Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT/LMFT) or Social Worker (SW/ASW/MSW/LCSW) or Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP/DNP/MSN/etc) or a doctorate level Psychologist (PsyD or PhD). However, as a physician, Dr. Patel can perform physical and mental status examinations, make medical diagnoses, change psychiatric diagnoses, order and interpret laboratory tests, prescribe (and de-prescribe) medications in addition to providing therapy.

In Dr. Patel’s professional opinion and from established research, almost all patients benefit from some form of talk therapy. Patients in this track require more regular appointments to fully benefit. Sessions may be scheduled weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Whether you have problems to solve in your relationship, professional work, past traumas, or simply want to know yourself better, talk therapy can be a healing and enlightening experience. This approach is very individualized and custom to you including frequency of sessions.

People go to therapy for many different reasons. Sometimes there’s a life change, a move to a new city, a change in marital status, or a loss. Sometimes there’s a precipitating event that feels overwhelming. Sometimes “something just doesn’t feel right,” or there’s an experience of less resilience. The goal of talk therapy is for the therapist to try to help people gain better mental health. This can mean that the individual will learn to accept themselves with their limitations and to improve their overall resiliency, sense of agency, tolerance of a wide range of thoughts and emotions, self-continuity, realistic self-esteem, capacity for intimacy, moral sensibilities, and awareness of others as having separate subjectivities.

Dr. Patel believes therapy should identify core issues and begin to make a difference from the get-go. The work can be specific: processing a specific issue or evaluating the potential benefit of medication, or it can be long-term. This duration is your choice. Most people feel an immediate relief in scheduling an appointment and taking this first step cannot be underestimated. If you do not currently have a therapist, Dr. Patel can provide therapy and if we decide together that medications would be beneficial, Dr. Patel can provide the combined treatment as well. Should your situation stabilize and improve, or you find an alternate therapist, Dr. Patel can discuss switching over to the medication management track.

Therapy and coaching are personal development methods, but they differ in their focus, goals, and approach.

Therapy is a form of professional counseling designed to help people deal with emotional and psychological issues that may be negatively impacting their lives. Therapy often focuses on healing and addressing issues related to past traumas, relationships, and personal struggles. Therapists use a variety of evidence-based approaches to help clients overcome their challenges, treat diagnosed psychiatric medical illness, and improve their mental and physical health. There are several different approaches to therapy for mental health, each with its own unique techniques and principles. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviors, while psychodynamic therapy aims to uncover unconscious patterns of behavior and emotions. Humanistic therapy emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and personal growth. These are just some examples as the choice of therapy approach will depend on the individual's needs.

Coaching, on the other hand, is a more action-oriented approach to personal development and goal achievement. Coaches work with clients toward specific goals and to improve their performance in specific areas, such as career, relationships, or personal growth. Coaches often use a more forward-looking approach, developing strategies and tools to help clients achieve their desired outcomes. At times, coaching uncovers deeper psychological and/or psychiatric issues. 

According to the founder of sports psychiatry as a field, J.H. Massimino, “the primary role of the sports psychiatrist must be a clinical one: to prevent, diagnose, and treat the psychiatrically related medical issues confronting the athlete.” In psychiatry, we are medical doctors who can provide the clinical services required (mental health diagnosis and treatment) while thinking about the mind-body relationship. Our biopsychosocial perspective allows us to study recovery from injury, aspects of competition, the relationship between psychological functioning and performance, and effects of athletic activity on neuroendocrine function. We can diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medications, offer therapeutic interventions, and address both the physiological and psychological aspects of an athlete's mental well-being. For example, many athletes may struggle with performance anxiety, self-confidence, stress management, time management, motivation, goal setting, concentration, and resilience. Through evidence-based medicine and holistic approach, sports psychiatrists can help athletes overcome their hurdles and maintain optimal mental health. Sports psychiatrists integrate well in the sports environment by working closely with coaches, trainers, and other essential members of the team to provide an integrated, collaborative model of care.

Sports psychiatrists have both medical and mental health expertise. They help with the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in addition to the psychological aspects of sports competition and training. Sports psychiatrists specialize in athlete mental health, can prescribe medications if required, provide therapy and coaching around mental health, and can more easily coordinate with other medical care providers for a holistic treatment approach given their background and training.

Sports psychologists are educators who teach techniques to help athletes better understand their emotions and handle competitive situations with their mental health expertise. Typically, sports psychologists spend significant time with counseling and therapy with athletes and have various therapy modalities to help with this.

In order to provide you with the highest value and quality of care, Mississippi Psychiatry & Wellness, PLLC, is an out-of-network practice and does not contract with any insurance payers, meaning we are a fee-for-service practice, so we do not file with any insurance company. Payment is required at the time of service. A superbill can be generated upon request for submission to your insurance company for out-of-network reimbursement. Mississippi Psychiatry & Wellness, PLLC cannot guarantee whether or not you will be reimbursed for appointment fees. Because we are out-of-network, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate. Please contact us to inquire about rates as they vary depending on the service, especially if travel or consultant work is required. You may also visit our Practice Information page for more information.

• Quality: You are free to get the best clinical care possible, without any interference from the insurance company.

• Access: Appointments can last as long as they need to and can be as frequent as necessary.

• Privacy: If you do not seek reimbursement from your insurance company, your chart is completely confidential and will not be released without your permission.

Business hours for Mississippi Psychiatry & Wellness are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM. Dr. Patel may choose to see patients or respond to communications outside of these hours, including evenings and weekends, but responses from the practice or Dr. Patel should usually be expected only during business hours. For emergencies that require immediate care at any time, you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Consulting Hours: These hours vary based on timing and needs, including evenings and weekends. These hours will be established during discussion with Dr. Patel.

Please visit our Practice Information page for more information.

If your question lies outside of our Practice Information and FAQs, we are here to talk further with you. Simply visit our Contact page.