The Heart of the Matter
At GIA Chicago, we believe that everyone should have great mental wellness. We aim to remove any possible barriers to your well-being and peace of mind, and our thorough psychiatric evaluation is the first step on your journey.
We don’t want the term psychiatric evaluation to put you off. It can sound cold and clinical; however, this is the polar opposite of how we operate at GIA. We do everything with patient care and compassion in mind.
Our psychiatric evaluation is simply where we find out the best way to help you. If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or addiction, we’d love to help you or them find recovery.
Psychiatric Evaluation at GIA Chicago
At GIA Chicago, we deliver bespoke mental health and addiction treatment packages. Every single patient is unique, so what works for one person might not work for another. To optimize the accuracy of your treatment, we need to find out exactly what you need.
If you are referred to GIA Chicago via another therapist recommending our TMS therapy, your evaluation with them may be sufficient for you to begin treatment.
During the psychiatric evaluation, we’ll look at any medication you’re using, any illicit substance or alcohol use, and any previous diagnoses. We’ll also perform a non-invasive neurological examination.
This process takes between forty-five and sixty minutes and is carried out by one of our resident psychiatrists. This enables us to formulate a customized treatment plan to help you begin your wellness journey.
It’s possible that the psychiatric evaluation may recommend a more intensive psychological assessment, which will be performed by one of our psychologists.
What Happens in a Psychiatric Evaluation?
We don’t follow a strict formula for our evaluations – we tailor it for each patient individually. To get the best results, we need you to be as relaxed as possible. We always aim for maximum patient comfort in our state-of-the-art luxury facilities in downtown Chicago.
We need to understand what your needs are in order to meet them. We’ll ask you about:
- The symptoms you have
- What you feel is holding you back
- Any worries or anxieties you may have
- Any previous treatment experiences
- What your personal goals are
While we aim to get as thorough a picture as possible, we don’t want you to have to relive anything uncomfortable. You only need to tell us what you want help with. This is your opportunity to reach out for help – we want you to be at ease while doing so.
Do I Need a Psychiatric Evaluation?
If you’re struggling in any sort of way, GIA Chicago’s psychiatric evaluation is designed to help you understand what’s really going on for you.
Some of our patients come to us with a pre-existing diagnosis, some know their behaviors are harming them, and some just don’t feel they’re living up to their potential. You can reach out to our team for anything you like, including:
- Experiencing panic attacks
- Worrying about death
- Being unable to stop using substances
- Poor performance at work
- Difficulty in interpersonal or romantic relationships
- Phobias
- Not enjoying life
- A family history of mental health conditions
- Medication-resistant depression
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Our expert clinical team are ready to provide world-class support as you work on healing.
Bespoke Treatment at GIA Chicago
Our emphasis is on long-term resolution of mental health issues. We don’t believe that a band-aid solution works – simply medicating you and moving you on isn’t the way to great mental health and wellness.
Our world-leading transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy (TMS) coupled with our expert psychological treatment helps our patients position themselves for sustainable, long-term recovery with minimal reliance on medication.
We address the entire picture of your mental health through our holistic approach. We aim to get to the root cause of your problems, so you can thrive for the rest of your life.
We challenge the idea that mental health treatment should be tough. We show that it’s possible to give highly effective treatment in a positive atmosphere while maintaining an overall good client experience.
We offer a range of treatments, including:
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Group therapy
- Couples therapy
- Medical management
