Psychiatry and Therapy Guides: Learn, Compare, Decide
Plain-language guides for anyone thinking about psychiatry or therapy in New York, for yourself or for your child. Start with what the terms mean, compare your options, then check what to ask and what happens next. Every guide lists the official sources its facts were checked against.
Learn · Compare · Decide · Topic guides
In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988 now (in New York City it reaches NYC 988). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Learn
What the terms mean and how care works, explained plainly.
- LearnControlled medications in New YorkWhich psychiatric medicines are controlled, why Schedule II drugs are not refilled, and New York's extra rules.
- LearnHow psychiatric diagnosis worksWhat clinicians look at, why medical causes get ruled out, and why a diagnosis can take more than one visit.
- LearnRating scales and measurement-based careWhat the PHQ-9, GAD-7 and ADHD scales measure, what a score can and cannot tell you, and how to answer.
- LearnMind-body practices and mental healthWhat NIH and CDC say about meditation, yoga, tai chi, acupuncture and exercise for mood and stress.
- LearnPharmacogenomic testingWhat gene-drug tests look at, what FDA says about psychiatric medicines, and the limits of the results.
- LearnSupplements and mental healthWhat NIH and FDA say about common mood and anxiety supplements, their limits, and their interactions.
- LearnWhat a boxed warning meansWhat FDA boxed warnings are, which psychiatric medicines carry them, and what to do if yours has one.
- LearnCalling 988 in NYCWho answers 988 in New York City, what a call, text or chat is like, languages, privacy and when 911 gets involved.
- LearnWhat is peer supportWhat peer specialists do, New York's peer credentials, warmlines and groups, and how peer support differs from therapy.
- LearnWhat trauma-informed care meansSAMHSA's definition and principles in plain words, what they look like in a visit, and how they differ from treatment.
Also on this site
- What Integrative Psychiatry Actually Means
- SSRIs and SNRIs Explained: How They Work
- Burnout vs Depression: How to Tell the Difference (and Why It Matters)
- Perimenopause and Mental Health in 2026: Hormones, Mood Changes, Brain Fog, and Emotional Health
- Adult ADHD Assessment: Key Components and Diagnostic Challenges
Compare
Options side by side, with who each one tends to fit.
- CompareAntidepressant classes comparedHow the main antidepressant groups differ on FDA labels: likely mechanism, common side effects and key safety rules.
- CompareBrand vs generic medicationWhat FDA approval of a generic means, what can differ, how New York substitution works and when to speak up.
- CompareCrisis options in NYC911, NYC 988, Mobile Crisis Teams, psychiatric ERs, CPEPs and crisis residences: what each does and when it fits.
- CompareFederal vs New York parityWhich parity law covers your plan, what each requires, and where the 2024 federal rule stands.
- CompareImmediate-release vs extended-releaseHow short-acting and long-acting ADHD stimulant forms differ in timing, how to take them and what labels warn.
- CompareIn-network vs out-of-network vs self-payThree ways to pay for psychiatry or therapy, compared on choice, cost, paperwork and privacy.
- CompareLevels of care comparedOutpatient, IOP, partial hospital, residential and inpatient care for adults: what each involves and when it fits.
- CompareTesting vs. psychiatric evaluationWho does each, what each produces, and when it makes sense to have both.
- CompareSecond opinion or stay?When a psychiatric second opinion is reasonable, when to talk with your prescriber first, and how to do it safely.
- CompareWho can prescribe in New YorkPsychiatrists, psychiatric NPs, PAs and primary care doctors compared, with New York's current prescribing rules.
Decide
What to check, what to ask and what happens next.
- DecideAppeal a mental health denialInternal appeal first, then a New York external appeal: who can file, deadlines and what to gather.
- DecideCheck a New York licenseLook up a New York clinician on the state license search, read the result, and check discipline and board certification.
- DecideMake a safety planThe six parts of a written safety plan, how to make your space safer, and who can help you write one.
- DecideMove your care to a new providerSwitch therapist or prescriber without a gap: records, releases, medication timing and what to bring.
- DecidePay with an HSA or FSAWhat the IRS counts as medical care for mental health, HSA vs FSA basics, and the receipts to keep.
- DecideQuestions before starting medicationA question list for the medication conversation, with why each question matters and where the answer is written down.
- DecideStarting ADHD medicationWhat usually happens in the first weeks of ADHD medication: checks, follow-ups, what to track and what to report.
- DecideTelehealth psychiatry rules in New YorkWhere you must be, what works by video, the 2026 federal rule on controlled medicines, and New York insurance rules.
- DecideNo in-network psychiatrist availableNew York wait-time rules, the access complaint, and out-of-network referrals at in-network cost.
- DecideStart a child's evaluationPediatrician, child psychiatrist, psychologist or school: which first step fits your question, and what each needs.
Topic guides
Longer reading lists on one subject, from first questions to first appointment.
- Getting Started With Mental Health Care
- A Patient’s Guide to Psychiatric Medication
- Which Type of Therapy Is Right for You?
- A Guide to Integrative Psychiatry
- A Parent’s Guide to Child and Teen Mental Health
- A Patient’s Guide to Ketamine and Spravato
- TMS Therapy: A Patient's Guide
Looking for something else? Browse all articles, the FAQs or our mental health resources.
Ready to talk to someone?
Mind Body Seven offers psychiatry and therapy for adults, teens and children, in Brooklyn and by telehealth across New York State. Request a consultation and an Intake Coordinator will follow up.
Facts in these guides were checked against official and professional sources on November 8, 2026. This guide is general education, not medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and reading it does not make you a patient of Mind Body Seven. For advice about your situation, talk with a licensed clinician.