In short: "integrative" usually means combining conventional psychiatry with other evidence-informed approaches. "Functional" usually means looking harder for biological contributors, often with more lab testing. "Holistic" is the broadest and loosest word, generally meaning attention to the whole person. Clinicians use all three differently, and one person's "functional" can be another's "integrative."
Part of our guide: A Guide to Integrative Psychiatry
None of the three is a credential on its own. The American Board of Medical Specialties lists 24 member boards, and psychiatry falls under the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. None of these three words names a member board. Certificates also exist outside that system, such as integrative medicine certification from the American Board of Physician Specialties, so ask who issued any certificate and what it required. So the more useful question is what a specific clinician actually does, and what training and license they hold.
The three terms side by side
| Integrative | Functional | Holistic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic idea | Coordinate conventional and complementary care | Look for contributors behind symptoms, especially biological ones | Treat the whole person: body, mind and life context |
| Typical emphasis | Medication, therapy, sleep, nutrition and lifestyle together | Detailed history, physical factors, often more labs | Varies widely with the clinician |
| Medication | Usually one option among several | Varies; often part of care, sometimes de-emphasized | Varies; some avoid it |
| Formal definition | Yes, from a federal research center | No fixed definition; the term can mean different things | No single clinical definition found |
| Main risk | Adding things without clear benefit | Over-testing and over-interpreting results | A vague label that can cover almost anything |
Integrative psychiatry
Integrative has the clearest outside definition. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, says integrative health brings conventional and complementary approaches together in a coordinated way. It separates this from "alternative" care, in which a non-mainstream approach is used in place of conventional medicine.
That distinction matters for psychiatry. Integrative care keeps standard diagnosis and treatment available and adds to them. Mind Body Seven's integrative psychiatry page describes a medical approach that considers biological, psychological, lifestyle and environmental factors together, and says it is not anti-medication. See what integrative psychiatry actually means for more.
Functional psychiatry
Functional psychiatry grows out of functional medicine, whose advocates describe it as a way to address underlying contributors to illness. NCCIH notes that the term sometimes refers to a concept similar to integrative health, and may also refer to an approach that more closely resembles naturopathy. Compared with the other labels it tends to lean more heavily on biology: nutrition, hormones, gut health, inflammation and metabolism.
One large study of the wider functional medicine model is from general medicine. Cleveland Clinic researchers compared functional medicine patients with matched primary care patients and found modestly larger gains in physical quality-of-life scores at 6 months. The 12-month comparison was not significant. The study was retrospective, did not target psychiatric conditions, and called for prospective research.
The tests themselves deserve the closest look. Some are standard medicine, while others have thin validation. A systematic review found no substantiation that "adrenal fatigue" is an actual medical condition, even though saliva cortisol panels are widely sold for it. Our article on specialty functional lab tests and our overview of lab tests in integrative psychiatry go deeper.
Mind Body Seven's functional psychiatry page says it is not the right starting point for everyone, and that it is typically most helpful when symptoms are chronic, complex or resistant to standard care. Functional psychiatry explained covers the approach in more depth.
Holistic psychiatry
Holistic is the word you will see most in marketing and the one with the least fixed meaning. In its best sense, it means taking your whole life seriously: sleep, relationships, work, trauma, culture and physical health. Most good psychiatric care should do this to some degree.
The risk is that the word tells you nothing specific. A holistic psychiatrist might prescribe in a fairly standard way and spend more time on lifestyle. Another clinician using the same word might avoid medication entirely, which could be a problem for conditions where medication has an important role. NCCIH's related concept, whole person health, describes improving health across multiple connected domains rather than just treating disease. For help thinking this through, see is a holistic approach right for you and holistic vs regular psychiatrist.
How the labels might play out for the same complaint
Take a common situation: low mood and fatigue that have only partly improved on an antidepressant. This is a general illustration, not advice. An integrative clinician might review the diagnosis and medication, then look at sleep, therapy and movement, and check basic labs such as thyroid function. A functional clinician might ask about the same things and look more closely at nutrition, gut symptoms and hormones, perhaps with a wider set of tests. A clinician who calls their work holistic might spend more time on stress, relationships and meaning. In practice, any of these could happen under any of the three names, which is why asking how someone works tells you more than the title.
What all three share, and where they run into limits
These approaches share some appealing ideas: longer conversations, attention to the body, and treatment shaped to the person. They also share a limit. Research usually tests individual treatments, and the evidence varies greatly from one to the next. Our review of how strong the evidence is goes through this treatment by treatment.
They also tend to share a risk around supplements. The FDA is not authorized to review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed, and supplements can interact with medications. St. John's wort, for example, can interact in dangerous, sometimes life-threatening ways with a variety of medicines. Whatever the label, a clinician should know everything you take.
How to decide what fits you
Your situation matters more than the name:
- New symptoms, or never evaluated. Start with a thorough psychiatric evaluation, including a look at medical causes. The label matters less at this stage.
- Medication helps, but not enough. An integrative approach that keeps what works and adds to it may suit you.
- Chronic or complex symptoms after solid conventional care, with a medical picture that seems relevant. A more biologically focused workup may be worth discussing, with clear reasoning for each test.
- You want a broader conversation about your life. Any of these could fit, as could good psychotherapy. Ask how the clinician actually works.
- Bipolar disorder, psychosis or severe depression. Look for someone comfortable with standard treatment, and be cautious of anyone who discourages it.
Questions that reveal more than the label
- What is your license and training, and are you board-certified? In what?
- Can you prescribe, and how do you think about medication?
- Which tests do you commonly use, and how would each one change my care?
- Do you sell supplements or receive anything from testing companies?
- What does the evidence say about this for my diagnosis, and how strong is it?
- How will we judge whether this is working, and when would we change course?
- How do you coordinate with my other doctors?
For credentials, what clinician credentials mean is a useful primer, and how to choose an integrative psychiatrist expands on this checklist.
Warning signs under any label
- Pressure to stop medication quickly or without a monitored plan
- One explanation offered for nearly everyone, such as gut, toxins or hormones
- Large test panels ordered before a careful history
- Promises of cure, or criticism of all conventional psychiatry
Please do not start, change or stop a medication because of a label or an article. Talk with your prescriber first.
Next steps
Mind Body Seven offers both integrative and functional psychiatry. To find out which fits, you can request a consultation, and the intake team can confirm fit, scheduling and costs. Fees and insurance explains how out-of-network care works.
FAQs
Is functional psychiatry the same as integrative psychiatry?
They overlap, and some clinicians use the terms interchangeably. Ask what each means in that clinician’s practice, since the name alone will not tell you how much testing or medication to expect.
Do these clinicians have to be medical doctors?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (an M.D. or D.O.). The words functional, integrative and holistic may also be used by people with different training, and only some can prescribe. Ask for the clinician’s license and who is responsible for your medication.
Will these approaches mean I come off medication?
Not necessarily. Many integrative clinicians prescribe, and for some conditions medication plays an important role. If you want to change medication, do it with your prescriber and a monitored plan.
Are these approaches covered by insurance?
It depends on the plan, the service and the clinician, and specialty tests and supplements may be handled differently. Mind Body Seven is out of network and does not accept Medicare or Medicaid. See what integrative psychiatry costs.
