INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Alliance Mental Health. We are a group of like-minded physicians who have created this organization in line with our own beliefs about how to help patients live longer, more fulfilling lives. This includes treating the whole individual, not only the components of body or mind. We work by combining the most effective techniques available in both somatic and therapeutic treatments. We are aiming for a relationship where we are working together, in sync, toward common goals and with mutual understanding of what you would like to achieve.

In order to treat the whole person we need to understand where they have been, where they are now, and where they desire to be in the future. And just as our past experiences have shaped our present, our current behaviors will form our future. These include important ongoing lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, stress relief, and environment. A disruption in any one of these important areas can lead to increasing loss of equilibrium and feelings of loss of control. Each individual has their own goal of balance, and there are many different paths to help realize it. We are here to help recognize and eliminate the obstacles that block the way.

The goal of the organization is to deliver both quality and individually tailored treatment in a flexible, accessible, and affordable way. We welcome referrals from other health care providers, individuals, and health care organizations. This website will provide information about our organization and our doctors. In addition there are educational and service links available for new or ongoing patients. Please contact us at any time for more information or to schedule an appointment.

TREATMENT APPROACH

Our psychotherapy approach is primarily psychodynamic, but also draws from cognitive and behavioral disciplines. We use what is known as the biopsychosocial model to evaluate and understand patient difficulties.

The biopsychosocial model is a general model or approach that describes that biological, psychological (which entails thoughts, emotions, and behaviors), and social factors, all playing significant roles in human functioning. The model has been linked to psychiatrist George L. Engel at the University of Rochester, and was discussed in a 1977 article in Science, where he posited "the need for a new medical model." This was in contrast to the traditional, reductionist biomedical model that suggests every disease process can be explained in terms of an underlying deviation from normal function such as a pathogen, genetic or developmental abnormality, or injury. In actuality, evidence for the application of the approach can be found in both ancient Greece (500 B.C.) and Asia (2600 B.C.).

Depending on the circumstances and the nature of the difficulties each patient will benefit from a different treatment plan based on their individual needs. Psychiatric difficulties can range from primarily biological to fundamentally psychological with very different treatments shown to be effective. These interventions may include medications, psychotherapy, both, or neither. In most cases, as demonstrated by research, a combination of modalities has been found to be the most effective. We also offer augmentation approaches such as bright light therapy, relaxation, and meditative techniques.