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Psychiatric Medication Management
in San Diego

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Individualized Psychiatric Care at Monima Wellness

Psychiatric medication management at Monima Wellness Center offers women a truly holistic approach to mental health and substance use treatment, combining expert-level evidence-based pharmacology with holistic healing. 

Both our PHP and IOP programs include on-site psychiatric services with Dr. Sarita Shah, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in women’s mental health, and Jill Sexton, NP, a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Unlike some treatment models that rely on rotating telehealth providers, our integrated approach to medication management provides personalized, consistent support alongside dual diagnosis treatment and trauma-focused treatment.

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What Is Psychiatric Medication Management?

Psychiatry, or psychiatric medication management, is medical care focused on prescribing and monitoring medications for mental health conditions. Different from therapy, which involves processing emotions and developing coping skills, psychiatry addresses the biological and chemical aspects of mental health through medication. Your psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner is a medical provider who can evaluate whether medication might help your symptoms and can prescribe treatment when appropriate.

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Who Benefits From Psychiatric Medication Management

Psychiatric care supports women experiencing mental health symptoms or conditions that may require medication alongside therapy and holistic treatments. You may benefit from medication management if you’re experiencing:

  • Depression or persistent low mood
  • Anxiety or panic attacks
  • Bipolar disorder or mood swings
  • PTSD or trauma-related symptoms
  • Substance-related mental health symptoms
  • Reproductive mental health concerns, like postpartum depression or hormonal changes

You might also benefit from psychiatric services if you’re coming to treatment and already taking medications but experiencing side effects or poor results, if your medication regimen feels disconnected from your other treatment, if you’ve never tried medication and have questions, or if you want an assessment from a provider that specializes in women’s mental health.

If you’re feeling stuck with your current treatment or have questions about whether medication might help relieve your symptoms, our team can help you explore your options. Contact us to discuss whether medication management might support your recovery.

Call: (858) 500-1542

Ready to Start Your Journey?

Contact us today at 858-500-1542 to begin crafting your path to recovery.

Call: 858-500-1542

What Psychiatric Medication Management Looks Like in PHP and IOP

Medication management at Monima Wellness begins with understanding the complete picture of your mental health. All clients enrolled in our programs receive comprehensive neuropsychological testing, which helps identify accurate diagnoses and informs your psychiatric care from the start. During treatment, either Dr. Shah or Jill Sexton will also conduct a thorough psychiatric assessment, considering your mental health history, substance use patterns, trauma background, current symptoms, and neuropsych testing results.

Regular On-Site Appointments

Dr. Shah will meet with you weekly during your time in PHP, and you’ll meet with Jill biweekly during IOP to monitor how your medications are working, adjust dosages, and address concerns. These appointments are managed by our team and take place on-site during your program hours—no travel or outside coordination required.

Your psychiatry appointments may include:

  • Symptom tracking and side-effect monitoring
  • Education on how your medications work
  • Time for your questions and concerns
  • Clear explanations of any changes or recommendations

All medication decisions are made collaboratively. Our providers set aside at least 30 minutes for your appointment, taking time to explain why specific medications might help, what to expect from treatment, and how different options compare, so you can make informed choices about your care.

Your psychiatric provider collaborates directly with your therapists, receiving updates from individual and group sessions to inform medication decisions. This coordination ensures your psychiatric treatment responds to your progress in trauma work, somatic therapy, and other holistic treatments.

Dr. Sarita Shah, Psychiatrist

Our On-Site Pyschiatrist

Dr. Sarita Shah, Psychiatrist

Dr. Shah is a board-certified general adult psychiatrist with experience treating a wide variety of mental health conditions. She has experience in medication management for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance-induced conditions, substance use, and women’s mental health. In addition, she has received subspecialty training in reproductive mental health and psychotic disorders.

Dr. Shah received her Bachelor’s (BS) in engineering from Trinity University and went on to complete her MD at Baylor College of Medicine and PhD in Bioengineering at Rice University. She subsequently completed psychiatric residency training at the University of California San Diego and is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is passionate about working with diverse communities to promote access to quality care. 

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Understanding When Medication Management May Support Your Recovery

Medication management often helps most when mental health symptoms are getting in the way of your daily life, making it hard to engage in therapy, or affecting your overall wellbeing – even when you’re trying other approaches. 

Some women come to Monima having never tried psychiatric medication before and want to know if it could help. Others arrive with complicated medication histories, looking for a fresh start with a provider who can reassess what’s actually working and what’s not. 

For those dealing with both mental health and substance use concerns, medication management can address both at the same time rather than treating them separately. For conditions like major depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD—especially when symptoms are moderate to severe—research shows that combining medication with therapy produces better results than either approach alone. 

You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Our assessment process can help you understand whether medication could support your goals during your time in treatment, while respecting your individual concerns and preferences. 

How Psychiatric Services Integrate Into Treatment at Monima

Psychiatric medication management at Monima works as one part of your overall treatment, not as a separate service. Your psychiatric care connects directly to your individual therapy, trauma-focused healing, somatic work, and holistic healing sessions. This integration allows your care team to see how medications are affecting your nervous system, trauma processing, and overall well-being from different angles.

Weekly Team Collaboration

Our psychiatric providers meet weekly with your therapists, case managers, and other clinicians to discuss your progress. This collaboration ensures medication decisions reflect the full picture of your healing, not just a symptom checklist. When medications need adjustment, your entire team understands the change and can support you through the transition.

The holistic treatments you receive at Monima—including acupuncture, yoga, and somatic healing practices—are meant complement psychiatric medication by supporting overall nervous system regulation and embodied healing. You don’t have to choose between conventional psychiatric care and holistic approaches. During your time in treatment, you’ll benefit from both working together, which many women find particularly powerful because it addresses mental health from multiple angles at once.

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What Makes Medication Management
Different at Monima

Monima’s approach to psychiatric care prioritizes consistency, specialization, and collaboration. Our approach ensures you receive expert psychiatric care that’s fully integrated with your trauma-focused treatment and holistic healing.

Photo of our psychiatrist's office at Monima Wellness

In-person, consistent psychiatric care

Most outpatient mental health programs contract with psychiatrists who provide brief telehealth appointments on a rotating basis, often seeing clients only once or twice during treatment. At Monima Wellness, Dr. Shah and Jill, our Psychiatric NP, work on-site, seeing every client regularly throughout their time in PHP or IOP. You meet with the same provider face-to-face, which means you don’t need to coordinate separate appointments, navigate telehealth technology during difficult moments, or repeatedly explain your story to different providers.

Group Therapy at mental health center for women monima wellness

Specialized expertise in women's mental health

Dr. Shah, who oversees psychiatry at Monima Wellnes and meets with each patient at the beginning of their journey, brings specialized training in reproductive mental health and psychotic disorders, with particular expertise in how hormonal changes, pregnancy, postpartum periods, and reproductive concerns affect mental health. This specialization matters because women’s mental health needs differ from general psychiatric protocols designed primarily for male populations.

Psychiatrist and patient discussing care and medication options

Education and shared decision-making

Our approach to medication management emphasizes collaboration and understanding. Dr. Shah and Jill take time to explain how medications work, what research supports their use, and what alternatives exist. Throughout your time in treatment, you’ll be encouraged to ask questions, voice your concerns, and actively participate in decisions about your care. This approach helps you develop confidence in managing your mental health as you transition back to daily life after your time at Monima.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Substance Use Disorders

For women in our PHP and IOP programs struggling with substance use, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can be an important part of recovery. Dr. Shah approaches MAT thoughtfully, evaluating each person’s unique situation to determine which medications, if any, would best support their healing. Our team is open to prescribing MAT when it aligns with your recovery goals and can help with cravings and withdrawal symptoms, which often creates space for deeper work in treatment.

Medication-assisted treatment works alongside your therapy, trauma work, and holistic healing as part of your overall treatment plan. If you’re looking for a treatment center in San Diego that offers medication-assisted treatment, contact our admissions team.

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MAT medications that may be prescribed during treatment

Our psychiatry team can prescribe evidence-based medications for opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder, including, but not limited to:

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Begin Your Healing Journey in San Diego

If you’re wondering whether medication could support your recovery journey, our team can help you explore your options without pressure or judgment. Contact us at (858) 500-1542 or verify your insurance to learn more about how our integrated approach to psychiatric care works within PHP and IOP programs designed for women and female-identifying individuals.

Call: (858) 500-1542
Begin Healing at Monima Medication Management and Psychiatry Monima Wellness Center - Women's Treatment Center for Mental Health

Ready to Start Your Journey?

Contact us today at 858-500-1542 to begin crafting your path to recovery.

Call: 858-500-1542

FAQs

Yes. Psychiatric medications can support addiction recovery in several ways. For women dealing with underlying mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, or mood disorders that sometimes contribute to substance use, mental health medications can help stabilize symptoms, often reducing the need for self-medication. Our providers may also prescribe MAT, when appropriate, to help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms for opioid or alcohol use disorders. We’ll work with you to understand your specific situation and determine which medications, if any, would best support your recovery goals.

Not necessarily. How long you take mental health medications depends on your specific situation, including how severe your symptoms are, and how you respond to treatment. Some women use medication as short-term support during intensive treatment and stop taking it once they’ve built stronger coping skills and nervous system regulation. Others may have ongoing conditions that do better with continued medication. Your psychiatric provider will talk with you about what timeline makes sense for your situation, and you’ll be involved in decisions about how long to stay on medication.

Psychiatric medication and holistic treatments work together at Monima rather than against each other. Medications can provide mental stability that makes it easier for you to engage in somatic therapy, mindfulness, and trauma work. At the same time, acupuncture, yoga, and other holistic practices support your nervous system and may even reduce medication side effects or help medications work better. Your psychiatric provider stays connected with your entire care team to make sure the full picture supports your healing.

Many women come to Monima after difficult experiences with psychiatric medication—whether that’s side effects they couldn’t tolerate, medications that just didn’t help, or feeling pushed into taking something they weren’t comfortable with. Our psychiatric providers take time to hear about your history and concerns before suggesting anything new. They can help you understand why previous medications might not have worked and which other options might make more sense for you now. You’re never required to take medication, and every decision involves an honest conversation about what could help, what the risks are, and what alternatives might exist.