Psychiatric Evaluation
Weston, FL | Telehealth Across FL
As a board-certified psychiatrist and a medical doctor, Dr. Holly Betterly MD is an expert in psychiatric evaluations.
Her thorough assessments get to the root of your mental health problems, providing a precise psychiatric diagnosis that guides treatment.
Dr. Betterly provides evidence-based care, focusing on treatment options backed by research.
In-person appointments in Weston, FL
Insurance accepted:
In-Network for Aetna + Cigna
1825 Main Street, Suite 16
Weston, FL 33326
Conveniently located in
Weston Town Center
How do I get diagnosed?
What is a psychiatric diagnosis?
If you’ve been struggling with mental health challenges, you’re probably eager to find out what’s causing your symptoms.
Diagnosis involves determining which psychiatric condition best explains your mental health symptoms. Narrowing down a psychiatric diagnosis is the first step towards finding an effective treatment- and feeling better.
A Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation is the process through which a psychiatrist determines a psychiatric diagnosis.
Some common examples of psychiatric diagnoses include depression, anxiety, and OCD.
Learn more about
common psychiatric diagnoses:
Who can provide a psychiatric diagnosis?
The types of mental health professionals who can legally provide a psychiatric diagnosis is often defined by state law. In most states, both psychiatrists and psychologists can provide a formal diagnosis.
If you are interested in exploring prescription medications for your mental health concerns, a board-certified psychiatrist is the best option. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are licensed to prescribe medications. They are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions.
Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation
A Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation takes place during your first visit, either in-person at the Weston office, or virtually via telemedicine.
Dr. Holly Betterly dedicates 90 minutes for each of her psychiatric evaluation appointments, significantly longer than those typically offered by other practices.
Longer appointments allow for more time to get to the root of your mental health concerns, facilitating a more precise diagnosis. They also allow for meaningful conversations, which help her to get to know you as a unique individual.
During your psychiatric evaluation, Dr. Betterly will ask questions to get to know you, your background, and your current mental health concerns.
Checking your vital signs, such as your heart rate and blood pressure.
Questions about your current and past mental health concerns.
Questions about various aspects of your daily functioning, such as your sleep patterns, appetite, and energy levels, your performance at work or school, or your social relationships.
Screening questions to identify symptoms of various different psychiatric conditions
Questions about your medical history, such as your medical conditions, medications, allergies, and any surgical procedures you may have had
Questions about your family’s medical history
Questions about your mental health history, including any past diagnoses or treatments, such as medications or therapy
Questions about current or past drug or alcohol use
Questions about various aspects of your background, such as developmental milestones, childhood, education, employment, living situation, relationships, religion, and traumatic events or abuse.
She may also administer rating scales which provide numerical scores for symptom severity. These scores can be tracked over time to monitor treatment progress in an objective manner.
In some cases, additional information may be needed before a diagnosis can be determined. This may include blood tests, imaging, or referrals to specialists, such as a neurologist or a psychologist.
After the information-gathering process is complete, Dr. Betterly will identify the psychiatric diagnosis that best explains your mental health symptoms.
Once a diagnosis has been made, Dr. Holly Betterly will provide an overview of the available treatment options. These may include prescription medications, therapy, or lifestyle modifications. Together, you will develop a treatment plan that is tailored to your goals and preferences.
Follow Up Visits
After your first visit, you will continue to see Dr. Betterly on an ongoing basis. The frequency of follow up visits depends on your unique needs. Most patients return for their first follow up visit after about one month, but this varies from one person to the next.
At this visit, Dr. Betterly will assess your response to treatment, checking in about any changes to your symptoms or overall health. She may repeat standardized symptom rating scales to measure treatment progress. For those taking prescription medications, side effects will be closely monitored, with adjustments made as appropriate.
Learn more about mental health conditions & treatments
Dr. Holly Betterly is committed to educating her patients about their mental health conditions, encouraging them to play an active role in their psychiatric care. She empowers her patients with the knowledge and expertise that she has gained through over a decade of training.
She maintains a mental health education blog, Better Together, which features articles on timely topics in psychiatry, as well as answers to your mental health questions- straight from a trusted psychiatrist!
Check out some of Dr. Betterly’s latest articles:
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