Our Mission
To offer comprehensive psychiatric services at the forefront of science. Through a functional approach, we create thorough treatment plans for each patient instilling confidence and overall well-being.
What Sets Us Apart From Other Practices?
Time Spent and Access to Staff
We are a small, physician owned practice which is truly patient focused. We strive to do what is best and necessary for the benefit of our patients. We dedicate 20-40 minutes to medication management appointments and 60-75 minutes to new patient evaluations and consultations. A receptionist is always present during office hours and we are easily reachable by phone. If phone call is not your preferred form of communication, a patient portal is also available for easy access to our providers. Refill requests are consistently processed within 24-48 hours, if not the same day.
Thorough and Individualized Patient Care
It is important to our providers that we develop a clear understanding of our patient’s past, current symptoms, and context in which they are occurring, so that we can make informed treatment recommendations. Patients never feel rushed and we won’t hesitate to delay a treatment decision until we have enough information to make an informed one.
Just like each patient’s symptoms and situation are different, our treatment plans are tailored specifically to each individual and will take into account prior treatments, patient preferences, medical history, and known research regarding the efficacy of available treatments. When recommended, we will order psychotropic genetic testing, or use other available tools to help with decision making.
We believe strongly in developing thoughtful, comprehensive, and evidence-based treatment plans so that our patients have the best chance of getting better fastest.
Unique Expertise and Comprehensive Care for TRD Patients
Dr. St John has been in private practice since 2006 and specifically focusing on the care of treatment-resistant patients since 2012. She has been performing TMS since 2013, IV Ketamine therapy since 2017, and Spravato since 2019. Hers is one of the very few comprehensive TRD (treatment resistant depression) clinics in Houston where sophisticated medication management, TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), IV ketamine therapy, and Spravato (nasally inhaled esketamine) are all prescribed within the same clinic, and by a psychiatrist uniquely trained and experienced in the care of patients with TRD.
Not only is the availability of multiple interventions under one roof an advantage to patients, but also the possibility of combining interventions or transitioning between them when patients do not reach remission with a single intervention alone. Combination of TMS with IV ketamine therapy, or optimization of traditional oral medication while also prescribing treatment with TMS or Spravato are common strategies we are able to employ to help patients finally reach remission.
Curated Safe and Caring Setting for In Office Treatments
Starting treatment with IV Ketamine, Spravato, or even TMS can cause patients to feel anxious and vulnerable. We take care to prepare patients for what to expect during their treatment. Much is known about the importance of mindset and a therapeutic setting in terms of obtaining an optimal therapeutic experience from ketamine and we work both to provide a serene environment and to
guide our patients through the process. A nurse is always present in the same room with patients undergoing infusions to monitor and to provide support if needed.
TMS Therapy sessions are also monitored by our TMS Coordinator. Patients find interacting with her makes their daily visits enjoyable.
Passion for Mental Health Care
We hope that you will feel embraced by our office staff, each of whom plays a different role in the care of our patients. Each is uniquely passionate and willing to go above and beyond in an attempt to help our patients reach and maintain the level of wellness he or she deserves.
Our goal is to help our patients reach a full remission of symptoms, and then to help them remain in remission. We educate our patients on how to identify lingering symptoms, how to identify early signs of relapse, and how not to settle for less than an ideal treatment response.
Insurance Participation
It is our mission to provide high quality mental health care at an affordable price. We participate in multiple insurance plans and, because we were early adopters of TMS and Spravato, have fought for patients to obtain treatments from the time insurance didn’t cover them to the present, when insurance coverage is broad. We are intimately familiar with the insurance approval process and boast near 100% approval rates for treatments we prescribe. Note, IV ketamine therapy is not covered by insurance plans.
