Medications & Mental Health: When to Refer Therapy Clients for Psychiatry

Therapists are often among the first professionals to recognize when a client may benefit from psychiatric evaluation, yet determining when and how to refer can be challenging. This presentation provides therapists with a practical framework for identifying clients who may benefit from psychiatric care and understanding how psychiatry can complement the therapeutic process.

Participants will explore common clinical presentations that may warrant referral, the role of medication and other psychiatric interventions, and the distinction between short-term, maintenance, and symptom-targeted treatment. The presentation also offers practical strategies therapists can use to help clients prepare for psychiatric appointments, monitor treatment response, communicate effectively with prescribers, and address common concerns about medication, including side effects, dependence, cost, and previous negative experiences.

The overarching goal is to strengthen collaboration between therapists and psychiatric providers so clients receive coordinated, whole-person mental health care. Participants will also receive a practical handout summarizing key concepts and resources from the presentation for use in clinical practice.

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Identify clinical presentations, symptom patterns, and levels of severity that may indicate a client would benefit from psychiatric evaluation or treatment.

2. Describe the biological and physiological impact of untreated or undertreated mental health conditions and the relationship between mental health and whole-body functioning.

3. Identify mental health conditions for which medication may be beneficial and describe how pharmacologic treatment can complement psychotherapy.

4. Differentiate among symptom-targeted, time-limited, maintenance, and other psychiatric treatment approaches.

5. Apply practical strategies to help clients prepare for psychiatric appointments, monitor treatment response, communicate relevant symptoms and side effects, and address common concerns about medication, including dependence, affordability, and previous negative experiences.

6. Recognize the value of collaborative communication between therapists and psychiatric providers in supporting coordinated, whole-person mental health care.

Heather Figi, MSN, PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and founder of Soma Psychiatry, PLLC. Her practice is grounded in two simple beliefs: people heal when they feel truly seen, and we are as unique on the inside as we are on the outside. These principles inform her collaborative, trauma-informed, whole-person approach to psychiatric care.

Heather earned her Master of Science in Nursing in Psychiatric Mental Health from Frontier Nursing University and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, summa cum laude, from Oregon Health & Science University. Her clinical experience spans inpatient psychiatry, acute residential treatment for adolescents, and outpatient psychiatric care across the lifespan.

Prior to entering nursing and psychiatry, Heather trained as a professional musician and spent more than two decades as an educator—an experience that continues to shape her emphasis on communication, creativity, and individualized care. Her clinical interests include mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, trauma-related conditions, and women navigating periods of transition across the lifespan, including changes in identity, relationships, career, and reproductive life stages. Her approach integrates medication, therapy, lifestyle interventions, and other evidence-based strategies to support individualized mental health care.