Katelyn Thompson, DO

Biography

What would your patients say about you as a physician? Most often I hear that I have a calming presence and they are involved in treatment decision making.
What is the most important thing patients should know about you and your practice? The first visit with a psychiatrist is often intimidating and precludes some people from coming in. It is really just a conversation when we gather background information to help make the most accurate diagnoses and appropriate treatment plan. If something is too painful to discuss right away, it does not need to be disclosed. Many patients fear that once they meet a psychiatrist, they will have to see a psychiatrist the rest of their lives. Most often, we function as a consultant who helps you through some bumps in the road, not a permanent fixture in your life.
What is the ideal physician/patient relationship? When we treat a patient how we would want a family member to be treated.  Personal Interests Do you have any medical specialties or special interests that we should be aware of? Geriatric depression, anxiety and dementia. Otherwise, general psychiatry includes a wide range:  depression, anxiety, substance use, severe and persistent mental illness such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.  I do not see patients under 18 years old.

Nearly every person will experience feelings of depression or anxiety at some point in their lives. For many folks, this is fleeting and self-limited. For many others, there is a need to seek mental health care.