Frequently Asked Questions

Integrative psychiatry is a whole-person approach to mental health care. It combines careful psychiatric assessment, evidence-based treatment, medication when appropriate, psychotherapy, lifestyle medicine, and attention to the broader emotional, relational, behavioral, spiritual and existential factors that shape mental health.

At Centerpoint Integrative Psychiatry, symptoms are taken seriously, but they are not treated as the whole story. Depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, or burnout may reflect biological vulnerability, nervous system dysregulation, unresolved grief, chronic stress, relationship patterns, habits, or deeper questions of meaning and identity.

The goal is not simply to reduce symptoms, though symptom relief matters. The goal is to better understand what the symptoms may be pointing toward and to support meaningful, individualized change.

People most often seek care for depression, anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, burnout, substance use concerns, addictive behaviors, and treatment-resistant depression that has not fully responded to prior care.

Many patients are high-functioning externally but feel disconnected, depleted, restless, or unfulfilled internally. They may be able to keep up with work, family, and responsibility, while still sensing that something deeper needs attention.

Care is individualized and may involve medication management, psychotherapy, lifestyle interventions, harm reduction, deprescribing, or ketamine-assisted psychotherapy when appropriate.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, often called KAP, combines ketamine treatment with psychological preparation, therapeutic support, and integration afterward.

Ketamine is an FDA-approved medication that is used off-label in psychiatric care. For some patients, it may support treatment by increasing psychological flexibility, softening rigid patterns of thought, and creating space for new emotional perspectives. The medicine experience itself is only one part of the process. Preparation, set and setting, and integration are central to the work.

KAP is not appropriate for everyone. A careful psychiatric and medical evaluation is required to determine whether ketamine treatment is a safe and clinically appropriate option.

Yes. When clinically appropriate, Centerpoint can collaborate with your existing therapist so that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy remains connected to the therapeutic relationship you have already developed. Following a medical and psychiatric evaluation, eligible patients may be prescribed sublingual ketamine to self-administer during a planned session in their therapist’s office.

Centerpoint provides the medical evaluation, prescribing, treatment planning, and ongoing medical and psychotherapeutic follow-up, while your therapist provides preparation, therapeutic support, and integration. This option requires coordination in advance and is considered individually based on the patient, therapist, and treatment setting.

This practice may be a good fit for people who want more than a brief medication visit and are interested in understanding the deeper patterns contributing to their symptoms.

Patients here are often curious, reflective, and willing to participate actively in their care. They may be interested in psychotherapy, lifestyle change, medication optimization, deprescribing, harm reduction, or psychedelic-informed approaches. None of these approaches are required; care is individualized and collaborative.

This practice may not be the right fit for someone seeking a quick medication-only visit, crisis care, or a higher level of psychiatric support than an outpatient practice can safely provide.

Yes. Psychiatric medication can be helpful and, for some people, life-changing.

Medication is approached as one tool among several. When medication is appropriate, it is prescribed thoughtfully, reviewed collaboratively, and considered within the larger context of your life, goals, symptoms, functioning, and treatment preferences.

Yes. Deprescribing is the thoughtful process of evaluating whether psychiatric medications should be continued, adjusted, reduced, or discontinued.

Some patients have been on psychiatric medications for years and are not sure whether the benefits still outweigh the side effects. Others were started on medication during a difficult period of life and now want to reassess their treatment plan.

Deprescribing is not appropriate for everyone, and it is not a rejection of psychiatric medication. Some people do better with ongoing medication support. The goal is to make careful, individualized decisions based on your history, risks, goals, functioning, and preferences.

When deprescribing is appropriate, it is done gradually and with attention to safety, withdrawal symptoms, relapse risk, and your personal timeline.

Yes. Dr. Lotfy is board certified in Addiction Medicine and works with substance use concerns, addictive behaviors, and harm reduction.

Substance use is approached with compassion rather than shame. Substances and compulsive behaviors often serve a function before they become harmful. They may relate to stress, trauma, emotional pain, reward pathways, withdrawal, social environment, habit, or attempts to cope.

Treatment may include harm reduction, relapse prevention, psychotherapy, medication-assisted treatment, lifestyle changes, and coordination with outside therapists or treatment programs.

Severe substance use disorders may require a higher level of care, such as intensive outpatient treatment, residential treatment, or medically supervised detox. In some cases, outpatient care at Centerpoint may be provided in coordination with those supports.

Buprenorphine/Suboxone treatment may be available for appropriate patients with opioid use disorder.

Telehealth is available through a secure telehealth platform for patients who are physically located in states where Dr. Lotfy is licensed and where telehealth care is legally permitted.

Telehealth to California patients is provided through Karim Lotfy-Mohammed MD PC, which is operated by Karim Lotfy, MD.

At this time, care may be available to patients physically located in Colorado and California. Some services may require in-person evaluation or in-person treatment depending on clinical needs, medication considerations, and legal requirements.

Telehealth is not appropriate for emergencies or crisis situations — see the crisis note below.

The first appointment is a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. It is longer and more detailed than a standard brief medication visit. The most important part of this visit is identifying your goals or treatment direction.

We will review your current concerns, psychiatric history, medical history, medications, substance use history when relevant, prior treatment experiences, lifestyle factors, relationships, trauma history when appropriate, and what you are hoping to change.

The first visit is also a chance to assess fit. You should leave with a clearer understanding of what may be contributing to your symptoms and what treatment options may make sense.

Centerpoint Integrative Psychiatry is an out-of-network practice and is not contracted with insurance companies.

Payment is due at the time of service. Superbills may be provided for eligible services upon request, which you may submit to your insurance company for possible out-of-network reimbursement.

Reimbursement is not guaranteed and depends on your insurance plan, diagnosis, benefits, deductible, and the type of service provided.

KAP fees vary depending on physician and therapist involvement, the agreed KAP protocol, and the number and frequency of sessions.

Centerpoint Integrative Psychiatry is not an emergency or crisis service. Messages, emails, portal communication, and voicemail may not be reviewed immediately.

If you are in crisis, having thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, or feel unable to stay safe, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room.

You deserve immediate support. Crisis services are available 24/7.