“I find it rewarding guiding you on your path to recovery as we look beyond improvement of symptoms”
I am board-certified in Psychiatry and Neurology with over 15 years of experience as a clinician, educator, researcher, and advocate for quality care. I am also a mother who went through post-partum depression and invites you to start your own recovery journey.
The path to recovery may have some twists and turns where familiar signs and struggles may reappear. Each time, we will face them with new meanings and an enhanced ability for inner serenity and healthier coping strategies.
Jennifer Severe, M.D. Mood Disorder Specialist
MY CLINICAL EXPERTISE
I welcome adults of all ages experiencing a mood condition including healthcare professionals seeking a supportive and private environment. Teens 16 years and older may be seen depending on their secondary diagnosis.
I provide care for the mood conditions listed below and their most common co-occurring problems including anxiety symptoms, mild substance use, emotional eating, weight gain, and sleep problems.
-
Easily misdiagnosed. Choose between ongoing care or a second-opinion evaluation if you experience “mood swings”, unusual behaviors, excessive spending, low need for sleep, and increased energy level among other symptoms.
-
Through self-compassion and self-exploration, we will examine the complex roots of depression including your mental, physical and spiritual health as well as values, beliefs, and purposes. Conventional and alternative approaches will be discussed.
-
You may notice sadness, low energy, motivation, and productivity among other symptoms as you transition to a new season. This condition is preventable through pro-active lifestyle adjustment, targeted light therapy, medications, dietary supplements, and more.
-
You may have difficulty regulating your emotions and feel easily irritable, sad, or anxious, mainly during the fall and winter. We will examine your ADHD type (inattentive, hyperactive, or combined), level of cognitive and social regulation as well as other impairing symptoms (e.g.: low motivation, performance, and productivity) as we devise the plan that suits your goals.
-
May be a sign of undertreated depression. If not, a 7-day monthly intervention will be explored with proactive behavioral strategies, lifestyle adjustment, medications, suggestions for your gynecologist.
-
Can be missed among already-fatigued couples. Longer maternity leave and a revised childcare plan may be needed as part of a targeted treatment plan.
-
Antidepressants and other medications may be prescribed to address the irritability, hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia as part of an integrative approach involving your gynecologist.
-
Retirement, unemployment, grief or a new health problem may lead to impairing symptoms of depression. Renewed purpose for a fulfilling and meaningful life will be at the heart of our work together.
-
Whether it started in childhood or adulthood, personal healing and management of interpersonal conflicts will drive our treatment approach which could include psychotherapy, self-care, mood stabilizers, and more.
-
May be misdiagnosed. Whether it is the “depressive type” or “bipolar type”, a second-opinion evaluation will be conducted first to establish the diagnosis and level of severity before discussing a treatment plan. Some individuals may need a higher level of care.