The 16-minute Hour: Combining Abbreviated Psychotherapy With Medication Visits. Part 2: Supportive Psychotherapy.

Abstract

Psychiatrists increasingly practice psychotherapy by integrating their therapeutic training into brief medication visits. Insurance companies reimburse this approach using the 90833 Current Procedural Terminology code, which corresponds to 16 to 37 minutes of add-on psychotherapy combined with pharmacotherapy. As scholarship focused on such short-form combined therapy is scarce, this 4-part series addresses the practice gap, providing guidance to practicing professionals. This installment addresses supportive psychotherapy, an elemental, affect-focused treatment with an evidence base for treating major depression.