Integrating pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy: an emerging field of study.

Abstract

The mind-brain barrier is being challenged by clinicians using both medications and psychotherapy for the major psychiatric disorders. In this paper, six categories of study are outlined: 1) Diagnosis specific questions, 2) psychotherapy during randomized controlled mediation trials, 3) psychotherapeutic aspects of pharmacotherapy, 4) pharmaco-therapist and the non-medical psychotherapist, 5) meaning of medications during psychotherapy, and 6) neurology of psychotherapy. Three of these are elaborated upon: 1) diagnostic questions as they relate to panic disorder, 2) pharmacotherapy during the stages of psychotherapy, and 3) the neurology of psychotherapy.