Dr. Julie Kay Ford, MD

Care Philosophy: Her passion lies in obtaining information from patients to make a thorough diagnosis, then explaining this diagnosis while educating patients and collaborating with the patient to develop a workable treatment plan. She enjoys an eclectic approach to psychotherapy. Sometimes cognitive behavioral techniques are used, such as: prescribing a book to be read, or journaling and focused imagery, all with the goal of ultimately retraining one's thoughts and behaviors. Often, psychodynamic techniques are used, which consider the patient in terms of his/her important relationships: who is this patient's mother and what was the quality of that relationship like? Who is the father and how did he/does he continue to influence? What is the sibling hierarchy - oldest child? youngest? an only child? Who is this person married to? Who does this person work for? Who are this person's friends? From how these relationships work or fail to work, the patient develops insights and can tell …where there are barriers to happiness, love, or abundance. The patient can then learn what needs to be done to remove or bypass these obstacles. Many times a medication or medications are prescribed. An antidepressant can improve one's mood, energy, appetite, sleep, sexual interest and overall outlook on life. An anxiolytic can help reduce and hopefully eliminate anxiety. A mood stabilizer can smooth out the rough edges of an unstable up-and-down mood. An antipsychotic can help clear up hallucinations and delusions, as well as work as an anti-anxiety medicine. Antipsychotics can sometimes even help with a stubborn and difficult depressive or bipolar episode. Her twenty years of experience as a psychiatrist helps her to know what to listen for and when and how to make an intervention - whether it be of word or medicine. Twenty years has also taught her the value of patience; this she attempts to pass on to her patients as, sometimes, a bit of time is required before psychiatric symptoms will lift.