Functional Psychiatry in Boulder, CO
A Whole-Person Approach to Mental Health
Blending science, compassion & a holistic view of health to support both mind & body.
When I first heard about Functional Medicine 15 years ago, it was almost unheard of among medical doctors like myself. Naturopaths had been using many of its principles for years before MDs began to take notice. Today, Functional Medicine is becoming much more familiar and continues to move closer to mainstream medicine.
Functional Medicine
Functional Medicine takes a personalized, whole-person approach to health. Instead of simply treating symptoms, it looks for the root causes of illness and helps restore balance in the body. It blends the best of conventional medicine with evidence-based lifestyle, nutritional, and environmental practices to support healing and long-term wellness.
Until recently, most Functional Medicine practitioners came from specialties other than psychiatry. But the time has come to bring this model fully into mental health care.
Functional Psychiatry
Functional Psychiatry applies the same principles to emotional and mental well-being. It looks at how factors such as nutrition, gut health, hormones, inflammation, genetics, and stress all work together to affect the brain. By understanding these connections, we can create a plan that supports the whole person—mind and body.
I’m excited to bring this fresh, integrative approach to my practice and to partner with you in finding the most personalized path toward healing and resilience.
Biomedical Evaluations
While the art and science of psychiatry can never be reduced to genetics and biochemistry, human beings are far too complex for that. This layer of understanding is often missing in standard psychiatric practice.
Most treatment decisions in psychiatry today are guided by evidence-based medicine, which has been an important and valuable direction for the field. It makes sense to base treatment decisions on research. However, evidence-based medicine is essentially population medicine, it identifies what works best for the “average” person. Sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed, but each of us is biochemically and genetically unique. Fortunately, we now have tools that allow us to look deeper and gain insight into individual needs for nutrients, minerals, gut health, and inflammation reduction. My goal is to craft a treatment plan that fits best with your family’s unique needs, means, and values.
My role is to help you navigate which tests are most relevant for your situation and to guide treatment in a way that best supports your mental health and well-being. This approach takes a deeper level of commitment, both in terms of financial investment and patience, as we explore the underlying causes of symptoms to provide the most personalized and effective care possible.
It’s not as simple as “taking a pill” for ADHD or depression, and it would certainly be easier for me to just write a prescription and hope for the best. But that’s not the kind of care I believe in. I’m committed to bringing next-level, integrative treatment to you and your family—care that aims not only to relieve symptoms but to promote true healing.
Although I can’t promise better results than standard psychiatric care, my 35 years of experience have shown me that the odds are in our favor when we address root causes. Whenever possible, I have greater faith in using natural, evidence-informed solutions to help restore balance and health
Dr. Friend is available for consultation to other psychiatrists, pediatricians or other health providers who want to incorporate functional medicine concepts into their treatment plans for mental health issues.