NCNE | Adult Psychiatric Medication Management & Telehealth

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Who provides your care

Psychiatric nurse practitioner care, by telehealth

Care at NCNE is provided by Laura Gabriel, PMHNP-BC, a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. If you have been told to “see a psychiatrist” and found a psychiatric NP instead, here is what that means, how the two compare, and why for most outpatient psychiatric care the answer is the same care, sooner.

A calm, private space set up for a telehealth psychiatric appointment

Psychiatric nurse practitioner vs psychiatrist: what actually differs

The difference is the road in, not the destination. A psychiatrist qualifies as a physician and then specializes in psychiatry. A psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner qualifies as a nurse, gains clinical experience, and then completes a graduate degree and national board certification in psychiatric mental health. Both evaluate, diagnose and prescribe. Both use the same medications, the same diagnostic framework and the same evidence base. In outpatient care for anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma and ADHD, the care itself is the same kind of care.

What differs in practice is availability. Psychiatrists are scarce; in much of New England and the mid-Atlantic a first appointment can be months away. Psychiatric NPs now provide a large and growing share of outpatient psychiatric care in the United States precisely because they are reachable, and a practice built around telehealth is more reachable still.

What a psychiatric NP can do

  • Carry out a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and make a diagnosis
  • Prescribe and manage psychiatric medication — antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers and others
  • Order and interpret relevant tests, including pharmacogenomic testing where it would inform prescribing
  • Supervise coming off a medication as carefully as starting one
  • Provide psychoeducation and, where appropriate, psychotherapy alongside medication, and coordinate with your therapist or primary care team

What NCNE does not do

NCNE does not prescribe benzodiazepines or opioid-based medications, does not treat opioid use disorder, and does not see children or adolescents. Care is for adults aged 18 to 65. If what you need falls outside that, the evaluation will say so plainly and we will help you find the right clinician.

Where NCNE's psychiatric nurse practitioner is licensed

NCNE holds an active advanced practice license in each of the seven states it serves, and sees patients only when they are physically in one of them:

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For urgent emotional support at any hour, call or text 988(Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Telehealth visits and this website are not an emergency service.

Common questions

What is a psychiatric nurse practitioner?
A psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) is a registered nurse who has completed a master's or doctoral degree in psychiatric mental health nursing, passed a national board certification examination (the credential PMHNP-BC), and holds an advanced practice license in each state where they see patients. Psychiatric NPs evaluate, diagnose, prescribe and manage psychiatric medication, and many also provide psychotherapy.
What is the difference between a psychiatric nurse practitioner and a psychiatrist?
Training pathway. A psychiatrist is a physician: medical school, then a psychiatry residency. A psychiatric NP trains through nursing: a nursing degree and clinical experience, then a graduate program in psychiatric mental health. Both evaluate and diagnose, both prescribe, and both follow the same evidence base and the same medications. In everyday outpatient care — anxiety, depression, mood disorders, ADHD, trauma — the care you receive is the same kind of care.
Can a psychiatric nurse practitioner prescribe medication?
Yes, in every state. Psychiatric NPs prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and, where they hold the federal registration, controlled substances. Each state sets its own rules on how nurse practitioners practice and prescribe; NCNE holds an active license in each state it serves and practices within that state's requirements.
Can a psychiatric NP diagnose ADHD, anxiety or depression?
Yes. Diagnosis is part of the evaluation a psychiatric NP is trained and licensed to carry out. At NCNE that is a 60-minute telehealth evaluation covering your history, symptoms, past treatments and medical background, and it ends with a diagnosis where one fits and a plan you helped write.
Is seeing a psychiatric nurse practitioner as good as seeing a psychiatrist?
For outpatient medication management, the research comparing the two has consistently found comparable outcomes and comparable patient satisfaction. The practical difference most people notice is access: psychiatric NPs are far more available, so a first appointment is often days away rather than months. If your situation genuinely calls for a psychiatrist — for example, certain complex or treatment-resistant presentations — we will say so and help you find one.
Does a psychiatric NP take insurance?
Yes. NCNE is in network with most major plans across the states it serves; see Insurance & Fees for the plans accepted in your state and what to do if you do not have insurance.
Who is NCNE's psychiatric nurse practitioner?
Laura Gabriel, PMHNP-BC — a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with 8 years of experience, an MSN from the University of Saint Joseph, and the founder of NCNE. She provides every evaluation and follow-up visit herself, by secure video.
Which states can I see NCNE's psychiatric nurse practitioner in?
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Kentucky. You need to be physically located in one of those states at the time of your video visit; where you live between visits does not matter.

Next steps

NCNE is accepting new patients. Book a telehealth evaluation with a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, or send a message and we will respond within two business days.

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