Taylor Medical Group — Atlanta, Georgia
Holistic Psychiatry & Integrative Psychiatry Atlanta
Mental health care that treats the whole person — mind, body, and spirit
A Different Approach to Mental Health
If you’ve been struggling with anxiety, depression, brain fog, mood swings, or insomnia — and the usual approach isn’t working — you’re not alone. Millions of people take medication that only manages symptoms without ever asking why those symptoms started in the first place.
That’s what makes holistic psychiatry different. Instead of treating your symptoms in isolation, we look at the full picture. Your hormones. Your gut health. Your nutrition. Your stress levels. Your sleep. Your relationships. Your trauma history. All of these affect your brain — and if we don’t address them, no amount of medication will give you lasting results. Our approach combines holistic psychotherapy with medical evaluation to treat the whole person.
At Taylor Medical Group in Sandy Springs, Dr. Ava Bell-Taylor brings over 25 years of experience in psychiatry, functional medicine, and integrative healing. She completed her psychiatry residency at Emory University School of Medicine and has spent her career combining the best of conventional psychiatry with holistic therapies that treat the root cause — not just the symptom.
What Is Holistic & Integrative Psychiatry?
Holistic psychiatry and integrative psychiatry both start with the same idea: your mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Your brain is connected to every system in your body — your hormones, your immune system, your gut, your nervous system. When something is off in one of those systems, your mental health suffers.
Holistic psychiatry treats the whole person — mind, body, and spirit. It includes conventional treatments like medication when needed, but also incorporates natural healing modalities like mindfulness, breathwork, energy healing, and nutritional support.
Integrative psychiatry blends the best of conventional psychiatry with evidence-based complementary therapies. It uses lab testing, hormone evaluation, and functional medicine principles to find the biological drivers behind mental health symptoms.
At Taylor Medical Group, we practice both. We don’t choose one approach over the other — we use whatever combination gives you the best chance at real, lasting recovery. Whether you call it holistic psychotherapy, integrative psychiatry, or whole-person mental health care — the goal is the same: find out what’s really going on and fix it.
Conditions Our Integrative Psychiatry Practice Treats
Our integrative psychiatry practice addresses a wide range of mental health and brain health conditions:
Depression
Anxiety
Insomnia
Brain Fog
Mood Swings
PTSD & Trauma
ADHD & Attention
Bipolar Disorder
Eating Disorders
Memory & Dementia
Postpartum Depression & PMDD
OCD
Our Approach — Mind, Body & Spirit
Most psychiatrists will listen to your symptoms for 15 minutes, write a prescription, and send you on your way. That’s not how we practice.
Dr. Ava Bell-Taylor takes a full history — your mental health, your physical health, your relationships, your trauma, your nutrition, your sleep, your hormones, and your spiritual well-being. Because the truth is, your depression might be caused by a thyroid problem. Your anxiety might be driven by a hormone imbalance. Your brain fog might come from nutritional deficiencies or heavy metal exposure. If we don’t look at those things, we’re only treating half the problem.
Full Evaluation — We start with a thorough assessment of your mental and physical health. This may include lab work to check your hormones, thyroid, nutrient levels, and inflammation markers. We also use CNS Vital Signs testing for a detailed look at brain function — memory, attention, processing speed, and more.
Root Cause Identification — We look at your results and connect the dots. Is there a hormone imbalance? A nutritional deficiency? Chronic inflammation? Gut dysfunction? Unresolved trauma? We find out what’s actually driving your symptoms.
Personalized Treatment Plan — Your plan might include talk therapy, medication, IV therapy, hormone balancing, nutritional changes, mindfulness practices, or a combination. We use whatever works best for your unique situation.
Ongoing Support — Healing isn’t a one-visit event. We work with you over time — adjusting your treatment, tracking your progress, and making sure you’re moving in the right direction.
Therapies & Treatments We Use
Because we treat the whole person, we draw from a wide range of tools — both conventional and holistic:
Conventional Psychiatry
Medication management when needed. We’re not anti-medication — we just don’t believe it should be the only tool in the toolbox.
For treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. Targets the glutamate system and can produce measurable improvement within hours instead of weeks.
Hormonal imbalances are one of the most overlooked causes of depression, anxiety, and mood swings — especially in women going through perimenopause and menopause.
Supports cellular energy, DNA repair, and cognitive function. Used for brain fog, mental fatigue, and neurodegenerative support.
Your body’s master antioxidant. Supports detoxification and has neuroprotective effects that benefit brain health and mental clarity.
Peptides like Selank and Semax act on serotonin, dopamine, and BDNF pathways — the same systems involved in depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. We use targeted peptide protocols to support brain function, reduce stress, and improve mental clarity alongside your other treatments.
CNS Vital Signs Testing
A detailed neuro-cognitive assessment that measures memory, attention, processing speed, executive function, and more. Gives us real data on how your brain is performing.
Talk Therapy & Counseling
Individual, couples, and family counseling — available as part of your treatment plan or as standalone services. See our counseling section below.
Holistic Healing Modalities
Mindfulness, breathwork, guided meditation, hypnotherapy, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Reiki, and spiritual releasement therapy — chosen based on what’s right for you.
Nutritional Medicine
Your brain runs on nutrients. We evaluate your diet and supplement where needed. Visit Taylor MD Formulations for physician-grade supplements that support brain health.
Functional Lab Testing
Hormone panels, thyroid testing, salivary testing, nutrient levels, inflammation markers, and more. We test — we don’t guess.
Counseling Services
We offer counseling for individuals, couples, and families. What makes our counseling different is that it’s backed by a full medical team. If your therapist suspects a hormonal, nutritional, or neurological component to what you’re going through, we can test for it and treat it — all under one roof.
Individual Counseling
One-on-one therapy for depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, life transitions, stress, self-esteem, and personal growth. We meet you where you are and work at your pace.
Unlike traditional talk therapy alone, your therapist can coordinate with our medical team to evaluate whether hormones, nutritional deficiencies, or other physical factors are making your symptoms worse.
Couples Counseling
Communication breakdowns, trust issues, intimacy problems, conflict resolution, and rebuilding connection. We help couples have the hard conversations in a safe, guided setting.
Hormonal changes — especially during menopause, andropause, or postpartum — can put enormous strain on relationships. Our integrative approach means we can address both the emotional and physical sides of what’s happening.
Family Counseling
Family dynamics can get complicated — especially when someone is dealing with mental health challenges, a chronic illness, or a major life change. Family counseling helps everyone communicate better and support each other.
We work with families dealing with blended family issues, parenting challenges, grief, caregiver stress, addiction recovery, and generational patterns that keep repeating.
How Holistic Psychiatry Atlanta Is Different
We test — we don’t guess. Traditional psychiatrists rarely order lab work. We check your hormones, thyroid, nutrients, inflammation, and brain function before deciding on a treatment plan.
Medicine and therapy under one roof. You don’t need to go to one office for therapy and another for medical treatment. We provide psychiatric care, counseling, IV therapy, hormone treatment, and lab testing all in one practice.
Root cause — not just symptoms. If your depression is partly caused by low thyroid, we treat the thyroid. If your anxiety is connected to a progesterone deficiency, we address the hormones. We don’t just mask the symptoms with medication.
Mind, body, and spirit. We incorporate holistic practices like mindfulness, breathwork, EFT, Reiki, and guided meditation alongside conventional treatments. Healing isn’t just about chemistry — it’s about the whole person.
25+ years of experience. Dr. Ava Bell-Taylor is Emory-trained in psychiatry and board-certified in functional medicine. She’s spent over two decades helping patients who haven’t gotten results from conventional approaches alone.
We see patients from Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Chamblee, and all over metro Atlanta.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between holistic psychiatry and regular psychiatry?
Regular psychiatry primarily uses medication and sometimes talk therapy to manage symptoms. Holistic psychiatry does all of that but also looks at your physical health, nutrition, hormones, gut health, and spiritual well-being — because all of these affect your brain and your mood.
Will I still need medication?
Maybe. Some patients do well with natural therapies alone. Others benefit from medication — especially as a bridge while we address the root causes. We’re not against medication. We just believe it shouldn’t be the only option on the table.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can call us directly or book online. No referral needed.
How is counseling different from psychiatry?
Psychiatry involves medical evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment — including medication. Counseling focuses on talk therapy, coping strategies, and emotional support. At Taylor Medical Group, we offer both. Many patients benefit from a combination of psychiatric evaluation and ongoing counseling sessions.
Can couples or family counseling include medical evaluation?
Yes. If your counselor identifies a potential medical component — for example, hormonal changes in one partner that are affecting the relationship — we can coordinate with our medical team to run labs and explore treatment. It’s one of the biggest advantages of having everything under one roof.
What should I expect at my first visit?
Your first visit is longer than a typical appointment. We’ll talk about your history, your symptoms, your goals, and what you’ve tried before. Depending on your situation, we may order lab work or schedule neuro-cognitive testing. You’ll leave with a clear picture of next steps.
Ready for a Different Approach to Mental Health?
Call us or book online. Whether you need psychiatric evaluation, counseling, or both — we’ll help you find the right path forward.
Visit www.taylormdformulations.com for supplements that support brain health and mood.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Results vary by individual. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment.