Frequently Asked Questions

At Unity, we accept United Healthcare, Aetna, BCBC of Arizona, Cigna, Oscar Health and Oxford insurance plans!  For cash pay patients payment is expected at the start of your session. We will be happy to send you a superbill to send to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. We are unable to tell you if your insurance partner will reimburse for our services, however.  Insurance limits and dictates a provider’s care regardless of your needs. My commitment to you sets me aside from traditional psychiatric care. Restoring balance requires a holistic approach, one, which requires a provider to invest heart, time, and effort. I will help guide and support you beyond active treatment. I will prioritize setting individualized valuable treatment plans and goals that align in meeting your needs of mind, body and environment. We look to add in insurance covered care in the near future.

 Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatrists are both trained to assess, diagnose and treat mental health conditions with medications and psychotherapy interventions. We often perform the same role in mental health care. Numerous studies have also found that patient outcomes for nurse practitioners are equivalent to, and in some cases better than, those of physicians.
Nurse practitioners are trained under a nursing model – to care for the whole patient in addition to their disease. Although psychiatrists adopt this philosophy of care, rest assured, you are in compassionate, well trained capable hands. 

No! No referral is needed. Simply head to the Home page and send us a note using the "Contact us" area, or make an appointment for your initial consultation (45 Minutes) now! 

Unity MHW offers a  psychopharmacology  approach to mental health and wellness. We suggest your plan of care to include both pharmacological and therapy treatment for the best and healthiest approach. We would be happy to give you contact information for our therapy care partners.

Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions or disorders that affect a person’s mood, thinking and behavior. 

 It is becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. 

 Certain triggering factors could be significant stressors precipitating a mental illness such as:
• Losses experiences (physical loss after a trauma, loss of significant others, separation, etc…
• Chronic threats
• Long-term exposure to traumatic conditions
• Harmful family dynamic
• Living in extreme deprivation and poverty
• Alcohol and substance misuse
• Severe neglect
• War, natural disasters, accidents, etc…
• Chronic pain and incapacitating chronic illness
• Social discrimination for example towards minorities 

 Most mental illnesses are caused by a combination of factors. However, some preventive measures can decrease the likelihood of developing mental illnesses. The concept of attributable risk has gained ground in mental health research and factors that are related to those can be potentially reduced to somehow prevent mental illnesses: prevent neglect and abuse in childhood , prevent substance abuse , prevent exposure to war,  increase social support , decrease burden of other health disorders , train in management of stress etc... 

 Symptoms of mental disorders vary depending on the type and severity of the condition. Some general symptoms that may suggest a mental illness include:Problems in concentration
Long-lasting sadness or irritability
Recurrent changes in energy
Extremely high and low moods
Excessive fear, worry, or anxiety
Social withdrawal
Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
Strong feelings of anger
Delusions or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there)
Increasing inability to cope with daily problems and activities
Suicidal thoughts
Many unexplained physical problems
Confused thinking
Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol 

 If you know someone who is having symptoms of a mental disorder, do not just think that they will snap out of it. Notify a family member, a mental health professional, a counselor if you think a friend or family member has symptoms of a mental disorder. 

 Please see the resources tab on the left side of our website. Also, feel free to click on each type of mental health condition located on our home page to see information and resources. Many people find peer support a helpful tool that can aid in their recovery. There are a variety of organizations that offer support groups for consumers, their family members and friends. Some support groups are peer-led, while others may be led by a mental health professional. 

If you are reading this, you have already stepped into the doorway that leads to help and healing. Make an appointment to speak with Erin today, you will be amazed at the compassionate and YOU centered care you will receive.