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Phyllis Heffner, MD, FAPA, practices psychiatry using a functional approach, getting to the root cause of somatic conditions that contribute to mental health disorders. As the founder of Holistic Child Psychiatry in Columbia, MD, Dr. Heffner employs a range of physical modalities such as biofeedback, frequency-specific microcurrent, photobiomodulation, and lifestyle approaches like nutrient therapy, sleep hygiene, exercise, and stress management. Her practice of psychiatry is more than just talk therapy; she addresses the underlying physiological imbalances as key mediators of her patients’ mental health symptoms, helping reduce the need for psychotropic medications.

Dr. Heffner was recently recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a top chief executive officer for her excellence and contributions to the field of psychiatry—a well-deserved honor. IFM recently spoke with her about her practice, how functional medicine informed her own healing journey, and her integrative approach with patients. Read the full interview below.

IFM: What inspired you to open your private practice, Holistic Child Psychiatry?

Dr. Heffner: The conventional psychiatric settings I had been working in were not open to using nutrition, lifestyle, or functional/integrative strategies to address mental health problems. I had become involved in a training program (the Institute of Nutritional Endocrinology) prior to joining IFM, where at one of the retreats, was encouraged to think about opening my own practice so that I could treat patients in a different way. I set up an email and website URL during that retreat, arranged for some business coaching, and opened the practice about five to six months later. The practice originally was intended to be just for child and adolescent patients, but quickly opened to include adults.

IFM: Functional medicine has played a significant role in your personal health journey; how did that experience influence your approach to practicing psychiatry now?

Dr. Heffner: I had been a conventional child psychiatrist for 24 years and was never liking the way medication was prescribed for conditions, [due] to side effects and limited benefit. After I myself became ill with autoimmune diseases and GI pain, the conventional medical world was unable to help. In fact, [my provider] suggested that I see a pain management physician to have a celiac block placed because they could not find the reason for my constant abdominal pain… I started looking for alternatives. This eventually led me to begin applying all that I had learned to help myself to also help my patients.

IFM: What is a common physical imbalance that you see most often in your patients?

Dr. Heffner: My patients have many different imbalances—the most frequent are gastrointestinal (leaky gut, dysbiosis, SIBO), hormonal (thyroid, adrenal, and others), chronic infections (Lyme, Bartonella, reactivated viruses, Babesia), PANS/PANDAS, [and] mold/mycotoxins.

IFM: What is a common misconception that patients and/or clinicians may have about mental health?

Dr. Heffner: That mental health symptoms are purely psychological, possibly a character flaw or weakness, and/or can be adequately treated with medication and talk therapy. Many times, they are the result of some type of underlying somatic condition and improve when the underlying condition is treated appropriately.

IFM: What is one thing people can do every day to improve their mental health during the pandemic?

Dr. Heffner: Focus on the pillars of good health: eat a whole, real food diet, get regular exercise (ideally outside), get at least seven to eight hours of sleep nightly, and keep a good sleep/wake cycle. Engage in appropriate activities that are fun and relaxing but do not focus solely on screens/computers, work on making and maintaining relationships with family and friends, keep an optimistic mental outlook, and use meditation and/or breathing techniques to reduce stress.

You can learn more about Dr. Heffner and her work by visiting her website: https://www.holisticchildpsychiatry.com/about-me/