PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATION DECISIONS
Is Your Medication Still Serving You?
A medication can reduce symptoms. But that isn't the only measure of whether it's helping. What is it doing to your thinking, your relationships, your energy and your quality of life?
The goal isn't necessarily to stop. It's to make a decision you actually understand, with someone who's been there.
- Lived experience + 25 years in mental health
- Works alongside your prescriber
- No pressure either way
Educational consultation. Dr. Teralyn is not a medical doctor and does not prescribe or adjust medication. Medication changes should always be made with your prescribing clinician.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
You May Just Know Something Has Changed.
You may not be able to name it. You just don't feel like yourself anymore, and you're not sure if it's you, your life or something you're taking.
- Maybe you feel less.
- Care less.
- Think differently.
- Struggle to focus, decide, connect or create.
- Or no longer recognize the person you used to be.
You don't need to arrive with an answer. That's what we figure out together.
Maybe medication is part of the question. Maybe it isn't. We start with what changed, what it may be costing you, and what matters to you now.
WHY THIS WORK IS PERSONAL
I Lived Through Antidepressant Withdrawal. And I Still Didn't Understand It.
I started taking Zoloft just before graduate school, where I was training to become a psychotherapist. It was prescribed as a preventative measure for postpartum depression. What I never imagined was that I'd end up taking it for about six years.
Over time, I experienced changes in my health and in how I felt. And when I wanted to stop, I couldn't find the help I needed.
So I quit cold turkey.
What followed was nearly two years of trying to recover from an experience I didn't understand and hadn't been prepared for.
Please don't do what I did.
Stopping a psychiatric medication suddenly can be risky. Any change should be planned and made with your prescribing clinician.
Then I Saw It in My Clients.
You'd think going through that myself, while becoming a mental health professional, would have changed everything. But it didn't. Not yet.
It wasn't until I watched my own clients struggle through withdrawal that I started connecting the dots: symptoms they didn't recognize, fear about what was happening to them, and nowhere to find answers. It all sounded painfully familiar.
The Question That Changed My Work.
How could I have lived through this, become a mental health professional, and still not fully understand what I was seeing?
I started looking more closely at the withdrawal research, questioning assumptions, and listening differently to people trying to come off psychiatric medications.
I'm not here to convince you to take medication, or to stop taking it.
I'm here because nobody should have to navigate these decisions without understanding their options.
Talk Through Your Options →HOW IT WORKS
Medication Decisions Are About More Than the Prescription.
The question isn't just whether to take, continue, change or reduce a medication. It's how to decide thoughtfully, while protecting your capacity, your agency and what matters most to you.
What Changed
We look at your medication history, your health, your symptoms, how you're functioning, and what's shifted over time.
Before You Begin
Understand withdrawal, risk and uncertainty, and walk into your next conversation with your prescriber with better questions and a clearer plan.
What Matters
Keep your thinking, relationships, work, physical health and long-term capacity in the picture at every step.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
What Happens to the Person Matters.
A psychiatric medication can affect more than the symptom it was prescribed for. So the question can't stop at "Did the symptom improve?"
We also need to ask: what happened to your…
A good outcome should account for the whole person, not just the symptom being measured.
WORK DIRECTLY WITH ME
Build the Plan Around the Person.
Deprescribing isn't just a dosing problem. Your history, your health, how you're functioning, your priorities and what you want to protect all belong in the decision.
My role is to help you see the whole picture, without reducing you to a diagnosis, a symptom score or a prescription.
Together, we will…
- Understand your medication history and what's changed
- Clarify what matters most to you
- Make sense of withdrawal, risk and uncertainty
- Prepare before any medication change is made
- Keep your thinking, relationships and quality of life in view
- Bring better questions to your prescriber
- Adjust as your experience gives us new information
- Build decisions around your priorities and your agency
Dr Teralyn has a lot more knowledge than the average therapist about brain health, deprescribing & alternatives to psych meds.
25 years of making sense of complicated cases, with straight answers and no pressure in either direction.
And yes, Linus may still make an appearance.
Talk Through Your Options →GOOD TO KNOW
Questions Before We Talk?
Should I stop my medication?
That's not a decision I make for you, and it's not one to make quickly or alone. My role is to help you understand your options, the risks and what matters to you, so you can make an informed decision with your prescriber.
Please don't stop or change a psychiatric medication on your own, and never stop suddenly. Doing so can cause serious withdrawal effects.
Are you anti-medication?
No. Medication helps many people, and for some, staying on it is the right choice. I'm not here to convince you to take medication or to stop taking it. I'm here to make sure you understand the decision, whatever you decide.
Do you prescribe? Will you work with my prescriber?
No, I don't prescribe. I have a PhD in Psychology, not an MD. I work collaboratively with your prescriber, or in some cases help you find one who's a better fit for what you're trying to do.
What happens on the free 10-minute call?
You share what's going on, ask your questions, and we figure out whether working together makes sense. No prep, no pressure, and no medical advice. It's simply a conversation about next steps.
Is this mental health therapy?
No. This is not therapy or counseling. It's educational consultation and decision support focused on your medication questions, your brain health, and what you can do next.
Are you a medical doctor?
No. I have a PhD in Psychology, not an MD. My work focuses on helping you understand the factors influencing your brain health and turn that information into practical action.
How do I get labs?
I can facilitate access to lab testing through my direct-to-consumer lab partners, but I do not order labs. We'll discuss which tests may be useful, and you decide what you want to pursue.
Can I use insurance or my HSA?
Insurance plans don't recognize this type of consultation as a covered service, so it can't be billed to insurance. HSA cards are accepted as payment. Eligibility depends on your plan, so please confirm with your HSA administrator.
What if I'm struggling right now?
This service is not for emergencies. If you're in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the U.S.) or call 911. If you're having severe withdrawal symptoms, contact your prescriber or seek medical care right away.
Still have questions? Ten minutes is usually all it takes.
Talk Through Your Options →Educational consultation only. Dr. Teralyn Sell is not a medical doctor and does not prescribe, adjust or discontinue medication. Any medication change should be made under the care of your prescribing clinician.
FROM THE CAPACITY REPORT
Thinking beyond the prescription.
DEPRESCRIBING PSYCH MEDS
Aaron Carter’s Xanax Settlement: Who Is Responsible When Prescription Safety Fails?
Written and reviewed by Teralyn Sell, PhD Psychology | Brain Health | Psychiatric Medication Education Aaron Carter died in November 2022 at just 34 years old. Nearly four years later, the legal questions surrounding his prescription medications are still being...
RESEARCH & DEEP DIVES
Is Slow Tapering Enough? What a 2026 Antidepressant Meta-Analysis Really Found
A major meta-analysis found that slow antidepressant tapering with psychological support may reduce relapse risk. Its conclusions are promising, but the study cannot settle how tapering should be done.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone.
Whether you're questioning a medication, worried about withdrawal, or just know something has changed, let's talk it through. Ten minutes, no judgment, and no pressure in either direction.
- No pressure to stay on or come off
- Nothing to prepare
- You'll leave with clearer next steps
10 minutes. No obligation.
Not ready to talk yet? Start by reading my story
Educational consultation only. Dr. Teralyn Sell is not a medical doctor and does not prescribe, adjust or discontinue medication. If you're in crisis, call or text 988.
Start a conversation.
Questions about brain health, cognitive performance, speaking, or working together? I'd be glad to hear from you.