Structured group and individual therapy several days a week, for when your evaluation points to a more supported level of care.
How we work
Psychiatric evaluation
in Houston
A psychiatric evaluation is where care begins: a thorough diagnostic assessment in which a psychiatrist listens to your history, symptoms, and goals, reaches a diagnosis, and builds a personalized treatment plan with you. At The Lovett Center it is outpatient and can be done virtually or in person, so the first step is as clear and accessible as possible.
Outpatient psychiatric care in Montrose, Houston. Virtual or in person. Most major insurance accepted.
The evaluation
A clear picture,
before a plan.
An evaluation is not a form to fill out. It is a real conversation with a psychiatrist who takes the time to understand what is going on, so the care that follows is built on an accurate diagnosis rather than a guess.
During the evaluation, a psychiatrist asks about your mood, sleep, energy, and concentration, your thoughts and behavior patterns, any alcohol or drug use, and your medical and family history. Because a psychiatrist is a physician, the evaluation can also weigh whether a physical condition is adding to what you feel.
From there, you develop a personalized treatment plan together. That plan might mean therapy, a structured outpatient program, medication, or some combination, matched to your diagnosis and your goals. At The Lovett Center the whole process is outpatient, and you can complete it virtually or in person.
Where it helps
What a psychiatric evaluation
helps clarify.
An evaluation earns its place when the right diagnosis is not obvious, when symptoms overlap, or when past care has not fit. These are the conditions we most often see it clarify, so treatment can start on solid ground.
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Depression
When low mood, fatigue, and loss of interest have settled in, an evaluation sorts out whether it is depression, and what kind, so the plan fits the picture.
Depression care -
Anxiety disorders
Worry, panic, and dread can look alike on the surface. An evaluation clarifies which anxiety condition is driving it and where treatment should start.
Anxiety care -
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is often missed or mistaken for depression. A careful history of your moods over time is how a psychiatrist tells them apart.
Bipolar disorder care -
Trauma and PTSD
When past events still shape the present, an evaluation names what is happening and helps decide whether trauma-focused therapy is the right next step.
Trauma and PTSD care -
Mood disorders
For the wider range of mood conditions, an evaluation maps your pattern and rules out other causes before anyone recommends a medication or a program.
Mood disorder care -
Co-occurring mental health and substance use
When a mental health condition and a substance use disorder show up together, an evaluation looks at both at once so neither one gets treated in isolation.
Dual diagnosis care
Is it right for you
When an evaluation
is the right first step.
A psychiatric evaluation is the right starting point for many people, and not necessary for everyone. Here is an honest read on when it fits, and when we would point you somewhere else.
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A good fit when something is wrong and you want a clear answer
If you have been struggling and are not sure what is going on, an evaluation is where you get a diagnosis you can trust and a plan built around it.
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A good fit when past treatment has not held
If earlier care did not fit, a fresh, thorough evaluation can catch what was missed and set a more accurate direction for what comes next.
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A good fit when you want treatment matched to you, not a script
The evaluation is what makes the rest of care specific. Your diagnosis and goals decide the level of care, the therapy, and whether medication has a role.
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When you are already in care and just need a session
If you have a therapist and a plan that is working, you may not need a full evaluation. We will say so honestly and point you to the right next step.
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When a higher level of monitoring is needed
Some situations need closer medical supervision than an outpatient center provides. If that is you, we will help you find the right setting, then welcome you back for ongoing care. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 any time.
The evidence
A careful, physician-led
assessment.
A psychiatric evaluation works because it is thorough and because it is done by a physician. The American Psychiatric Association notes that because psychiatrists are physicians, they can order or perform medical and psychological tests and, combined with talking with you, use them to build a picture of your physical and mental state, reach a diagnosis, and work with you on a treatment plan.
A good evaluation also looks past the mind alone. The MedlinePlus guidance on mental health assessment explains that it asks about your mood, sleep, energy, thoughts, and any substance use, and that certain tests can help rule out a physical cause, such as thyroid disease, before a mental health condition is diagnosed.
Diagnoses themselves follow shared criteria rather than a single opinion. Cleveland Clinic notes that clinicians diagnose mental health conditions using the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, which is part of what makes a careful evaluation more reliable than a hunch.
At The Lovett Center, evaluations are led by a psychiatrist, including Chad Lemaire, MD, DFAPA. He and our clinicians build each plan around your history and your goals, and the diagnosis you leave with becomes the basis for the therapy and group work of our outpatient programs. When the evaluation points to ongoing medication, our medication management care takes it from there. When a substance use disorder is also in the picture, that care is coordinated with our medical director, Michael Sprintz, DO, DFASAM.
What comes next
Where your evaluation
leads.
The evaluation is the start, not the finish. Based on what it finds, you are matched to the level of care that fits, so the medication, the therapy, and your care team all work from the same plan.
A steadier pace of individual sessions and, where it helps, medication monitoring, matched to what your evaluation finds.
Integrated care for when the evaluation finds a mental health condition and a substance use disorder together.
Common questions
Psychiatric evaluation,
answered.
A psychiatric evaluation is a thorough diagnostic assessment in which a psychiatrist reviews your history, symptoms, and goals to reach a diagnosis and build a treatment plan with you. It is the starting point of care, not treatment in itself: it is how a clear picture gets formed before anyone decides on therapy, a program, or medication. At The Lovett Center it is outpatient and can be done virtually or in person.
You and a psychiatrist talk through what has been going on. Expect questions about your mood, sleep, energy, and concentration, your thoughts and behavior patterns, any alcohol or drug use, your medical and family history, and what you want to be different. Because a psychiatrist is a physician, the evaluation can also consider whether a physical condition is contributing to your symptoms. Together you develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs.
A psychiatrist or physician does, including our psychiatrist, Chad Lemaire, MD, DFAPA. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can evaluate your mental health, rule out other medical causes, reach a diagnosis, and, when it fits, prescribe medication and combine it with therapy. Meeting with a physician for the evaluation is what makes the diagnosis, and the plan that follows, something you can rely on.
Meet our psychiatristThe evaluation comes first and is the diagnostic assessment that produces your diagnosis and treatment plan. Medication management is the ongoing care that may follow it, in which a prescriber starts, monitors, and adjusts medication over time. Not every evaluation leads to medication, and the evaluation is where that decision gets made with you rather than assumed.
Medication managementYes. At The Lovett Center a diagnostic evaluation can be completed either virtually or in person, whichever fits your situation. The conversation and the care that follows are the same; the format is about making that first step as accessible as possible.
Not necessarily. A diagnosis describes what is going on; it does not decide your treatment on its own. For some people the plan is therapy, for others it is a structured program, and for some it includes medication. Your evaluation weighs all of that with you, and the plan is built to fit your goals rather than a default.
Often, yes. The Lovett Center is in network with major insurers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Magellan, and TriWest, and we also work with out-of-network benefits and self-pay. Because coverage and any out-of-pocket cost vary by plan, the surest way to know is to verify your benefits with us.
Verify your insuranceStart the conversation
Ready to get
a clear answer?
When you are ready, a real person at The Lovett Center will listen and help you take the first step, whether that is scheduling an evaluation or simply talking through what is going on. No pressure, no commitment.
- A real person, not a call center
- Virtual or in person
- Confidential from the first call
Prefer to call?
(713) 589-5991Every conversation is confidential. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.