Adult Psychiatry in Center City Philadelphia
Dr. Laura McLafferty provides thoughtful, in-person psychiatric evaluation and treatment for adults in Center City Philadelphia. Her practice focuses on careful diagnostic assessment, individualized treatment planning, medication management when indicated, and attention to the full clinical picture, including mood, anxiety, sleep, medical history, reproductive and hormonal context, medications, stress, relationships, and treatment goals.
As a double board-certified psychiatrist in Psychiatry and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, a subspecialty focused on the relationship between mental and physical health, Dr. McLafferty brings particular expertise to situations where mental health symptoms intersect with physical health, medical illness, medication complexity, or major life transitions.
Dr. McLafferty can provide psychiatric care in English and French for patients who prefer to discuss their concerns in French, when clinically appropriate.
You may be here because…
You are seeking a careful psychiatric evaluation, not a rushed prescription or a coaching model.
You are experiencing anxiety, depression, mood changes, irritability, poor sleep, concentration problems, or feeling unlike yourself.
You want an MD who considers both mental and physical health.
You have questions about medication, prior treatment, side effects, or whether medication is appropriate.
Your symptoms may be affected by medical illness, medications, hormonal changes, stress, relationships, work, caregiving, or major life transitions.
Your therapist, primary care physician, OB/GYN, or another clinician recommended psychiatric consultation.
You want in-person psychiatric care in Center City Philadelphia.
You would prefer to communicate in French or with a psychiatrist comfortable providing care in French.
Why careful psychiatric evaluation matters
Adult psychiatric evaluation is not simply a checklist or a medication visit. A careful evaluation is a physician-led process for understanding symptoms in context, including the possible role of psychiatric history, medical illness, medications, sleep, hormones, stress, relationships, life circumstances, and prior treatment response.
Many symptoms can have more than one possible explanation. Anxiety, depression, irritability, sleep disruption, concentration problems, mood symptoms, and feeling unlike yourself may be shaped by psychiatric conditions, medical factors, reproductive or hormonal transitions, medication effects, substance use, stress, trauma, grief, or major life changes.
A thoughtful evaluation may include discussion of psychiatric history, medical history, medication history, prior treatment response, sleep, mood, anxiety, concentration, substance use when relevant, safety, reproductive or hormonal context when relevant, functional impact, patient values, and treatment goals.
The goal is to develop a clear understanding of what is happening and what treatment options may be appropriate, rather than making assumptions based on symptoms alone.
Treatment approach
Treatment recommendations are individualized and made after comprehensive evaluation. Depending on the clinical situation, care may include medication management when indicated, psychotherapy-informed interventions, education about diagnoses and treatment options, sleep and lifestyle considerations, coordination with other clinicians, and ongoing monitoring of treatment effectiveness.
Medication can be useful for some patients, but it is not the entire treatment plan. Psychiatric care may also involve understanding how symptoms relate to medical history, sleep, stress, relationships, reproductive or hormonal context, prior treatment response, and the patient’s goals and values.
This is not a weekly psychotherapy practice, coaching practice, emergency service, or same-day prescribing model. Psychiatric visits may include psychotherapy-informed interventions, but the primary focus is physician-led psychiatric evaluation, treatment planning, and medication management when appropriate.
Coordination with your healthcare team
With patient permission, Dr. McLafferty may coordinate with therapists, primary care physicians, OB/GYNs, reproductive endocrinologists, endocrinologists, specialists, and other clinicians when collaboration supports care.
Coordination can be especially helpful when symptoms involve multiple areas of health, when medication decisions require attention to medical context, or when a therapist, physician, or specialist has recommended psychiatric consultation.
Referral sources may find this practice appropriate for adults who need outpatient psychiatric evaluation, diagnostic clarity, thoughtful medication management, medical-psychiatric perspective, and care that respects the broader treatment team.
Is this practice a good fit?
This practice may be a good fit for adults seeking thoughtful psychiatric evaluation, diagnostic clarification, medication consultation or management, and treatment planning for anxiety, depression, mood symptoms, sleep or concentration concerns, reproductive or hormonal context, or medical-psychiatric complexity.
It may also be a good fit for adults who want in-person psychiatric care in Center City Philadelphia, prefer a physician-led approach, or would benefit from care that considers both mental and physical health.
This practice is adult-only, outpatient, private-pay and out-of-network, and intentionally built around in-person psychiatric care in Center City Philadelphia.
This practice is not a child or adolescent psychiatry practice, crisis service, emergency service, intensive outpatient program, partial hospitalization program, residential program, inpatient program, life-coaching practice, therapy-only practice, or rapid-prescribing service.
Patients requiring emergency care, active substance use treatment requiring specialized programming, chronic psychotic-disorder treatment, severe personality-disorder treatment requiring a higher level of support, or highly specialized services beyond the scope of an outpatient private practice should seek a more appropriate level of care.
This practice does not prescribe opioid pain medications.
If you are experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, psychosis, mania, severe mood instability, active substance use requiring urgent treatment, inability to care for yourself, or any urgent medical or psychiatric safety concern, call 911, call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency department.
Frequently Asked Questions
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In this practice, adult psychiatry includes comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, diagnostic clarification, medication management when indicated, psychotherapy-informed interventions, and treatment planning for adults experiencing anxiety, depression, mood symptoms, sleep or concentration concerns, reproductive or hormonal transitions, and medical-psychiatric complexity.
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The practice is physician-led, in-person, and focused on careful evaluation rather than rapid prescribing. Dr. McLafferty also brings specific expertise in women’s mental health, reproductive psychiatry, and the treatment of mental health issues that co-exist with or may be caused by medical ones, such as cancer.
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Dr. McLafferty can provide psychiatric care in English and French for patients who prefer French-language communication, when clinically appropriate. Administrative documents, portal functions, pharmacy communications, emergency services, or outside medical records may still be in English.
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Not necessarily. Medication may be appropriate for some patients, but treatment planning may also include psychotherapy-informed strategies, sleep and lifestyle considerations, monitoring over time, and coordination with other clinicians.
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Yes. Many patients continue with an existing therapist while receiving psychiatric care. With written permission, coordination with a therapist may be included when clinically appropriate.
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No. The practice is limited to adults.
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No. This practice does not provide emergency psychiatric services, crisis intervention, or after-hours coverage. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911, call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency department.
Taking the next step
If you are seeking thoughtful, in-person adult psychiatric care in Center City Philadelphia, the first step is to complete a brief inquiry form. If the practice appears to be a good fit, you will be invited to complete registration through the patient portal and schedule an initial evaluation.
Educational and emergency disclaimer
The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Reading this page or submitting an inquiry does not establish a physician-patient relationship. This practice does not provide emergency psychiatric services, crisis intervention, or after-hours coverage. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911, call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency department.