Portland Psychiatric Alliance — Mental health service in Portland, OR

Last year, my primary care doctor referred me to Portland Psychiatric Alliance. I am very glad he did! I was on immediate medical leave from work, and Tyler Chipman was able to fit me in within a couple of weeks. I’ve since been seeing him every other week for the past year, and he has been so helpful! I have a difficult mood disorder that has often affected my ability to live and work independently and safely. I’ve tried a number of different mental healthcare providers, but I’ve run into a lot of problems over the years: therapists requiring I see a psychiatrist, psychiatrists saying they aren’t taking new patients, and practices generally having more administrative overhead than I am able to navigate with limited executive function. In terms of psychiatric medication management, Tyler is the first provider I’ve had who’s spent the time to explain how my medications work, why they help me, and why I should prioritize taking them. If something isn’t working well or seems no longer necessary, we change my medications. We check in regularly enough that this is feasible, and I feel personally invested in taking my medications for the first time in my life. I previously had bad experiences with medications—often feeling like healthcare providers were prescribing them to me because it was easier for them than actually addressing the problems I was facing. There was none of that with Tyler, who seemed invested in the long haul from the beginning and has always treated medications as one (important) tool of many. In terms of psychotherapy, I feel like I have gained a lot of practical skills and autonomy through working with Tyler. Before, I was unable to complete basic activities of daily living like communicating effectively, cooking for myself, and taking adequate care of myself and my home. I’ve learned a lot over the past year, and my quality of life has dramatically improved. I am successfully living well and independently, which—after many years of struggling and failing—was something that seemed impossible when I started seeing Tyler. I have even held down a job for over two years now, which, despite being in my 30s, I had never been able to do before. Finally, I appreciate that this is a small practice, so there is essentially zero administrative overhead. There were no 100-page intake forms I had to fill out; the referral from my primary care doctor plus a few short, reasonable forms were all I needed. On an ongoing basis, I message Tyler directly instead of needing to talk through an admin. There’s a phone number to call if that feels better, but I have never used it, because I’ve always preferred to message, instead. Tyler always responds within a reasonable timeframe. We schedule our next appointment at the end of every appointment, too, so I almost never need to contact him otherwise. He always shows up on time, and while all providers have periods of unavailability, the few times Tyler has needed to step away, he has been proactive in communicating—while also showing he takes both my time and his responsibility as a healthcare provider seriously. Portland Psychiatric Alliance is a wonderful practice, and I cannot say enough good things.