Comprehensive mental health treatment in Sedona, AZ.

  Dr. Watson is a board-certified adult psychiatrist who prefers to treat the whole person rather than follow a disease model of health care. She has worked in various settings including: educational, crisis assessment, inpatient psychiatry, intensive treatment (day program) and outpatient psychiatry in both private practice and group settings.  She received her M.D. from Tulane University School of Medicine and completed psychiatry residency at UC Davis Medical Center.

All psychiatrists are trained in psychopharmacology (medications), but Dr. Watson also trained extensively in psychotherapy.  She worked with top names in the field to formulate her unique approach. This approach utilizes compassionate directness with a combination of psychoanalysis and mindfulness therapy.   While this process is not always comfortable, it does lead to deeper and more lasting change than medications can hope to do on their own.  Availability for weekly one-hour sessions with Dr. Watson is limited, but even on shorter visits, she will use potent means to help you explore your mental habits and perceptions.

  "Psychotropic medications are not evil. Neither can they fix all of your problems. They are tools, and like any tool, their potential usefulness depends on how they are utilized. It really is true that they are significantly more powerful than placebo. It is also true that any medication comes with potential risks. This is why I take great care and thoughtfulness in their employment.   

That said, even the best fit medication does not address the entirety of one’s distress or suffering. If you want to change your life, or even if you just want to feel a little happier, it will require hard work and courage on your part in addition to what we may or may not do with medicines."

Dr. Watson's interest in a comprehensive approach to wellness began long before medical school.  Even in childhood, she understood the power of symbols and the unconscious mind.  During her B.F.A. studies in theatre, she conceived of performance art that would combine stimulation of all of the senses so that participants could feel a sense of unity with the group and perhaps with something larger than themselves.  Her interest in esoteric subjects led her to wonder at the power of faith healing and the placebo effect.  In an effort to understand why doctors do not use the full range of available healing options, she decided to become one.  

Tribe Wellness Group is the culmination of her interests and aspirations.  Dr. Watson moved to Sedona specifically for its natural beauty and tendency to attract people who want to help and people who are looking for healing.  She was fortunate to meet many talented and fascinating health practitioners who share the same vision.  The result is a novel way of approaching wellness.  Please see our website for more information.