Mental healthcare is a personal journey and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Two of the most widely used treatments for mental health are psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (i.e. medication) – but you don’t have to choose one over the other. For many people, the most effective path to feeling better involves a combination of both medication and therapy.
When used together, these two treatments can offer stronger relief from symptoms and a better chance of long-term recovery. In this blog post, we’ll explore how medication and therapy work on their own, how they support each other, and the benefits of combining these two treatments.
What is medication management?
Medication management involves working with a healthcare provider to find and monitor prescription medications that help manage mental health symptoms. n
There are many different types of medication available, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety medications. These medications are designed to help balance brain chemistry, ease distressing symptoms, and support overall emotional stability.
Not all psychiatric medications are effective for every individual. Each person is unique and it’s important to find the right medicalotion and dosage for you. This can take some time, and that’s why medication management isn’t just about writing a prescription. It involves checking in regularly to track your progress, monitor for side effects and interactions, and adjusting medications as necessary.
Learn more about Medication Management and how it works.
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy, often just called therapy, involves working with a licensed mental health professional to explore your thoughts, emotions, feelings, and behaviors in a supportive and confidential setting.
Therapy helps a person build insight, develop coping strategies, improve communication, and make meaningful changes in their life. Depending on the approach, therapy can help with managing stress, processing trauma, navigating relationships, shifting unhelpful thought patterns, and more.
There are many types of therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – sometimes just called cognitive therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and interpersonal therapy (IPT).
See: How to Find & Choose a Good Psychiatrist for You
The history of medication and therapy – and how they work together
The way we look at mental health treatment has evolved over the last few decades as we understand more about how the brain and mind work together.
For most of modern history, psychotherapy was the main option for people struggling with emotional and psychological challenges. Therapy provided a space for healing and self-reflection, but it often wasn’t enough for people dealing with severe depression, bipolar disorder, or psychosis. People actively experiencing intense symptoms couldn’t meaningfully engage in therapy, and sometimes long-term hospitalization was the only option.
In the 1950s, that began to change with the development of psychiatric medications. Drugs like lithium, antipsychotics, and early antidepressants (MAOIs) helped ease some of the most disruptive symptoms and made it possible for people to function day-to-day. In many cases, this meant people could finally access therapy in a meaningful way for the first time.
Medications also helped change our understanding of mental health. They showed us that conditions like major depressive disorder (MDD) or schizophrenia weren’t purely psychological, but could have real biological roots in brain chemistry.
Keep Reading: Do Antidepressants Work and How Effective Are They?
Medications were never meant to replace therapy – they actually enhanced the effect of psychotherapy and made it more accessible. When someone is so deep in depression they can’t get out of bed, or so anxious they can’t think straight, therapy might feel impossible. But with the help of medication, a person can start to feel just enough relief to begin talking, reflecting, and healing.
This is where medication and therapy combine to form a powerful partnership: medication relieves immediate suffering and creates stability, while therapy helps people change unhelpful patterns and foster long-term healing. Integrating these two treatments is especially important when treating complex or chronic conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, or substance use disorders.
At the end of the day, combining medication and therapy allows us to treat the whole person. Medication can help regulate emotions and symptoms, while therapy helps you figure out where these feelings came from and how to move forward.
The benefits of combining medication and therapy
When you combine medication with therapy, you’re benefiting from the strengths of each of these treatments. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of this approach:
Better symptom management
Medication and therapy work in different ways. Medication helps reduce the intensity of symptoms like sadness, anxiety or mood swings, while therapy gives you the tools to understand and manage those symptoms. Together, they can make it easier to function in everyday life, so you can start making meaningful progress towards emotional well-being.
Greater long-term effectiveness
Research has consistently shown that combining medication and psychological treatment is more effective than doing either one alone, especially when it comes to depression.
Medications can help correct imbalances in brain chemistry while therapy helps explore underlying issues like trauma, relationship patterns, or negative thinking that might be contributing to your mental health struggles. When both are used together, the result is often more lasting improvement and a better quality of life overall.
Lower risk of relapse
One of the major benefits of combining therapy and medication is that it helps reduce the chance of your symptoms returning.
Medication can help provide emotional stability while ongoing therapy supports your personal growth and resilience, which can be especially important during stressful life events or transitions. In other words, even if your symptoms improve with medication, therapy provides ongoing support to ensure you help stay well.
More complete, personalized approach
Mental health isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment. Some people respond best to therapy while others prefer medication, but many people will benefit the most from a combination of both (i.e. combination therapy).
Taking this integrated approach means we’re treating the whole person and not just the symptoms. It allows space to work through complex emotions, navigate relationships, and create real, lasting change – while also making sure the brain and body get the support they need from medication.
See: 10 Tips for Finding Motivation When You’re Depressed
Who benefits from combined treatment?
Combining medication and therapy can be helpful for many people, but research shows it can be especially effective for certain groups – particularly those dealing with more complex, long-term, or severe mental health challenges.
People most likely to benefit from combined medication and psychotherapy include:
People with more severe depression
People experiencing moderate to severe depression often see greater improvements with combined treatment than with medication or therapy alone. Medication can help stabilize mood and energy levels, while therapy provides space to work through the deeper emotional pain or patterns that are driving symptoms.
People with chronic or long-standing depression
People who have struggled with depression for a long time, or those who’ve had multiple episodes, will find that therapy and medication offer stronger and longer-lasting results when combined together. Research shows that this combination can help reduce the chances of future relapses and improve daily functioning and emotional well-being over time.
People with endogenous or ‘biological’ depression
Some people experience depression that seems to arise from within rather than from a specific life event. This is sometimes called endogenous depression, and it tends to respond better to a combination of medication and therapy. Medication here supports brain chemistry while therapy helps a person develop new coping strategies and emotional insight.
Read More: Parent’s Guide to Helping Teens With Depression
People with negative thinking patterns
When depression is tied to dysfunctional thought patterns – like self-criticism, hopelessness, or all-or-nothing thinking – therapy is essential. But some people are too overwhelmed to actively challenge these thoughts. In these cases, medication can provide the clarity and energy needed to make therapy more effective.
People older than 60 years
For people over 60 struggling with depression, studies show that combining medication with interpersonal therapy (IPT) may reduce the risk of relapse and improve long-term emotional health.
People who haven’t improved with one approach alone
If you’ve already tried medication or therapy by itself and haven’t experienced the relief you were hoping for, combining both may offer a better path forward. Many people who don’t fully respond to antidepressants see improvement when they add therapy, and vice versa.
See: What to Do When Antidepressants Don’t Work for You (and Why)
What makes combined treatment better?
By now, you’ve understood that combining therapy and medication can be more effective than being treated with just one on its own – but why is that the case? Researchers are still exploring how the two approaches work together, but we do have some clues…
The additive effect
Part of the benefit might come from what’s called an ‘additive effect’. Essentially, this means that since both therapy and medication work well on their own, doing both means the impact will be stronger overall. Medication and therapy each approach mental health from different angles, so combining the two can help you ‘cover more ground’, so to speak.
Brain imaging studies show that medications often affect the brain from the ‘bottom up’, starting in deeper brain regions responsible for things like sleep, energy, and appetite. Therapy, on the other hand, tends to influence the brain from the ‘top down’, starting in areas involved with thinking, decision-making, and emotional processing.
So, while medication can help someone feel more rested and focused, therapy can help them tackle negative thinking patterns and emotional pain.
Medication can make therapy more accessible
Another reason that combined treatment works well is that medication can make therapy more effective. For example, someone experiencing severe anxiety or depression might find it hard to focus, connect, or even show up for therapy sessions. Medication can help reduce those barriers so it’s easier to engage in therapy and do the emotional work needed for long-term healing.
Increased brain plasticity
There’s some early evidence that antidepressants may increase brain plasticity, essentially helping the brain become more flexible and open to learning. If that’s the case, it could mean that therapy becomes even more impactful when the brain is in this more receptive state.
Therapy can make medication more effective
It works the opposite way, too: therapy can make medication more effective.
When someone is also seeing a therapist, they’re more likely to stick with their medication and have a safe space to process what they’re experiencing. Building a strong therapeutic relationship (sometimes called a therapeutic alliance) can increase motivation and reduce the chances of someone dropping out of treatment early on.
Keep Reading: How Depression Affects Relationships and What You Can Do
Starting your mental healthcare journey
If you’d like to explore combining medication and therapy, the first step is connecting with a mental health provider who can help you explore your options. That might mean starting with your primary care physician, who can offer a referral, or reaching out directly to a mental healthcare practice that offers integrated care.
At BestMind Behavioral Health, we offer medication and alternative therapies to help treat a range of mental health conditions, including treatment-resistant depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), PTSD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We work with licensed psychiatrists, certified physician assistants, and advanced registered nurse practitioners to deliver the best care for your mental health goals.
Whether you’re seeking support for the first time or returning to care after a break, we’re here to help. During your first appointment, we’ll take the time to understand your experiences, discuss what has and hasn’t worked in the past, and recommend a personalized treatment plan that feels manageable and meaningful.
Contact us today to learn more about how our compassionate team can support you on your journey towards better mental health.
FAQs: Combining medication and therapy
Do I need both medication and therapy?
Not always, but for many people, combining the two can bring better results. Medication works to ease symptoms while therapy helps address the root causes and build long-term coping skills.
Can I start with just one?
Yes! Some people begin with just therapy or medication alone, then add the other as needed. What matters most is finding what works best for you. Feel free to contact us for a personalized mental healthcare plan.
