For those seeking to add medications to their treatment plan, we can help! All of your mental health services, within a single office.
Psychotherapy is an effective, research-backed approach to improving mental health. Sometimes the best results come from a combined approach, including the addition of pharmacotherapy. The LodeStone Center offers the full range of psychological services including psychotherapy, psychological testing and also medication management services, both through in-person visits and through telehealth visits.
Whether you are needing an initial assessment to consider medication for the first time, or are looking to have your existing medications managed by our providers, we’re here to assist. Having your entire treatment team under one roof can help make coordination of care more efficient, effective and convenient.
Meet our prescribing providers, your new guides to better mental health.
Sarah Kroll, MSN, FNP-BC
Licensed Nurse Practitioner
Sarah Kroll is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) who earned her MS in Nursing from Olivet Nazarene University and her BS in Nursing from Aurora University. She has worked in inpatient, acute care and outpatient settings within multiple specialties (cardiology, pediatrics, immediate care and primary care). Sarah discovered her passion for mental health care while assisting patients in a primary care setting and chose to focus more exclusively on those issues. She brings her wealth of experience as an Advanced Practice Nurse to The LodeStone Center to assist patients that are involved in psychotherapy services by providing them access to medication management.
Jeremy Bidwell, Ph.D. M.S. Clinical Psychopharmacology
Licensed Prescribing Psychologist & Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Bidwell holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University as well as a M.S. in Clinical Psychopharmacology. He completed his prescribing fellowship rotations at Loyola University Medical Center and Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital. Dr. Bidwell specializes in the integration of mental health care in to primary care medicine and holds a certificate in Primary Care Behavioral Health from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. As a Prescribing Psychologist, he is one of very few Psychologists in the state of Illinois that provides both psychotherapy and medication management.
How To Get Started
To get started with an appointment for medication services, simply fill out our contact form and indicate your contact preference. You will hear from our intake clinician who will guide you through the process of selecting an appointment, verifying your insurance and completing our registration paperwork. We’ll help make sure that you see the right provider for your needs, and will answer any questions you have along the way. Let us assist you in your journey today!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do I need to have a therapist to get a medication consult?
- No, but that is certainly fairly common. Sometimes the decision to start medication comes from a conversation with a therapist or counselor. For others, this medication visit is the first step. We can help you determine if meeting with a therapist might help the medication be more effective and suggest an option if it’s helpful to do so.
What is the difference between a Prescribing Psychologist, a Nurse Practitioner and a Psychiatrist?
- A Prescribing Psychologist holds a doctoral degree and a license as a Clinical Psychologist (someone that does psychotherapy and diagnostic testing). They then go back for an additional Master’s in Psychopharmacology, 14 months of intensive medical training rotations and a national board exam to be allowed to prescribe medications. A Nurse Practitioner is an advanced nursing credential requiring a Master’s or Doctorate, typically with specific clinical rotations and a national board exam. A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor that completed 4 years of medical school, plus a residency and national board certification to practice as a Psychiatrist. A Prescribing Psychologist or NP maintain a relationship with a Psychiatrist to consult on treatment issues.
Are there differences between psychiatric services and the medication services provided by a Prescribing Psychologist or Nurse Practitioner?
- Those terms are often used interchangeably. There are some limitations with who a Prescribing Psychologist can treat and who an NP or a Psychiatrist can. A Prescribing Psychologist cannot treat anyone over 65 or under 18, anyone with certain serious medical conditions, and they cannot prescribe some medications. An NP must practice within the scope of their training, but can generally work with all ages and can prescribe a slightly broader range of medications. A Psychiatrist can treat any age with any medication (assuming they have training in pediatrics). We will often refer patients to a Psychiatrist if there is an issue we feel could be better addressed with a medical doctor.
Can you help me determine if I should get psychiatric services from a Psychiatrist instead of another provider type?
- Yes, absolutely. We’ll try to determine that during your intake process, but can confirm that in your first visit and make a referral if needed. We maintain relationships with several Psychiatrists for that reason.
What is the difference between an FNP and PMHNP credential for a Nurse Practitioner?
- FNP means Family Nurse Practitioner, and is common in primary care settings. These providers do treat mental health concerns, but often those that are commonly encountered in a primary care setting. PMHNP means Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and is a specialty designation for psychiatric services. They commonly treat a broader range of mental health concerns, such as those that primary care might make a referral for to “specialty care”.
What makes a Prescribing Psychologist unique?
- Prescribing Psychologists spend approximately 6 years at the doctoral level training as psychotherapists and diagnostic testing experts. We complete our medical training after the fact, so we often see things from a behavioral and relational lens as much as we do a medical one. You might get a slightly different approach to your treatment plan based on that worldview, which can be beneficial if you are also involved in psychotherapy. Psychiatrists and NP’s value those issues too, but Prescribing Psychologists spend more of their doctoral training in therapy and diagnostic assessment.