The Mind and Body are Not Separate
Recognizing their connection is foundational to the work I do in my Holistic Roots Psychiatry practice.
Julie Megler • Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
The Tenets of My Practice
The people who find their way to Holistic Roots Psychiatry are often doing many of the right things.
Therapy
Lifestyle changes
Mindfulness practices
Real effort over time
The majority have not experienced a psychiatric provider who sees the whole of what they are doing and asks how medication might support, not replace, those efforts.
I start right there every time. Medication, when it’s the right fit, helps you keep building while the foundation takes hold.
My practice runs on the principle that the minimum effective dose, when needed, can allow individuals to access the life they’re looking to build.
I am opposed to keeping people on medications indefinitely without asking whether it still makes sense. I am against rushing toward a prescription before I understand the full picture.
Where whole-body health is concerned, we must not work in silos but instead collaborate with other practitioners.
The Values that Shape Holistic Roots Psychiatry
I grew up in a household of immigrant physicians. Both of my parents built careers in medicine, so the field was always part of my world.
Watching my parents work and navigating a variety of health challenges in my youth, I made a decision early on that I wanted a more integrated approach to care than what I saw in traditional medical culture.
I became a nurse practitioner and started in family medicine and emergency rooms. What I saw there stayed with me as people in physical, emotional, and psychiatric distress were being treated in pieces. They were a body with a problem.
I was compelled to study psychiatry, which led me toward somatic and body-based approaches to trauma and the relationship between the nervous system and mental health. Years of training and teaching in the psychedelic-assisted therapy space followed naturally from that, a place where the mind-body connection is foundational.
That connection has never felt abstract to me. I've been a competitive athlete for most of my life. I understand from personal experience what it means for the body to shape the mind, and for the mind to shape what the body is capable of. It's the same thread that runs through everything I do clinically.
The Clinical Foundation of Holistic Roots Psychiatry
I'm a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC), licensed in California, with clinical training and experience across:
Emergency and family medicine
Integrative psychiatry (certificate training)
Ayurvedic medicine
Somatic and body-based psychotherapies
Ketamine-assisted therapy, integrated into practice since 2018
Psychedelic-assisted therapy education
I built and ran an integrated mental health clinic for eight years, bringing together psychiatry, psychotherapy, ketamine-assisted therapy, acupuncture, naturopathic medicine, and massage under one model. The experience gave me a grounded view of what whole-person care actually requires in practice.
As a daughter, wife, aunt, dog mama, friend, lover, and dreamer, I bring a big heart and a playful spirit to my practice. I’m dedicated to supporting my patients on their journeys toward holistic well-being, believing in the effectiveness of integrative care.
Credentials & Certifications
Family Nurse Practitioner-University of Miami
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-University of California, San Francisco
Somatic Therapy-Somatic Experiencing Certification
Integrative Psychiatry Certification-Integrative Psychiatry Institute
Ketamine Assisted Therapy Certification-KRIYA Institute
MDMA-Assisted Therapy Certification- Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies-Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS-PBC)
Program Development-Femtheogen Collaborative sponsored by the Riverstyx Foundation
Non-Profit Board Entheogenic Research, Integration, and Education- board for 8 years, board chair for 2 years
Begin the Conversation
Individuals seeking mental health support
We begin with an intake appointment that includes a real conversation about what's been going on, what you've already tried, and what you're looking for. By the end, you'll have a clear sense of my observations, the options available, and what comes next.
Practitioners
Most referrals begin with a brief discovery call to confirm clinical fit. From there, clients schedule a full Practitioner Consult Intake directly. I provide referring providers with relevant clinical updates with appropriate consent in place and remain available for ongoing consultation. Clients leave the first appointment with a clear clinical formulation, documented treatment recommendations, and a defined follow-up plan.