By Kara Keuthan Beatty, MD
PSV President 

Hello fellow Psychiatrists of Virginia! Spring is in the air….as well as pollen. Allergies aside, our state has so many wonderful things to offer during this season. Whether you are hiking, biking, or gardening, I hope that you are enjoying it as much as I am!

To step into Spring, PSV held their Spring Meeting in Richmond, Virginia. The theme was “Integrative Psychiatry: Putting it into Practice”. I want to personally thank everyone that was able to attend.

For many of us, this was the first time that we had been at an in-person event in almost two years. I must admit that I had my worries about this but am so glad that the meeting was conducted in this manner. It was refreshing to see old colleagues and meet some new ones.

Prior to the meeting, attendees were invited to tour Greenleaf medical marijuana dispensary. Many of you commented on what a great experience this was, and I am very glad that PSV was able to make this happen.

On Friday evening, we held our reception at The Westin. We were joined by our exhibitors, Senator Shiobhan Dunnavant and Delegate Otto Wachsmann. We appreciate the legislators taking time out of the busy General Assembly schedule.

The program on Saturday started out with a previous resident from VCU who is now researching psychedelics at Brigham and Women’s. This led to a riveting discussion between the presenter and many attendees.

The next presentation was on mindfulness and resilience. Our presenter, a local therapist in Richmond, started us out with a peaceful meditation. I think it is safe to say that everyone enjoyed this. We then had two presenters from the APA discuss the collaborative care model and its role in the future of Psychiatry.

After lunch, we were given a concise review of the evidence for medical use of CBD and THC. This was presented by one of the fabulous addiction medicine specialists at VCU. The last two presenters of the day focused on the effects of food on mental health. One of our presenters works as a nutritionist and does functional medicine here in Richmond. The other is a holistic health practitioner out of Illinois and focuses much of her time on writing books and speaking on podcasts.

Upon leaving the program, I had much more knowledge than I walked in with (…which is a success in my book!). I look forward to seeing you all at our Fall Meeting at Wintergreen Resort. Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your Spring and great Summer!!