Why Choosing a Local Psychiatrist in Maine Matters: I Live Here, I Work Here, I Care

With so many out-of-state providers offering virtual psychiatric care in Maine, it’s more important than ever to choose someone who truly knows the community. Dr. Madeline Goodman, D.O., has lived in Maine since childhood and is deeply invested in the people and values of this state.

I’m Not Just Licensed in Maine — I’m Rooted Here

With the rise of large telehealth companies, it’s become increasingly easy to find a psychiatrist online. But that convenience often comes at a cost — especially when the provider has no real ties to Maine. Many of these companies are run by out-of-state professionals who get licensed here just to expand their business footprint. They don’t live here. They don’t know our communities. And they’re not truly invested.

I’m Dr. Madeline Goodman, a board-certified psychiatrist, and while I wasn’t born in Maine, I’ve called it home since the fifth grade. I know this state not as a visitor or a business opportunity, but as someone who grew up here, raised a family here, and made a lifelong commitment to staying here.

A Psychiatrist Who Understands Maine Life

I understand what it means to grow up in Maine — the rhythm of the seasons, the challenges of rural healthcare access, and the strength and independence of the people who live here. I also understand what resources exist locally and where the gaps are — and that matters when it comes to getting effective, meaningful care.

When you work with me, you’re not getting a stranger from across the country. You’re getting a neighbor. A fellow Mainer. A psychiatrist who genuinely cares about your wellbeing and who brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the table.

I Support the Community Because I’m Part of It

I live in Maine year-round. I support local businesses, pay taxes here, vote in local elections, and advocate for better mental health services in our state. My commitment to this community isn’t just professional — it’s personal.

That’s what sets my practice apart from national telehealth platforms that treat care as a transaction. I treat each patient with the respect, continuity, and local understanding they deserve.

Looking for a Local Psychiatrist You Can Trust?

I offer personalized telepsychiatry services to adults throughout Maine — from Portland to Bangor, Lewiston to remote coastal towns. You’ll receive compassionate, one-on-one care rooted in evidence-based treatment and tailored to your unique needs.

📞 Ready to Get Started?
Reach out today to schedule a consultation or learn more about how I can help.

When Food Is No Longer Your Friend: The Emotional Side of GLP-1 Medications

By Madeline Goodman, D.O., Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

GLP-1 medications have been a game changer for many—especially individuals with conditions like cardiac disease, where weight loss is not just helpful but medically urgent. Patients taking certain psychotropic medications  who have experienced significant weight gain have also benefited from these medications, offering a much-needed option for weight management that doesn’t require stopping effective psychiatric treatment. The ability to reduce appetite and promote steady weight loss can significantly improve cardiovascular outcomes and reduce long-term health risks. This makes these medications a potentially life-saving option for some patients, and their medical impact should not be underestimated.

GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) have been truly transformative for many people—helping with weight loss, blood sugar control, and overall metabolic health.

As a psychiatrist, I’m not against these medications—in fact, I’m very much in favor of them for the right patients. But they’re not for everyone, and like any powerful tool, they come with layers that extend beyond the physical.

This post explores some of the mental health implications I’ve seen in patients using GLP-1s—not to deter, but to add depth to the conversation. Because while appetite may go away, the emotional reasons we eat often don’t—and those deserve just as much attention.

1. When Food Was a Friend—and Suddenly Isn’t

Many of us develop a long-standing emotional relationship with food. It’s comfort, company, celebration, or stress relief. So when GLP-1 medications reduce appetite so drastically that meals feel like a chore, it can stir up feelings of loss, disorientation, or even grief.

I’ve had patients describe it as “losing their best friend,” or “feeling like they don’t know themselves anymore.” This is a valid emotional response—and one that deserves support, not shame.

For some, the grief can be profound. If a tough day used to end with a comforting meal or favorite snack, and that ritual suddenly disappears, it can feel as though a reliable coping mechanism is gone. That loss can feel overwhelming at times—not unmanageable, but difficult at best. Acknowledging this grief is the first step toward replacing it with healthier, more sustainable sources of comfort.

2. Nutrition Still Matters—Even If You’re Not Hungry

One of the most common issues I’ve seen is inadequate nutrition, especially protein. When appetite drops, it’s easy to eat very little—but without enough protein and hydration, people can feel weak, irritable, or even depressed.

In fact, when nutrition suffers, depression can re-emerge, often presenting with psychomotor slowing, low energy, and even brain fogginess. These symptoms may not always be immediately linked to food intake, but they are critical to address.

These medications are tools—not magic—and the body still needs fuel to function well. I often encourage patients to work with a registered dietitian or nutritionist, even if weight loss isn’t their only goal.

3. Emotional Eating Doesn’t Magically Go Away

Even when hunger signals disappear, emotional eating patterns remain. You might not feel hungry, but you may still feel lonely, bored, or anxious. That drive to soothe through food can come back suddenly, especially if the medication is paused or stopped.

This is why therapy, self-awareness, and building alternative coping strategies are still crucial. GLP-1s can remove the cue (hunger), but they don’t erase the conditioning or emotional patterns. The groundwork still needs to be done.

4. It’s a Personal Choice—Not a Shortcut

I never tell someone whether GLP-1s are “right” or “wrong” for them. It’s a deeply personal decision—influenced by medical needs, emotional history, lifestyle, and goals.

What I do encourage is informed use: knowing what you’re signing up for, not just physically but emotionally. Support from your medical provider, therapist, or support group can make the difference between feeling isolated versus empowered.

Closing Thoughts:

GLP-1 medications can be incredibly helpful, and I’ve seen many patients benefit greatly. But for long-term success—emotionally and physically—it’s important to do the inner work, too. Understanding why we overeat, how we soothe ourselves, and what role food plays in our lives is essential, whether or not we’re on medication.

You deserve more than weight loss—you deserve peace with your body, your mind, and your relationship with food.

About Dr. Goodman: Dr. Madeline Goodman, is a board-certified psychiatrist offering compassionate, personalized Telepsychiatry to adults across Maine. She specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, and emotional eating. Learn more at www.drmadelinegoodman.com

Telehealth and Psychiatry After September 2025: What You Need to Know

By Madeline Goodman, D.O., Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Over the past few years, telehealth has transformed how we deliver psychiatric care—making it more accessible, convenient, and patient-centered. Understandably, many patients have asked me: “Will telehealth still be covered after the pandemic?” Now that the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) has ended, there’s some confusion about what’s changing—and what’s here to stay.

I want to offer clarity and reassurance for my current and prospective patients throughout Maine.

✅ The Good News: Psychiatric Telehealth Is Here to Stay

Telehealth for behavioral health services, including psychiatry, is now permanently allowed under Medicare and most commercial insurance plans. This means you can continue to:

  • Have psychiatric appointments from the comfort of your home
  • Use video or audio-only (phone) for sessions if needed
  • Receive care no matter where you live—no rural or in-office requirements
  • Get help with medication management, therapy, or evaluations without needing to travel

This applies to:

  • Initial psychiatric evaluations
  • Follow-up medication management (E/M visits)
  • Psychotherapy
  • Substance use disorder treatment

⚠️ What Might Change—But Doesn’t Affect Psychiatric Care

There’s been talk about a “telehealth cliff” happening on September 30, 2025, when many of the temporary pandemic-era telehealth rules are scheduled to expire. This change could impact:

  • General medical care via telehealth (like primary care or non-psychiatric specialty visits)
  • Restrictions returning around where patients must be located (e.g., rural areas only)
  • Limitations on which providers can bill via telehealth

But none of that applies to psychiatric services. Psychiatry and behavioral health are exempt from this rollback.

🧭 What This Means for You

If you’re receiving psychiatric care through my practice—or looking for a new provider who offers telehealth—you can feel confident knowing that this mode of care is fully supported and secure moving forward. I will continue offering virtual psychiatric care across the state of Maine, and I’ll always stay current with policy updates to ensure continuity of care.

💬 Have Questions?

If you’re unsure about your insurance coverage or whether a telehealth appointment is right for you, feel free to reach out. I’m happy to answer your questions and guide you through the process.

About Dr. Goodman
Madeline Goodman, D.O., is a board-certified psychiatrist offering personalized telepsychiatry services throughout Maine. Her practice focuses on compassionate, evidence-based care with flexible virtual access.

Telepsychiatry in Maine — Serving Portland, Bangor, and Southern Maine

Psychiatric Care Across Maine — From Anywhere You Are

Whether you live in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston, or a small town in between, accessing personalized psychiatric care can be challenging. Long waitlists, long drives, and a shortage of providers often get in the way of people getting the support they need.

As a board-certified psychiatrist practicing exclusively via telehealth, I provide accessible, compassionate psychiatric care across the entire state of Maine. All sessions are conducted securely and privately via video, from the comfort of your home.

I work with adults facing a range of concerns, including:

  • Depression and anxiety
  • Trauma and stress-related disorders
  • Midlife transitions
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Medication management and psychotherapy combined

Why choose telepsychiatry in Maine?

Same high level of care you’d receive in person

No commute or wait times

Flexible scheduling

Available statewide — from Aroostook County to York

About Me:

Serving Patients in Bangor and Throughout Maine

Although my practice is fully virtual, I work with many patients in the Bangor area — as well as those in surrounding towns like Brewer, Orono, Old Town, and Hermon. Whether you’re a student at UMaine, a professional balancing a busy schedule, or someone living outside the city with limited access to care, telepsychiatry makes it easy to receive high-quality, private psychiatric care without the need to travel.

I also provide psychiatric care to residents across Maine — including Portland, Augusta, Lewiston, and rural communities that often lack local psychiatric resources.

Whether you’re in a rural area with limited access or just prefer the convenience of remote care, I’m here to help.

If you’re looking for a psychiatrist in Maine who offers both medication and therapy and truly listens, I invite you to learn more or contact me through my website:
👉 www.madelinegoodman.com

Madeline Goodman, D.O., Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Psychiatrist for Adults – Licensed in Maine
100% Telepsychiatry | Accepting New Patients
www.madelinegoodman.com

How AI Is Changing Psychiatry – And What It Can’t Replace

By Dr. Madeline Goodman, Psychiatrist & Psychotherapist

In the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from a buzzword to a powerful presence in healthcare—and psychiatry is no exception. From chatbots offering mental health support to algorithms screening for depression, AI tools are being hailed as the future. But as someone who practices both psychiatry and psychotherapy, I see both the potential and the limits of AI in mental health care.

What AI Can Do in Psychiatry

AI can be remarkably helpful in specific ways:

  • Screening and early detection: Algorithms can flag symptoms of anxiety, depression, or even psychosis by analyzing speech patterns, facial expressions, or written language.
  • Support tools: Chatbots and apps like Woebot offer basic cognitive behavioral techniques, which some people find helpful between therapy sessions.
  • Administrative support: AI can assist clinicians by summarizing notes, organizing data, and predicting medication responses—reducing our time spent on paperwork.
  • Access expansion: In underserved areas, AI-powered platforms can provide some mental health support where human clinicians are scarce.

These are all meaningful contributions, especially in a system where access and time are limited. But psychiatry is more than pattern recognition.

What AI Can’t Replace

While AI might be efficient, it lacks emotional depth. Psychiatry is not just about diagnosing and prescribing—it’s about understanding the human story:

  • The therapeutic relationship: Healing often happens in the relationship itself—through being seen, heard, and understood by another person. This is something no algorithm can replicate.
  • Complex emotions and nuance: Human distress is rarely neat. A person may present with anxiety that is also grief, that is also trauma, that is also existential. Understanding that layering takes attunement, not coding.
  • Unconscious processes: As someone trained in psychodynamic therapy and dream work, I believe that unconscious patterns shape behavior in ways AI can’t access. Therapy often means sitting with uncertainty and ambiguity—territory machines aren’t built for.

How I Use (and Don’t Use) Technology in My Practice

I value useful tools. I offer telehealth, I keep up with emerging technologies, and I understand the appeal of convenience. But I’ve also seen what’s lost when care becomes too transactional.

My practice offers something different: personalized, attentive, and deeply human care. Whether you’re navigating midlife transitions, relationship changes, or long-standing patterns, I create a space for exploration that goes beyond symptoms.

The Future: Human + AI, Not Human vs. AI

I’m not anti-AI—I think it has a role. But I believe the future of psychiatry is not about replacing clinicians. It’s about supporting them, so we can focus on what machines can’t do: build relationships, tolerate uncertainty, and sit with pain compassionately.

If you’re looking for mental health care that combines depth, professionalism, and a human touch, you’re in the right place.

 

Why Personalized Psychiatry Still Matters in a Telehealth World

🧠 Why Personalized Psychiatry Still Matters in a Telehealth World

Telehealth has transformed the way people access mental health care. With a few clicks, it’s now possible to schedule an appointment, consult with a provider, and even receive prescriptions — all without leaving home.

But not all telehealth is the same. And while large platforms have helped expand access, many people are finding that what they truly need is personalized, consistent, and thoughtful care — the kind that can sometimes be hard to find in fast-paced, high-volume systems.

 

🏥 When Convenience Comes at a Cost

Many online platforms offer quick access to care, including features like brief check-ins, medication consults, or even therapy through text. While this convenience works well for some, others find that something gets lost in translation — especially when sessions feel rushed or when they rarely see the same provider twice.

I’ve worked with many people who started with these services and later realized they were craving more depth, more consistency, and a stronger therapeutic relationship.

“It felt like no one really knew me,” is something I often hear.

For a deeper look at best practices in telepsychiatry, you can visit the  American Psychiatric Association’s Telepsychiatry Toolkit.

🤝 The Power of Personalized Psychiatry

In my practice, whether we meet in person or through telehealth, you are not just a time slot or a diagnosis. You’re a full human being — and your care should reflect that.

Because I work independently, I’m not part of a larger corporate structure. That means your care is guided by your needs — not quotas or time limits.

What to expect:

  • Consistent care with the same provider
  • Integrated therapy and medication insight
  • Sessions that allow time to reflect and explore
  • A relationship built on trust, not turnover

🌿 Telehealth With a Human Touch

Yes, I offer telehealth. But it’s grounded in relationship, respect, and care. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, life transitions, depression, or trauma — you deserve a space where you feel truly seen and heard, not just evaluated.

💬 If You’ve Tried Other Options and Still Feel Unseen…

You’re not alone — and there are alternatives.

If you’re looking for a more personal and consistent experience with a psychiatrist who takes the time to understand your whole story, I’d be honored to talk with you.

online counseling session

Telehealth and new CMS Guidelines

For  my Medicare patients currently being seen through Telehealth. we can breath another sigh of relief because right now The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Service (CMS) has made it “permanent.” The “audio only” visits have been eliminated but for now two way audio and video are being maintained.

“For behavioral or mental telehealth, all patients can continue to get telehealth wherever they’re

located, with no originating site requirements or geographic location restrictions. The patient’s home

is a permissible originating site for services provided for diagnosing, evaluating, or treating:

● Mental health disorders

● Substance abuse disorder”

This is great news for my medicare patients who are able to continue to have visits in the safety and comfort of their own home. Many of my older patients are immunocompromised and or have difficulty ambulating so this allows me to continue their care.

I am a Telehealth provider in Maine and Florida and I will continue to be able to provide uninterrupted care to my most vulnerable patients.

Medicare Advantage Plans Unaffected?

So far it seems Medicare Advantage plans will remain in effect as well.  So far I have only been in contact with one plan, because I am an in Network provider they will continue to provide the benefit for my patient.  I will conitnue to provide updates as they become available.

In Psychiatric practice, the patient is always right

I have been in private practice now since 2008. I had a practice prior to becoming a parent from 1998 until 2004. I worked for healthcare organizations during my years away from private practice.  Over the years, I have come to know that my true love lies in private practice. It is because I can deliver the type of patient care that I think is medically necessary or appropriate for the presenting problem. 

Maine, the way life should be

I live in Maine. One of the most notable companies in Maine is L.L. Bean. Their policy has always been “the customer is always right.” In private practice, “the patient is always right.”  There are exceptions of course to any situation, but in general I must acknowledge my patient’s feelings.  If my patient brings something to me about how they felt about an interaction in a session, I  have to acknowledge that they are right. Their feelings are valid 100% of time. A lot can be learned from these sessions where they felt I had hurt them or made a mistake. It gives me another opportunity to open the door into psyche. Because we are all wounded so differently, I have no idea what can cause such a reaction until it happens.   If I said something that wounded my patient, it is 100% my fault.  I have to see my part in what happened and learn from it.   

Corrective emotional experiences

So once we determine something felt bad for my patient,  is has to be  dealt with in that session.  It may require more than one session.  Sometimes it can take months to get past.   The first order of business  for me is a Mea Culpa. This is by definition an acknowledgement of one’s fault in a situation. Next we have to peel back the layers of how we got to this place. Where has my patient felt this pain before? Was it with their mother? Their father? Both? It is my job to help make this better.  My hope is by working this through I can offer my patient a better emotional experience than they had growing up.  I must  help my patient learn that it doesn’t have to end the same way it did when they were a child,  rendering them feeling powerless.  We hopefully can move past the hurt.  Sometimes we can’t and unfortunately therapy may come to an abrupt end.  

 

Venezia!

The picture at the top of this post is from my recent trip to Venice, Italy. I took this after sunset  from a water taxi on my ride back to the train station.  I would say Venice is the “city of love.”  Our patients need emotional love from us.  That means understanding their deepest pain and acknowledging when we have hurt them.

Ciao for now.