In a late 2023 interview published in Authority Magazine, Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania’s medical director, Christopher Squillaro, DO, described his experiences as a treating psychiatrist, the elements of care he finds most essential, and his understanding of the challenges providers face when treating individuals with conditions such as bipolar disorder. 

Dr. Squillaro suggested that including a family approach in treatment can help patients achieve holistic healing and stability.

“When layering in families, there are entirely new personalities and opinions that require extra effort to establish rapport and to learn effective communication,” said Dr. Squillaro.

"Have a curiosity about the experiences of someone struggling with a mental health condition and make them feel safe to talk about it. Take a chance to share your own experiences so that it is not something you feel needs to be private. Because, just like the individual must live with their diagnosis, as a society, we have to as well."

“Once you get into the mindset that this is crucial to help people, it adds extra assurance that you have access to the patient’s home resources and knowledge of the patient in their world from the family’s perspective. Then you can develop strategies for engaging the family better.”

Authority Magazine publishes in-depth profiles of nationally known experts and thought leaders in fields including business, sports, entertainment, technology and wellness.

In the article, Dr. Squillaro voices substantial awareness and empathy for the experience of behavioral health providers on the front lines. “Over the years, I have found there are a lot of similarities between caregiver burnout and people who are retiring from service-oriented careers (police, fire, military, etc.). Spending a life or large block of time in the service of others is inherently structured around the other person’s or people’s needs…the caregiver may have lost their own priorities and sense of themselves.” He says it’s important to remember that “Helping yourself does not come at the expense of the person you are caring for; it contributes to both lives.”

Dr. Squillaro also encourages behavioral health practitioners to “have a curiosity about the experiences of someone struggling with a mental health condition and make them feel safe to talk about it. Take a chance to share your own experiences so that it is not something you feel needs to be private. Because, just like the individual must live with their diagnosis, as a society, we have to as well. Communication and acceptance can shift the power from something that causes anxiety to something that can be managed.”

Check out the Authority article for more psychiatric treatment perspectives, along with the Magellan Health Insights blog where Dr. Squillaro recently shared his thoughts on why the act of talking about mental health is so important, the common misconceptions about mental health, and advice on how to approach the conversation for all age groups.