Psychopharmacology – A Comprehensive Overview

Developed by Julia M. DiFilippo, Ph.D., Glenn Marks, Ph.D., Chapters from the Routledge book collection, Content from The Taylor and Francis Collection

Course content available in articles, audio, and chapters.

Core Content for LMFT Licensure for Applicants with an Out-of-State or Out-of-Country Degree Learn More

Note to MFTs: The 15 hours of psychopharmacology for MFTs must be completed at an accredited university. This course does not fulfill that requirement.

This advanced beginner-intermediate course provides the essential information that non-prescribing mental health professionals need to know about psychopharmacology. Its goal is to provide a highly practical, user-friendly approach so that professionals can use the information in their practices and best advocate for their clients.

The first section reviews the structure and function of the neuron, how neurons communicate, common neurotransmitters, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics. The situations in which mental health professionals might consider referring their clients for a psychotropic medication evaluation are also explored. The second section covers (1) the neuroscience behind common mental disorders, (2) how psychotropic drugs work, (3) potential medication side effects, risks, interactions, withdrawal symptoms, and warnings, (4) how prescribers select among psychotropic medications, and (5) how non-prescribing therapists can support their clients who are taking medications. The third section addresses the most recent clinical research in psychotropic medication for depression, psychosis, and other mental health conditions and provides the latest concerns about the ethical use of psychotropic medications for vulnerable populations. It also covers the therapeutics for postpartum depression and the limitations of psychotropic medications, particularly for anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and treatment-resistant conditions. The fourth and final section focuses on the benefits, limitations, and challenges of integrating psychotherapy with psychopharmacological treatment, specifically for depression, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, and insomnia.

Educational Objectives

This course will teach the participant to

Explain the basic terms relevant to psychopharmacology, including neurotransmitters, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics
Identify when psychiatric medication consultation is warranted and the advantages and disadvantages of consulting with primary care versus psychiatry
Discuss the major issues that non-prescribers should know about antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and medications for insomnia and attention deficit disorder
Identify key psychiatric approaches to the treatment of anxiety, including first-line and second-line medications and the pros and cons of benzodiazepines
Note the ethical issues involved in treating vulnerable populations with psychotropic medications
Explain the roles of non-prescribing therapists who work with clients who are taking psychotropic medications
Discuss the ways in which psychopharmacological treatment can be integrated with therapy for common mental disorders.

Syllabus

Part One: Introduction to Psychopharmacology The first section explains basic terms relevant to psychopharmacology, starting at the level of neurons and neurotransmitters and expanding to the ways in which drugs and the body affect one another. It concludes with information for non-prescribing therapists about referrals for a psychotropic medication evaluation.

Neurons and neurotransmitters
Pharmacodynamics: What the drug does to the body
Pharmacokinetics: What the body does to the drug
Referrals for a psychotropic medication evaluation

Part Two: What Non-Prescribing Therapists Need to Know about Common Psychotropic Medications The second section provides a user-friendly review of important topics related to antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, and medications for insomnia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Antidepressants
Antipsychotics
Benzodiazepines
Mood stabilizers
Medications for insomnia
Medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Part Three: Psychopharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Anxiety The third section takes a more in-depth look at psychopharmacological approaches to the treatment of depression, including differential diagnosis, comorbid conditions, first-line and second-line treatments, cautions with benzodiazepines, and the ways in which prescribers and non-prescribing therapists can collaborate.

Psychiatric approaches to differential diagnosis
Common first-line and second-line treatments
Pros and cons of prescribing benzodiazepines
Prescribing in light of common comorbid conditions, including substance abuse
Professional collaboration between prescribers and therapists

Part Four: Ethical and Clinical Issues in Psychotropic Medication for Depression, Psychosis, and Other Conditions The fourth section presents the most up-to-date research in the areas of medication for depression, psychosis, and other conditions. Topics include monitoring adverse side effects, medication adherence, understanding patients’ experiences and medication, dosing schedules, and personality disorders. Additional articles address ethical care for vulnerable populations, sex differences, postpartum depression, non-psychotropic medications used to treat psychiatric symptoms, and treatment failure.

Monitoring adverse effects of antidepressants
Antidepressant adherence in unipolar depression
Understanding experiences of patients on antipsychotic medications
Effect of longer dosing intervals for long-acting injectable antipsychotics on outcomes in schizophrenia
Is pharmacotherapy useful for treating personality disorders?
Ethical care for vulnerable populations receiving psychotropic treatment
Sex differences in psychopharmacological treatment of depression
Therapeutics of postpartum depression
Treating psychiatric symptoms and disorders with non-psychotropic medications
Is there a time when prescribing medication in psychiatry is futile?

Part Five: Integrating Psychopharmacology and Psychotherapy The fifth section consists of book chapters on integrating psychopharmacology and psychotherapy for mood disorders, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, and insomnia. It covers the advantages and challenges of integrating both forms of treatment.

Mood disorders
- Measuring efficacy of antidepressants and psychotherapy
- Combining antidepressants with cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, and psychodynamic psychotherapy
Bipolar disorder
- Psychopharmacology as the cornerstone of treatment
- Evidence for combined biological and psychological treatments
Psychotic disorders
- Cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia
- Psychopharmacological treatment of cognitive symptoms
- Cognitive remediation
- Combining pharmacological and psychosocial treatments
Anxiety disorders
- Psychological and pharmacological treatments, separately and in combination
- Separate reviews for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), specific phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and panic disorder
Insomnia
- Cognitive behavioral therapy versus pharmacotherapy
- Factors favoring initiation of treatment with psychotherapy versus pharmacotherapy
- Combination strategies

PP501_15N

March 4, 2026

Educational Objectives

This course will teach the participant to

Explain the basic terms relevant to psychopharmacology, including neurotransmitters, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics
Identify when psychiatric medication consultation is warranted and the advantages and disadvantages of consulting with primary care versus psychiatry
Discuss the major issues that non-prescribers should know about antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and medications for insomnia and attention deficit disorder
Identify key psychiatric approaches to the treatment of anxiety, including first-line and second-line medications and the pros and cons of benzodiazepines
Note the ethical issues involved in treating vulnerable populations with psychotropic medications
Explain the roles of non-prescribing therapists who work with clients who are taking psychotropic medications
Discuss the ways in which psychopharmacological treatment can be integrated with therapy for common mental disorders.

Syllabus

Neurons and neurotransmitters
Pharmacodynamics: What the drug does to the body
Pharmacokinetics: What the body does to the drug
Referrals for a psychotropic medication evaluation

Antidepressants
Antipsychotics
Benzodiazepines
Mood stabilizers
Medications for insomnia
Medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Psychiatric approaches to differential diagnosis
Common first-line and second-line treatments
Pros and cons of prescribing benzodiazepines
Prescribing in light of common comorbid conditions, including substance abuse
Professional collaboration between prescribers and therapists

Monitoring adverse effects of antidepressants
Antidepressant adherence in unipolar depression
Understanding experiences of patients on antipsychotic medications
Effect of longer dosing intervals for long-acting injectable antipsychotics on outcomes in schizophrenia
Is pharmacotherapy useful for treating personality disorders?
Ethical care for vulnerable populations receiving psychotropic treatment
Sex differences in psychopharmacological treatment of depression
Therapeutics of postpartum depression
Treating psychiatric symptoms and disorders with non-psychotropic medications
Is there a time when prescribing medication in psychiatry is futile?

Mood disorders
- Measuring efficacy of antidepressants and psychotherapy
- Combining antidepressants with cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, and psychodynamic psychotherapy
Bipolar disorder
- Psychopharmacology as the cornerstone of treatment
- Evidence for combined biological and psychological treatments
Psychotic disorders
- Cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia
- Psychopharmacological treatment of cognitive symptoms
- Cognitive remediation
- Combining pharmacological and psychosocial treatments
Anxiety disorders
- Psychological and pharmacological treatments, separately and in combination
- Separate reviews for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), specific phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and panic disorder
Insomnia
- Cognitive behavioral therapy versus pharmacotherapy
- Factors favoring initiation of treatment with psychotherapy versus pharmacotherapy
- Combination strategies