Restoring Balance Psychiatry & Wellness, PLLC

01/01/2026

Restoring Balance Psychiatry & Wellness, PLLC continues to offer comprehensive outpatient psychiatric care, including:
• Psychiatric evaluations
• Medication management
• Spravato treatment in network with Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Medcost, Tricare and UHC/UMR/Optum
• Ongoing mental health support
✨Kristi Barr is accepting new patients in network with Aetna, BCBS and UHC✨

Kristi currently has availability, with appointments as early Jan 5th. She sees kids 5-13 who have had a psychological assessment and all patients 14 and older. She has more than 10 years of experience providing medication management in a psychiatric setting. She developed first episode programs in PA for difficult mental health conditions.

Not everyone needs medications for mental health but if you have been on the fence about talking to someone, Kristi is fantastic.

Our mission across both practices is to provide compassionate, individualized care and to help people feel supported, informed, and hopeful about their treatment options.

Appointments with Kristi or consultations for spravato can be booked directly here: https://rbpw.intakeq.com/booking

If you’d like more information or have questions about whether these services may be a good fit, feel free to reach out or send a message to admin@rbpw.org

    Kristi is taking new patients for medication management: 5-13 years old if they have had a psychological assessment. All patients 14 years and older. She currently accepts self-pay, Aetna, BCBS & UHC/Optum.

12/21/2025

The holidays can be beautiful and they can also be heavy. This season often brings financial stress, grief, loneliness, memories, and pressure to “be joyful.” If this time of year feels complicated, you’re not alone.

Please remember:
• You’re allowed to set boundaries.
• You’re allowed to rest.
• You’re allowed to feel however you feel.
• You are worthy of support, connection, and care—not just in the new year, but right now.

If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, overwhelming anxiety, or emotional crisis, help is available 24/7:

Crisis Support:
📞 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
📱 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
📞 Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 then press 1
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ Support – The Trevor Project: Call 866-488-7386

There is no shame in reaching out. Your story matters, your presence matters, and there is space for hope—even on the hardest days.

Wishing you gentleness, warmth, connection, and moments of peace this holiday season. 💛✨

09/20/2025

I thought we had big news with Kristi joining us. Towards the end of August we were invited to integrate with Awakenings Infusion Center. After careful consideration, we decided to move forward. We are thrilled to provide patients with more options for treatment resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety and other mental health conditions. This is a phenomenal opportunity for us.

There will be a period of adjustment while we transition to both systems. Kristi will be in person in Holly Springs next month to help facilitate the timely, compassionate care we value for those we serve.

Thank you to everyone who has helped this happen over the few years.

https://ncawakenings.com/

08/09/2025

Kristi is now accepting patients ages 5-13 years old if they have completed a psychological assessment prior to their first visit.

She continues to see all patients 14 and older.

She accepts self-pay and is in network with Aetna and UHC/Optum insurance (BCBS credentialing pending).

07/31/2025

🧠 ADHD isn’t just about focus—it’s also about overwhelm, time blindness, emotional swings, and feeling misunderstood.
We support teens and adults with ADHD through thoughtful evaluation and medication support that meets real-life needs.
✨ It’s not about “fixing” you—it’s about helping you thrive.

07/19/2025

Exciting news from RBPW, we are growing! We are thrilled to announce Kristi has started for med management. Kristi is phenomenally compassionate and loves working in psychiatry. She is currently in network with Aetna and self-pay. Awaiting approval with United and BCBS. You can book a telehealth appointment directly on rbpw.org.

Life is quite an interesting journey. You never know when you meet someone what impact they will have. Kristi was the first non family member to meet Elijah. We worked together in PA. To this day, whenever I'm stumped clinically, she's my first call. I am incredibly grateful and excited to welcome her to the practice.

07/13/2025

💡 Did you know that depression and anxiety affect over 1 in 5 people each year? Mental health is just as important as physical health—and we’re here to help. Whether you’re struggling or supporting someone who is, you're not alone.
📍 Serving teens (14+) and adults with compassionate, evidence-based care.
💬 Let’s talk about what healing looks like—on your terms.

06/19/2025

Our practice is working on some big things over the next couple of months. This month VoyageRaleigh interviewed our provider.

12/10/2024

Hey all as we get more into the holiday season, I'm reflective on some of the challenges that can be faced.

For many people the holidays are a lonely, stressful, anxiety inducing time. They are anniversaries of people we loved, or the first year missing someone. Expectations of what family should be but isn't. This can be a really hard time of year.

If you are feeling alone, scared, hopeless. If you are considering a decision that can never be changed please reach out.

988 is crisis counseling 24 hours a day.

Wake/Harnett county have mobile crisis that will come to your home 877-626-1772

For kids 4-20 you KidsPeace Hope Center in FV is a behavioral health urgent care. https://www.kidspeace.org/the-hope-center/

Phenomenal agencies in the area offering therapy:
solacetherapync.com
denomealliances.com Sarah Madras
wakecounseling.com/holly-springs-counseling/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/.../stephanie.../455651
Sarah Riley https://www.wccounseling.com/team/sarah-riley
Bethany Lindemuth https://www.coppercreek-counseling.com/
RduTherapy https://rdutherapy.com/

Hospitals like Triangle Springs for adults and Changes for adolescents can evaluate for admission, IOP/PHP
Pasadena Villa has IOP/PHP

Please feel free to reach out to me if there is a resource you are not sure how to find. Be safe. We can't always recognize when someone is hurting but there are many people trying to support people in need.

04/07/2024

Self-Care Tip Number Three: Digital Detox

Most of use with a smart phone recognize the benefits of taking a break and digital detoxes are often recommended. Some people will get rid of their smart phone for a flip phone. Research finds it is not sustainable in the long run to use more extreme reduction techniques. My recommendation for change is always to start small. When we go too big we are less likely to succeed in the long run.

1. Set do not disturb. Most phones have the ability to set up times for do not disturb. This prevents notifications from texts, phone calls or other distractions. You can keep notifications from specific numbers and shut off all other app notifications that light up your phone and distract you from the present moment. I don't need to know an item I looked at in Target is on sale.

2. Learn to wait on notifications. I typically reply pretty quickly because I will forget for weeks otherwise. When I opened my practice, I was responding to emails and phone calls well outside of business hours. When I had a smaller practice that was kind of ok, but I knew growing that would be unsustainable. I was connected with Dr. Amna Shabbir, a family practice doc turned coach, and one of the first things we talked about was I don't have to respond to everything right away. I can set a time to look at messages. Most of the time people don't need to get ahold of us immediately, if they do it is likely they have another way to contact us. For people with anxiety/OCD, missing a notification can cause guilt. What if it was about my mom? What if I could have done something if I knew sooner? If you take 2-3 hours between checking messages, the thing you could have done different still would not have likely changed the outcome. Allowing your brain to be in the moment of what you are doing and not waiting for someone else's crisis is important. I shut off notifications from work completely from 730pm-730am.

3. Social media breaks. Spending too much time on social media often increases depression and anxiety. We are looking at everyone else's highlight reel when we feel bad. We didn't sleep well, work was tough. We compare ourselves, our homes, our families, our time spent away. Try to limit the amount of time you are on when you go to social media. Set up periods of the day to specifically check social media, and try to only do it during those times. It is easy to scroll away for much longer than we intend. Set a timer on your phone for 1 min, 5 min whatever time is less but feels reasonable. You can check the things that are more relevant to your day, then when the timer goes off it is a visible reminder to put it down.

4. Apps that change the appearance of our home and app screens. Minimalist app on androids takes away all icons and colors to help conscious use of the phone when you pick it up. Turning: digital detox app on iphone lets you set up blocks. I'm an outlier on android so not as familiar with iphone apps, but minimalist is one that I have found helpful.

5. Compassion in all things. Sometimes we will mess up, and that's ok. We get the chance to try again.

04/03/2024

Self-Care Tip Number Two: Self-compassion
We are innately generous to other people, most of the time. Even if we are frustrated with a behavior, we generally keep those thoughts to ourselves. I often ask people, if you are in a meeting and someone says something ridiculous, would you ever say, "that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard, shut-up already, you are wasting everyone's time?" Generally, people agree they would never say that to another person.

We do think things like this about ourselves. In self-compassion. we recognize we deserve the same kindness we give to others. When our brain assails us with how we are the worst, learn to stop the spiral. Find a kind way to redirect yourself. Forgive the mistake. Find how you can learn from it. Create a phrase that helps you process the discomfort and not carry it, "Against enormous odds, I attempted to live decently. I made some serious errors. In many ways, I suffered far more than is my due. I've been through hell, Nevertheless, I tried to be good and loved a few people properly. Despite everything, my heart was in the right place."

Today say something kind to yourself you are wishing someone would say to you.

03/31/2024

Self Care Tip Number One:
Say "no." TLDR: Saying no can feel uncomfortable if we are used to saying yes. Saying no protects our time and creates healthy boundaries.

I could be managing fifty things and if someone reached out for help, I'd drop everything to appease them. The inner thought, because I say yes I am liked and valued. I never felt liked and valued when I dropped things for the wrong people. I felt used. We show people how to treat us. If I only hear from someone when they need something and I drop EVERYTHING, that teaches them it is ok to treat me that way. The things I would do for people, I am proud of because they are good and kind. I know if someone did them for me, I would feel good. I once drove three hours to see a friend from AIT. She told me she wanted to see me during her layover in Minneapolis, then I drove three hours home. When I was in Texas for six weeks, before going to Afghanistan for a year, twenty minutes from her, she wasn't able to find the time to see me.

Now I am selective in who I spend that energy on. I don't have to say yes to every request of my time. When I spent an unholy amount of time on Amtrak to Charlotte due to engine malfunctions, my mind told me here I am doing it again twenty years later. No, I wasn't. The person I was going to see was one of my dearest friends, who had driven hours to see me with two young kids to bring me food after I had a baby. I know she values me and I value her dearly. It was worth the trip and I would do it again, for her.

Saying no even includes things that are enjoyable. We can say no to the dinner invitation when we are exhausted. We can say no to the playdate for our kids because we don't have the emotional energy to socialize. If we say no, what if we don't get invited the next time. We can kindly say, "Thank you for including me, I am not able to make it today. Maybe next time."

Saying no helps take things off your plate and give you a mental break. It prioritizes your needs.