Addiction Psychiatry

Physician-led treatment for alcohol and substance use in Denver, CO

Board-certified addiction psychiatrist
Medication and therapy, together
Private, no judgement
Mental health treated alongside

4.7 from 37 Google reviews

$ 0

Initial psychiatric evaluation

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Years in addiction medicine

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Board-certified psychiatrists

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Treating patients in Denver since

The short version

Addiction psychiatry, in brief

What it is
Medical treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders, led by a board-certified addiction psychiatrist.
What happens
A full evaluation, then a plan that combines medication and therapy, adjusted around how you respond.
The approach
Medication-assisted treatment alongside psychotherapy, not one or the other.
Who's it for
Adults dealing with alcohol dependence or other addictive disorders, often alongside depression or anxiety.
Cost
Evaluation $320. Follow-ups: $160, or $280 with therapy.
Note
We’re moving to private insurance, and credentialing is in progress. Ask on your call, and we’ll tell you where it stands.

THE APPROACh

What addiction psychiatry means?

Addiction rarely travels alone. It sits alongside depression, anxiety, trauma or ADHD, and treating it in isolation is why so many attempts don’t hold. Here it’s treated as what it is: a medical condition, by a psychiatrist who also treats the mental health that comes with it, in the same practice.

Medication and therapy, together

Medication-assisted treatment can reduce cravings and withdrawal and make the rest of the work possible. Paired with psychotherapy, it addresses both the physical pull and the reasons underneath it. Dr. Shuman plans and oversees both sides personally.

Suitability

Who can it help

Could be a good fit if
  • Alcohol or substance use is affecting your life and you want it treated medically.
  • You’ve tried to stop before and it hasn’t held.
  • Depression, anxiety or ADHD is tied up with it.
  • You want a doctor, not just a programme.
  • You’d value medication and therapy together.
We'd check carefully
  • Where you are right now, and what’s safe as a next step.
  • Whether medically supervised withdrawal is needed first.
  • How your mental health fits into the plan.

There’s no judgement in any of this. The call is a private, honest conversation about where you are and what would actually help.

What happens

Your first visit, start to finish

Get in Touch


After you provide a few details, a psychiatrist will call you back, usually within 24 hours, to discuss whether we’re the right fit for you.

Comprehensive evaluation


A full psychiatric assessment covering your history, your use, and any depression, anxiety or ADHD alongside it. From that, Dr. Shuman builds a plan with you rather than for you.

Medication and therapy


Where medication-assisted treatment helps, it’s started and monitored by your psychiatrist. Therapy runs alongside, using approaches like CBT, mindfulness, and acceptance and commitment therapy.

Ongoing care


Recovery isn’t linear, and your plan adjusts as you go. Because your mental health is treated in the same place, nothing gets handed off or lost between providers.

WHAT WE TREAT

Conditions we work with

Alcohol dependence

A camera keeps the coil in the same spot every session, not by measurement alone. FDA-approved, prescription-only.

Other substance use disorders

Assessed and treated medically, with a plan matched to the substance and to you.

Co-occurring mental health

A few minutes at a time, so the accelerated schedules work.

What happens

Three ways to do this

Three schedules. All three all-inclusive.

Addiction psychiatry Price
Comprehensive evaluation (about an hour)
$320
Follow-up visit (25 minutes)
$160
Follow-up with therapy (55 minutes)
$280

Insurance: We’re moving to accept private insurance and credentialing is in progress. Ask on your call, and we’ll tell you exactly where it stands and what to expect.

Questions

What do people ask before they call

Straight answers to the questions we hear most.

  • Is this confidential?

    Yes. Your care is private, and the first call is a confidential conversation with no obligation to book anything. Nothing is shared without your consent beyond what the law requires.

  • What is medication-assisted treatment?

    It’s the use of prescribed medication to reduce cravings and manage withdrawal, so the rest of recovery becomes possible. It’s prescribed and monitored by your psychiatrist and paired with therapy rather than used on its own.

  • Do I have to stop before I come in?

    No. You come as you are. Part of the evaluation is working out what’s safe as a next step, including whether medically supervised withdrawal is needed first. We’ll never ask you to do something unsafe on your own.

  • Do you treat my depression or anxiety too?

    Yes, and that’s the point. Addiction and mental health are treated together here by the same psychiatrists, so nothing falls through the gap between separate providers.

  • Do you take my insurance?

    We’re moving to private insurance, and credentialing is in progress. Tell us your situation on the call, and we’ll tell you where things stand.

  • Is this a rehab or a programme?

    No. This is medical, outpatient psychiatric care from a specialist. It can work alongside other support, and if a higher level of care is safer for you, we’ll say so and help you find it.

  • What if I’ve tried before and it didn’t work?

    Most people we see have. Treating the addiction and the mental health underneath it together, medically, is often what was missing. We’ll be honest with you about what we can and can’t offer.

Why us

Real doctors, for whatever you’re facing

Two board-certified psychiatrists and a whole practice behind your care, whichever treatment brings you in.

All ages

Children, adults, and teenagers seen by a specialist.

Physician led

board-certified psychiatrist, not a technician or NP.

Seen quickly

A psychiatrist calls back within 24 hours.

Clear on cost

You'll know the cost before you commit.

Care that adapts

The right treatment for you, from a full range.

Whole-picture care

Depression, anxiety, ADHD and addiction, one practice.

Who treats you

Board-certified psychiatrists. One of them will evaluate you and oversee your course personally.

Dr. Charles Shuman, Founder · Psychiatrist

Dr. Charles Shuman

Founder · Psychiatrist

Trained at Temple University, the University of Florida and the University of Colorado, where he has also taught on the faculty. Founded Confluence in Denver in 2016.

Dr. Shankar Nandakumar, Psychiatrist

Dr. Shankar Nandakumar

Psychiatrist

Fellowship-trained in child and adolescent psychiatry, and leads adolescent care at the practice.

What patients say

The Confluence difference

Where the difference actually shows.

Other clinics
Speaking to a doctor
Before you schedule
After you've booked
Evaluation
Board-certified psychiatrist
Often an NP or PA
Who you see next time
The same psychiatrist
Whoever's available
If it stalls
Your doctor adjusts it
Escalated, if anyone's free