Pictured above: Montage Health psychiatrist Marshall Blatt, MD, left, and patient Alexandra Albin
As she stepped into her psychiatrist’s office, Alexandra Albin noticed his kindness. And the Abraham Lincoln pictures on the wall.
Perhaps it made some sort of subliminal sense. She was seeking her own kind of freedom. Freedom from divorces, departures, and collateral damage. Freedom from surgeries, strange neurological episodes, and the sense that, somehow, it might all be her fault.
But in the office of Marshal Blatt, MD, she felt safe. Guarded, but safe.
The Montage Health psychiatrist encompassed all the things Albin needed: consistency after chaos, compassion where she couldn’t find it for herself, challenge when she needed to work harder.
“I felt very fortunate to find Dr. Blatt,” says Albin, who has worked with him for more than a decade. “He was sort of my first anchor. I’m very self-critical, and he told me it was normal how I reacted. He was validating."
Something Albin has been seeking since she first started therapy a few decades ago at 19 years old. She thinks the genesis was her struggle with her parents’ divorce, a transition that left a 14-month-old Albin in the care of her father after her mother left.
“I was called difficult, rambunctious, too hard to handle,” Albin says. “Anxiety and depression came out as anger. I would blame myself for everything. It’s only in the last 10 years I put together that it wasn’t me; it was what happened to me.”
Care with Blatt and Montage Health therapist Susan Brauner-Tatum has helped Albin sift through a journey that included a misdiagnosis of multiple sclerosis after a pair of neurological episodes, many orthopedic surgeries that she says may have been related to medications following the misdiagnosis, a successful publishing career, and multiple relationship challenges. She’s currently a caretaker for her mother and provides mental support for her father.
“Alex has gained so much insight and ability through our work together,” says Brauner-Tatum. “She navigates the complexities of life with more clarity and self-compassion. Understanding how her past and present experiences intersect has really empowered her to take care of her needs.”
That growth is something Albin recognizes in herself, too.
“I’ve had a number of breakthroughs that have made me feel far more stable and secure,” Albin says. “Dr. Blatt works on my childhood issues, and Suzi works with my emotions and practical ideas for daily living in a complicated world. They’ve almost become the parents I didn’t have.”
A comprehensive continuum of mental health services
We want our community to be able to expect the same clinical excellence and humane, patient-centered experience from our mental health services as they expect from our other medical services.
— Susan Swick, MD, chief mental health officer, Montage Health
Albin’s treatment is part of a Montage Health triage system that empowers those struggling with mental health challenges to access the most effective treatment option.
Whether someone is coping with a long-term condition, navigating a new diagnosis, or facing a crisis, Montage Health offers a spectrum of mental health support.
Crisis support
If it’s an immediate crisis — psychotic symptoms, managing withdrawal from drugs or alcohol, suicidal or homicidal thoughts — the emergency department at Montage Health’s Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula provides care.
Patients may be admitted to the hospital’s crisis stabilization unit for short-term, intensive care, evaluation, and connection to resources. Patients may also be admitted to the inpatient mental health unit, where they receive around-the-clock support in a therapeutic environment.
Treatment for substance use
For those taking the brave step toward recovery from drug or alcohol use, Montage Health’s recovery center combines group therapy, education, and peer connection to help individuals build skills and find stability under the guidance of experienced professionals.
The month-long program meets for about 15 hours per week, with evening sessions making it possible for patients to continue with work, school, and other responsibilities.
Holistic healing for youth and families
Ohana, Montage Health’s youth and family mental health program, created thanks to generous community support through Montage Health Foundation, offers its own continuum of services under one roof.
The program meets kids, teens, and families at every stage, from preventive initiatives and early interventions to more intensive support for youth in crisis. Programs include:
A patient-centered experience
“We want our community to be able to expect the same clinical excellence and humane, patient-centered experience from our mental health services as they expect from our other medical services,” says Susan Swick, MD, chief mental health officer of Montage Health. “High-quality mental health treatment should be just as accessible and trusted as any other kind of medical care.”
Mental health classes and support groups
Check out our wide range of classes and support groups to join a supportive circle of peers, get tips and guidance from experts, and connect with others who are going through similar experiences.
View classes and groups
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