Dr. Claunch is a Neuropsychiatrist, meaning he completed the full residency training in both Neurology and Psychiatry and is board certified in both. His primary specialty is Long COVID and its sister syndrome Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, though he does see patients with a variety of other Neurocognitive and Neuropsychiatric syndromes. While he does occasionally need to coordinate with Gastroenterologists, Allergists, and Pulmonologists, and greatly prefers to coordinate with Primary Care Providers, he tries to manage as much of the patients’ needs as possible with behavioral guidance and pharmaceutical treatment options for the Sub-Syndromes of Long COVID: Dysautonomia, Central Sensitization, Mixed Insomnia, and Neurocognitive Fog.

He also has a background in various forms of psychotherapy including Cognitive, Behavioral, and different Depth Psychology approaches that inform his understanding of the Medical PTSD experienced by most of his patients. With Practical Neuropsychiatry, Dr. Claunch both treats patients using a standard care model and offers health consulting for those looking to help loved ones and/or to help those for whom a typical doctor-patient relationship is not warranted or not possible. Dr. Claunch’s passion for patient care extends beyond the virtual practice with Shared Medical Appointments or “Groups” for specific difficult to treat disorders. These Shared Medical Appointments allow patients to work with Dr. Claunch (and his colleagues) and with other patients to find powerful tools to aid their health. These appointments allow more doctor-patient time within the current insurance model.

Dr. Claunch believes in a practical approach to brain and nervous system health. Many of his patients have felt dismissed by some physicians, and felt treated like a project by others. As a phenomenologist, Dr. Claunch believes the first step in truly understanding a person’s struggle is to listen to their story and their symptoms with an open mind. He then considers the patient’s symptoms without bias or an attempt to force a patient’s square peg into a round hole. If symptoms are textbook, perfectly matching a classic syndrome within one discipline, patients will likely do well in a classical medical model. However, through thorough discussion, Dr. Claunch finds most patients reach a new understanding of their symptoms, their biology, and their options for finding relief even when the textbooks have neglected or over-simplified the problems they face. 

As a Patient/Client of Dr. Claunch, you may need something unique and different that the modern medical model hasn’t addressed. Maybe your family dynamic is crumbling because someone has developed dementia or severe changes in mood, behavior, or thinking. Perhaps you have seen a thousand doctors and are overwhelmed and confused by all of the test results without improvement in symptoms. Maybe your neurologist says your problem is psychiatric, and your psychiatrist says your problem is neurologic, and no one seems to want to help. For whatever reason you choose to consult with Dr. Claunch, he will try to identify your goals and needs, offer guidance and support in sifting through complex symptoms, and help you understand if and where a path to healing might be found, whether in the traditional medical model or elsewhere. 

Currently, he is focused on three primary models of care through Practical Neuropsychiatry. We take BCBS, Aetna, and soon may take Harvard Pilgrim mostly utilizing a virtual care model. However, for those who do not have these insurances or live outside of the state where he primarilly practices, other care models are available. Some will utilize a self pay Health Coaching model for those who already have a prescriber but need more support in understanding their symptoms and how to navigate finding solutions.

He is also recruiting for Shared Medical Appointments (covered by some insurances), a well validated process where patients spend 5-8 sessions, each between 60-90 minutes, with a group of others suffering from similar conditions. During these shared medical appointments, medications are adjusted but more importantly, patients learn from Dr. Claunch and each other about their condition, the various available treatments, and plan a path to health.