Integrating Mental Health into Pediatric Care with Melissa Smith

Voices in Health and Wellness

The healthcare landscape for children is changing dramatically, with families increasingly seeking solutions beyond medication for complex behavioral and developmental challenges. Melissa Smith, founder of NewView Integrative Pediatrics in Georgia, brings a revolutionary perspective as both a pediatric nurse practitioner and mental health specialist.
Melissa's journey began when she noticed alarming trends in children's health that conventional approaches weren't adequately addressing. Drawing from personal experience with her mother's cancer treatment and the power of nutrition, she developed a practice model that looks beyond symptoms to identify root causes of childhood behavioral issues. Her work challenges the growing reliance on diagnostic labels and medications for conditions like ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and autism spectrum disorders.
The conversation reveals a profound connection between gut health and mental wellbeing that many practitioners overlook. "I have seen autistic children get their speech back just from gut microbiome health and methylation support," Melissa shares, highlighting the transformative potential of addressing underlying imbalances. Her approach focuses on improving detoxification pathways, optimizing methylation, and restoring gut health - interventions that often allow children to reduce or eliminate psychotropic medications while seeing dramatic symptom improvement.
Many families arrive at NewView in crisis after being told repeatedly by conventional doctors that "nothing is wrong" despite obvious behavioral changes. Melissa validates these parental concerns by investigating what's actually happening physiologically rather than simply labeling symptoms. This comprehensive approach requires longer appointments and deeper investigation than the traditional 15-minute pediatric visit allows, creating challenges with insurance reimbursement and time management as demand grows.
Despite these challenges, Melissa's success demonstrates that when we address the body as an interconnected system rather than treating isolated symptoms, children experience improvements conventional medicine often considers impossible. For parents seeking alternatives to medication-focused treatment, this functional medicine approach offers renewed hope and practical pathways to helping children thrive.

• Guest Name: Melissa Smith, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS
• Business: NewView Integrative Pediatrics
• Title: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner & Pediatric Mental Health Specialist
• Location: Watkinsville, Georgia
• Clinic Address: 2053 Experiment Station Rd, Watkinsville, GA 30677
• Website: https://www.newviewpediatrics.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newview_integrativepediatrics
• Facebook (Clinic):https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557212357986
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-smith-86622689/

Chapters

1. Integrating Mental Health into Pediatric Care with Melissa Smith (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to NewView Integrative Pediatrics (00:00:05)

3. Functional Medicine and Mental Health Connection (00:01:52)

4. Challenges of Small Clinic Management (00:05:16)

5. PANS Treatment: A Different Approach (00:08:29)

6. Growing a Holistic Practice (00:13:51)

7. Finding Support and Inspiration (00:19:15)