DISCOVER Assessment and Labs With Dr. Lewis: What to Expect, Step by Step

DISCOVER: Assessment & Labs is a structured program with Dr. Lewis that moves through five parts: a 75-minute initial assessment, advanced bloodwork and functional labs, a 90-minute findings and strategy session, a personalized supplement plan for the first month, and a 10-page written report. Because most of its parts are testing and the interpretation of results, it suits people who want testing to be a central part of understanding their symptoms.

It comes with an important limit, stated on the program page itself: "Some of these tests (mycotoxin, toxic-metal and intestinal-barrier or 'leaky gut' panels) are investigational and not validated for diagnosis; Dr. Lewis explains what each can and cannot tell you." This guide walks through each step, explains how DISCOVER differs from a standard psychiatric evaluation, and is candid about who may be better served by a different starting point.

DISCOVER at a glance

The table lists each component as the practice describes it, and what you can reasonably expect to take away. Fees are not listed here; they are published on the insurance and payment page.

Step by step

Before you start: the discovery call

The practice's usual first contact is a free discovery call by phone or text, where you can ask about care options, scheduling and insurance. That is the right moment to ask whether DISCOVER fits your question, how enrollment works, and whether it is available where you live. The program page does not say whether DISCOVER is offered by telehealth or to residents of other states, so ask directly.

Step 1: the 75-minute initial assessment

The program begins with Dr. Lewis's 75-minute assessment. Expect questions about your current symptoms and how long they have lasted, past diagnoses and treatments, medications and supplements, sleep, diet, physical health, family history and what you hope to learn. Bring a written medication history; the guide on preparing your medication history has a template.

This is also the time to say which tests you have already had. Recent results may make some repeat testing unnecessary, and they help Dr. Lewis interpret new ones.

Step 2: bloodwork and functional labs

The program's testing covers a comprehensive blood panel, environmental and chemical exposure screening, mold and mycotoxin testing, toxic metals, a hormone panel including adrenal, thyroid and sex hormones, gut inflammation and microbiome testing, and intestinal barrier testing. Lab and supplement costs are separate from visit fees, so ask for an estimate of the lab portion before samples are collected.

Ask practical questions too: which samples are needed (blood, urine, stool or saliva), whether fasting or timing matters, where samples are collected, and roughly how long results take. Those details are not described on the program page, so the team is the right source.

Step 3: the 90-minute findings and strategy session

Once results are back, the program includes a 90-minute findings and strategy session. This is where the caveat matters most. A useful session separates findings from standard, validated tests from findings from investigational panels, and explains what each can and cannot tell you, as the program page commits to doing.

Step 4: the month-1 supplement plan

DISCOVER includes a personalized supplement plan for the first month. Supplement costs are separate from visit fees. Share the plan with every clinician who prescribes for you, because some dietary supplements can change how a medication is absorbed, metabolized or excreted. Do not stop or change a prescribed medication because of a lab result or a supplement plan; route that decision to your prescriber.

Step 5: the 10-page written report

You receive a 10-page written report. Keep it with your medical records and offer it to your primary care clinician, therapist or any specialist you see, so your care stays coordinated.

What "investigational" means for you

The program page names three kinds of tests as investigational and not validated for diagnosis: mycotoxin panels, toxic-metal panels and intestinal-barrier or "leaky gut" panels. In plain terms, a result from one of these tests should not be treated as proof that you have a condition, and it should not be the sole basis for a major treatment decision.

It helps to know how laboratory oversight works. Clinical labs in the United States are regulated under the CLIA program, which aims to ensure accurate and reliable test results. CMS states that its CLIA program does not address the clinical validity of any test, meaning how well a test identifies or predicts a clinical condition. A lab can measure something precisely without that measurement having an established diagnostic meaning.

For a wider discussion of which functional tests are worth measuring, see the practice's article on functional testing: what's worth measuring, and why.

How DISCOVER differs from a standard psychiatric evaluation

A standard psychiatric evaluation is built around a clinical interview: symptoms, trauma history, substance use, suicide and safety risk, medical health and past treatment, leading to a working diagnosis and a treatment plan. Tests are ordered for a specific clinical reason, and the American Psychiatric Association's evaluation guideline asks clinicians to document the rationale for them. The guide to medical causes to rule out before a psychiatric diagnosis covers that targeted approach.

DISCOVER puts broad testing at the center, with longer sessions for interpretation and a written report. The practice's ongoing care, which includes psychiatric evaluation and medication management, psychotherapy, coaching, lab testing, and nutrition and lifestyle psychiatry, is a separate track. Whether DISCOVER includes a diagnosis or medication management is not described on the program page, so ask before you enroll.

If you are unsure which of these fits, the guide to choosing your starting point compares all of the practice's options, and the Health Strategy Session guide explains the broadest first step.

Who DISCOVER may not suit

• People in crisis or with urgent safety concerns. An outpatient testing program is not the right first step.
• People who mainly need medication started or adjusted soon. A psychiatric evaluation and medication management may be more direct.
• People who want only tests with established diagnostic validity. Several DISCOVER panels are investigational.
• People who need care in network with their insurance. If you need care that is in network with your plan, ask the team on the discovery call about options.
• People who live outside New York. The program page does not say whether DISCOVER is available to residents of other states, so ask before you enroll.
• People on a tight budget. Lab and supplement costs are separate from visit fees.

If you are thinking about suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to the nearest emergency room.

How to prepare

A little preparation makes the assessment and the findings session far more useful. Gather these before your first appointment:

1. A list of current medications and supplements with doses, and any you have stopped in the past year and why.
2. Copies of lab results from the last year or two, including any done by your primary care clinician.
3. A short timeline of your symptoms: when they started, what made them better or worse, and past diagnoses.
4. Your top two or three questions, written down, so the 75-minute assessment covers what matters most to you.
5. Your insurance card and plan details, if you want to ask whether any part can be submitted for possible out-of-network reimbursement.

If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or taking medications that require monitoring, say so at the start. Those details can change which tests or supplements are appropriate.

After DISCOVER: what comes next

The findings session ends with a strategy, and the written report gives you something to act on. What happens next depends on what you and Dr. Lewis decide. Within the practice, ongoing care can include psychiatric evaluation and medication management, psychotherapy including CBT and DBT, coaching, further lab testing, and nutrition and lifestyle psychiatry. You may also choose to take the report to your existing clinicians and continue care with them.

Plan for follow-up testing questions as well. If a standard test was abnormal, ask who will repeat or follow it up, and when. If an investigational panel was unusual, ask whether any validated test could confirm or rule out what it suggests.

Paying for DISCOVER

Fees are published on the insurance and payment page, not in this guide, and lab and supplement costs are separate from visit fees. The program page does not describe how DISCOVER is billed or whether any part of it can be submitted to insurance, so ask about payment and reimbursement before you enroll. If reimbursement is possible, the guide to checking out-of-network mental health benefits has a call script for your insurer.

Under federal rules, if you are not using insurance, a provider usually must give you a good faith estimate if you request one or schedule services at least 3 business days in advance, and it should include an itemized list of expected charges. A good faith estimate lists charges for a single provider or facility, so an outside lab may need to give you its own. See good faith estimates for self-pay psychiatry for details.

Questions to ask before you enroll

• Is DISCOVER the best starting point for my question, or would the Health Strategy Session or a psychiatric evaluation fit better?
• Which tests in the panel are standard, and which are investigational?
• What will the lab portion cost, who bills it, and can I get a Good Faith Estimate that covers it?
• Does DISCOVER include a diagnosis or medication management, or do those happen in ongoing care?
• Is DISCOVER available by telehealth where I live?
• How should the supplement plan be coordinated with my current prescriptions?

You can read the program description on the DISCOVER: Assessment & Labs page, and when you are ready, individual clinical care starts with the Patient Interest Form. For other ways to begin, see the Choosing Psychiatric Care guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is DISCOVER the same as the Health Strategy Session?

No. The Health Strategy Session is a single 75-minute session to review your history and decide next steps. DISCOVER is a multi-part program built around advanced testing, a 90-minute findings session and a written report.

Will DISCOVER give me a diagnosis?

The program page does not say that DISCOVER includes a formal psychiatric diagnosis or medication management. Ask on the discovery call how DISCOVER connects to the practice's psychiatric evaluation and ongoing care.

Why include tests that are not validated for diagnosis?

The practice states that some panels are investigational and that Dr. Lewis explains what each can and cannot tell you. If you prefer to avoid investigational tests, say so before testing begins and ask whether the panel can be adjusted.

Can I bring my own recent lab results?

Bring them. Recent results help interpretation and may make some repeat tests unnecessary. Ask the team which results are useful to send in advance.

Can my primary care doctor see the results?

You can share your 10-page report and lab results with any clinician you choose. Sharing them helps avoid duplicate tests and keeps medication and supplement decisions coordinated.

Does insurance cover DISCOVER?

The program page does not describe insurance billing for DISCOVER. Lab and supplement costs are separate from visit fees, and fees are published on the insurance and payment page. Ask on the discovery call whether any part can be submitted to your insurer, then check your out-of-network benefits.

Sources

1. LDT and CLIA FAQs. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2013. cms.gov
2. What is a good faith health insurance estimate?. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026. cms.gov
3. APA Updates Guidelines on Psychiatric Evaluation in Adults. American Family Physician 94(1):62-63 (practice guideline summary of APA Practice Guidelines for the Psychiatric Evaluation of Adults, 3rd ed.), 2016. aafp.org
4. Mixing Medications and Dietary Supplements Can Endanger Your Health. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2022. fda.gov

Educational information, not medical, tax or legal advice. Decisions about diagnosis, medication and treatment belong with a clinician who knows your history.