Instructor: Josef Witt-Doerring, MD
Discontinuing psychiatric medications can be far more complicated than simply reducing a dose. For many patients, withdrawal symptoms can be severe, prolonged, and easily mistaken for a return of their underlying psychiatric condition. How can clinicians help patients taper safely while minimizing withdrawal risks?
Join psychiatrist Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, a faculty member for Psychiatry Redefined, former FDA Medical Officer and pharmaceutical physician who now specializes in psychiatric medication tapering, for a practical, evidence-informed discussion of safer deprescribing strategies.
Drawing on clinical experience and current research, Dr. Witt-Doerring will explore why gradual, individualized tapering is essential, how to recognize and respond to withdrawal symptoms, and how to adjust medication reductions based on patient tolerance. He will also discuss practical approaches to medication formulations, dosing adjustments, and preparing patients for a successful taper.
You’ll learn:
- Recognize withdrawal symptoms and distinguish them from psychiatric relapse.
- Understand the risks of rapid discontinuation and prolonged withdrawal.
- Apply individualized tapering strategies, including appropriate dose reductions and adjustments.
- Support patients through tapering by addressing physical health, lifestyle, and emotional resilience.
Join us to gain practical insights to help patients navigate psychiatric medication discontinuation with greater safety, confidence, and individualized care.
All registrants will receive a link to watch the webinar recording post-event. Please note: Email reminders and replays are undeliverable to general or unmonitored emails (such as support@, info@ or admin@). This webinar recording will be available free for live attendees; attendees will be sent the recording link post-event. This webinar will remain free for the general public for two weeks post-webinar. After that point, the price increases to $19.
Josef Witt-Doerring, MD
Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring is a board-certified psychiatrist and a leading expert in psychiatric drug side effects and withdrawal. He is the CEO and Medical Director of TaperClinic, where he oversees all aspects of patient care, supervises clinical staff, develops individualized tapering protocols, and works directly with patients experiencing complex withdrawal syndromes. His mission is to provide safe, evidence-informed care for those seeking to reduce or discontinue psychiatric medications.
Founded in 2020, the TaperClinic, is one of the only medical practices in the world dedicated exclusively to treating psychiatric drug injury and guiding patients through safe deprescribing. Under his leadership, the clinic has become the largest medical practice in the world devoted solely to psychiatric deprescribing and a trusted resource for individuals navigating severe withdrawal syndromes and medication-related harm.
Dr. Witt-Doerring brings a rare and valuable perspective to his work, shaped by years of experience at the intersection of clinical psychiatry, regulatory science, and pharmaceutical drug safety. As a Medical Officer in the Division of Psychiatry at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he reviewed emerging adverse drug reactions and contributed to updates in drug labeling—gaining firsthand insight into the risks of psychiatric interventions and the systemic blind spots that often leave patients harmed and unsupported.
In addition to his work at the FDA, he has held clinical research and drug safety positions at several pharmaceutical companies. He pursued a specialized fellowship in Psychiatric Drug Development at Janssen Research & Development and Drexel College of Medicine, and later trained in Functional and Integrative Psychiatry through the Psychiatry Redefined Fellowship. He went on to complete his psychiatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine and earned his medical degree from the University of Queensland in Australia.
With his unique combination of regulatory, research, and clinical experience, Dr. Witt-Doerring leads TaperClinic with a patient-first philosophy, ensuring that every individual receives the time, care, and expertise needed to heal.
Let’s redefine mental wellness together.
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