In March 2023, Dr. Lance Thigpen assumed the role of Director of Outpatient Services where he hopes to continue The Retreat’s mission to enhancement of the public’s mental health and to eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness.
Dr. Lance Thigpen was born in Augusta, GA to a former head nurse of psychiatry and Dr. Corbett Thigpen, co-author of The Three Faces of Eve. He attended Augusta Preparatory Day School for high school and completed his Freshman year of college at Davidson College. He then transferred to The University of Georgia where he earned his Bachelors of Science in Biology.
He matriculated from The Medical College of Georgia in 1999 and completed his internship, general psychiatry residency and child fellowship program there as well. Once his formal education was completed, he transitioned into private practice focusing primarily on children and adolescents.
In 2012, he began looking for opportunities that would allow him to spend more individual time with his patients and their families and joined medical staff at the Brattleboro Retreat in 2013 where he worked on the adolescent unit for the next 3 years.
In 2016, he transferred to the children’s inpatient unit. At the same time, he began working with Health Information Management and IT as physician champion for the electronic health record. As such, he took a position on the medical executive committee.
In 2018, he relocated to North Augusta, South Carolina where he continued his work with IT while transitioning to telepsychiatry for the Anna Marsh Outpatient Clinic. After a short stent there, he expanded his role to co-leading the Birches Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs, the Uniform Services Program, and the Starting Now Intensive Outpatient Program During the pandemic, these programs were expanded to serve individuals from New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He continues to serve in these capacities.
In March 2023, he assumed the role of Director of Outpatient Services where he hopes to continue The Retreat’s mission to enhancement of the public’s mental health and to eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness.
