Welcome! I am a Board Certified Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist in Brooklyn, NY with training in conventional medicine and a passion for alternative medicine. I have experience in college and medical student mental health and work with adults with anxiety, depression, insomnia, relationship problems, LGBTQI, gender and identity concerns. Working from a holistic, integrative psychiatry framework, I offer combined psychotherapy and medication visits which incorporate complementary healing modalities such as mindfulness, herbs and nutritional supplements. I have been practicing hatha yoga and zen meditation for the last 15 years and I am a certified facilitator of mind-body skills groups through the Center for Mind Body Medicine. I enjoy leading mind-body workshops and mindfulness groups for my patients, medical students, and other physicians struggling with occupational burnout.
I also treat people with anxiety related to modern day concerns including the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, social media & online dating, and non-traditional relationships. I have experience treating people with academic and professional burn out and worked in university mental health as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Student Health Center for five years. I am passionate about psychotherapy and completed additional training in psychodynamic psychotherapy through the Adult Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program at Columbia University, Center for Psychoanalytic Research & Training.
Holistic Integrative Psychiatry
You may have heard terms like “holistic,” “integrative,”
“complementary” and “alternative” in reference to non-mainstream medicine. What distinguishes an integrative psychiatry practice
from a conventional psychiatry practice?
Complementary
treatments complement or are used alongside conventional treatments
whereas alternative treatments refer
to those which are used in place of conventional treatments.
What is Holistic Integrative
Psychiatry?
According to
the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM),
“Integrative medicine is a practice that
reaffirms the importance of the relationship
between practitioner and patient,
focuses on the whole person, is
informed by evidence and makes use
of all appropriate therapeutic
approaches, healthcare professionals and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.”
Holistic Integrative psychiatry integrates both conventional
treatments like Prozac with complementary
treatments like meditation in order to treat mental illness and achieve a
healthy body, mind, heart and soul. It focuses on the “whole” person and their
environment in order to treat disease. Holistic psychiatry promotes the innate
healing abilities of the body.
How do I apply the principles of integrative medicine to my
psychiatry practice?
1) Healing through the Nourishing Effect of the Psychiatrist - Patient relationship
I chose to become a psychiatrist because I enjoy sharing
rich relationships with my patients and find it rewarding to help them improve
their lives. In order for me to truly understand who you are as a person, what’s
important to you, and what you would like to change in your life, I need to
give you my time and full attention. I spend 45 - 50 minutes per session with my patients, and you will have my undivided attention and care during that
time. Another way I nourish the psychiatrist-patient
relationship is by providing a safe, non-judgmental, collaborative space for us
to work together as a team. I am not here to judge you or impose my beliefs on
you. My goal is to use my training and expertise to understand and guide you as best
I can. I am also clear about what you should expect and not expect from our
work together.
2) Treating the Whole
Person
We tend to divide ourselves into parts; physical (BODY),
intellectual (MIND), emotional (HEART), and spiritual (SOUL) but what we fail
to recognize is that these parts are intimately connected. Thus, emotional
symptoms like depression or anxiety can’t be treated without understanding
underlying physical problems like
nutritional deficiencies, or intellectual
problems like distorted thinking, or spiritual
problems like not having a sense of purpose or connection to others in
life.
I aim to treat the whole person through a combination of conventional and complementary medicine intended to target all of these interconnected parts.
Treating the whole person also means appreciating the
uniqueness of people rather than defining them by psychiatric labels. I
create treatment plans tailored to my patients’ unique needs.
3) Using Evidence Based Treatments
Evidence based treatments are those which have been tested
scientifically and shown to be effective and safe. Many complementary
treatments pre-date conventional medicine and have been used safely for
hundreds or thousands of years. However, it is still important to have a thorough
understanding of the risks versus benefits, potential side effects and adverse
effects, and potential interactions with conventional medications. Research is also
helpful in this respect.
4) Focusing on Prevention
& Optimizing Wellness
Optimizing wellness means more than simply helping you feel less
depressed or anxious. My goal is to empower you by giving you the tools to heal
yourself, to prevent relapses in your symptoms, and help you create a life
worth living, one that is joyful and meaningful to you.
Focus Areas
Depression
Anxiety, Panic attacks, general anxiety,
social anxiety
Career related issues, stress and burn-out
College and Graduate mental health
Self- esteem issues
Perfectionism in high achievers
LGBTQI and gender identity concerns
Adjustment difficulties
Grief & Bereavement
Stress management and reduction
Creative block and issues faced by artists,
musicians and other creative professionals
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric
Disorder
Fees
I am currently offering free treatment to healthcare workers battling the coronavirus. Otherwise, I accept NYU Wellfleet insurance. If you have a different insurance, I can provide you with an invoice you can submit to your
insurance company for partial reimbursement of out of network
services. I recommend that you call your
insurance company prior to your visit to find out what out-of-network mental
health services are reimbursable. I offer a sliding scale fees.
Available Times
I see patients in person at my Brooklyn office and also offer telepsychiatry visits through a video platform.
Contact
Please call me
to schedule an appointment at: 201-292-7537, you may also email me at Tanya.Aza@gmail.com
Please note that the content on this website is for general
information and educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for
professional services. Visiting this website or contacting Dr. Azarani by
e-mail or phone does not constitute or establish a therapeutic or professional
relationship.
