Dear Doctor: Wendy Nash
The child psychiatrist working toward a greater mission to de-stigmatize pediatric mental health.
Dr. Wendy Nash is a part of an incredible community in New York City. Called The Child Mind Institute, it’s a practice of clinicians focused on de-stigmatizing pediatric mental health. The center itself, located in Midtown East, has walls filled with positive messages, artwork, and shelves of teddy bears, creating a comforting atmosphere for families and guests. Dr. Nash’s journey to medicine came from her love of forming relationships and hearing the stories of the people she has met throughout her life. Read on to learn how Dr. Nash’s study of public policy influences her daily practice in psychiatry and what words of wisdom keep her going!
“I took a longer road, despite being interested in medicine when I was younger. In college, I became interested in public policy, specifically health policy, so I majored in policy analysis at Cornell University. I thought I would work on food insecurity. However, through that work, I realized I wanted to work more with individuals, and that I wanted my expertise to be with the human body. My father and stepmother are physicians, too. It was the right match of being helpful in society and forming strong personal relationships.”
Finding Child Psychiatry
Up until my third year rotations at Columbia Medical School, I had not been thinking of psychiatry. I thought I’d pursue endocrinology or pediatrics. But then during my clinical rotations, I saw people go from mania to “normal mental status.” That’s when I realized how impactful psychiatry can be. Psychiatry is a field where there is still so much to learn. I also found that I really appreciated hearing people’s stories and narratives. I feel so privileged that I get to learn from their experiences.
I thought that I would stay with adults and do analytic training, but through exposure to kids during my residency, I found that I was highly motivated to work with them. I saw the potential children have to get better. I also really like a systems approach, which is applied often in child psychiatry as you work within a family. These situations are really complex, and I’m drawn to complicated situations.
I also think there’s a link between the thought process of my major, public policy and policy analysis,and what I do now. As a student at Cornell in policy analysis, I was learning economics, government, marketing, nutrition, and urban planning. Being taught to look at a problem from several different angles, was extremely helpful in my practice of psychiatry. I have to think about a child’s education, their family, as well as biological and psychological components — there’s a lot to consider.
Gaining Perspective Outside the U.S.
I took opportunities to learn abroad when I could. I did work in Chile and the Dominican Republic. One job was a research program in pediatric obesity, where I got to work with a lot of different physicians. The other was in a public health program, where I interviewed adolescents about barriers to reproductive health services. They were both were excellent experiences in cultural competency.
When I later went to medical school in Washington Heights, where Columbia is located and there is a large Dominican community, the skills and exposure I gained from my time abroad were incredibly helpful, especially knowing the language so I was able to better connect with my patients. When I told them that I lived and worked in Vasque, an underserved part of Santo Domingo, I could tell it brought them great comfort knowing I had experienced their home country and culture.
There is a lot to learn from other ways of life, a greater perspective and cultural pockets develop everywhere. Each medical practice has a different culture, each neighborhood has a different culture, and each hospital has a different culture. There isn’t only one way. It’s impactful to see how medical care is delivered around the world, and how psychopathology is described in different countries. That can be translated to individuals; each person has their own outlook.
Joining Child Mind Institute
In 2015, I joined Child Mind Institute, when my friend encouraged me to come and look at it. At that time, I was already in private practice. Child Mind not only has a private practice component, but also a greater mission to de-stigmatize pediatric mental health. Being able to be a part of a more intimate community was part of the reason I decided to join. I feel very fortunate to work here because of all the interesting and inspiring projects I get to be a part of.
My primary role is patient care, but there are so many projects our team is working on that I’m excited about. We do get a lot of financial aid — public and private. One really innovative part of our business is a project call the Healthy Brain Network. In this arm of the business, we are collecting data on about 10,000 kids by giving free evaluations. There are mobile evaluation clinics with an MRI, plus neuropsych and psychiatric evaluations. This provides a free service for people who don’t have access to evaluations. Eventually, the goal is to create a data bank with a bunch of different measures. It can be accessed by researchers all over the world, which is important since there is a dearth of research in pediatric mental health.
We also have an amazing PR campaign to de-stigmatize mental health called #myyoungerself, which includes celebrities and leaders sharing their personal stories. Child Mind has often been on Good Morning America and Nightline, trying to help people understand mental health. We are really building programming all the time.
One thing I always tell the families I see is that you can really get something special here by having all these incredible clinicians in one place. We’re a team, working all together.
The Rewards of Working with Families
My workday begins around nine and ends around six, depending on the day. I see on average about eight patients for approximately 45 minutes each for a combination of medication management and psychotherapy, and I also do about two new evaluations a week. Between visits, I have meetings with colleagues to catch up on patients we’re working with together, and these last about 15 minutes. Lastly, I have a lot of phone calls with parents and outside clinicians to coordinate care for my patients.
In psychiatry, people often feel misunderstood, or they have gone through many attempts to get help — trying to communicate what they need, but not feeling connected. The look on a kid’s or parent’s face when they sense you understand is why I love what I do.
I’m so privileged that I can help someone feel understood. Helping them find a way forward is most rewarding.
Kids in the Digital World
It’s so important for parents to both love their kids and set limits. The middle path is a Buddhist concept used in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and is a really important component of hearing other people and their perspectives. For example, technology tends to become a polarizing topic for kids and their parents. Technology has both good and bad aspects and is not one of the other. Parents do best when they acknowledge this with their kids.
In terms of use time, I do follow the idea of two hours a day, which is what the American Association of Pediatrics recommends, especially since I work with families a lot on sleep and its role in mood regulation and cognitive functioning. I encourage parental controls and periodic monitoring of social media content because it’s important to have conversations about being a positive digital citizen.
Lightning Round
One thing I wish everyone knew…how to love thy neighbor. Also, how to be curious.
I do what I love because…it is honest work that I feel good about.
A phrase that I live by…I have two. The first is a phrase by rabbis: “You never know, you never know, you know.” It is a way to be compassionate and curious. The second is a saying that we use in child psychiatry: “People are doing the best they can, in the situation that they are in.” The underlying message is to have compassion and empathy for others. I try to keep both of these in mind each day.
Favorites
NYC neighborhood: Upper West Side, I love that it’s sandwiched between two large parks. I like the culture — it’s a combination of intellectual and down-to-earth New Yorkers.
Relax Ritual: Walking anywhere around the city.
Activity for summer: Eating outside at sidewalks cafes, or up at my parents’ house and watching my girls swim in the pool.
App: Breethe — I really appreciate meditation.
You can learn more about Dr. Wendy Nash and The Child Mind Institute here!
Know a great female doctor in NYC? We’d love to meet her, introduce us here!
