Practice Philosophy:
Dr. Purkayastha is a board-certified psychiatrist in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as forensic psychiatry. She provides compassionate, empathic and culturally appropriate care to both children and adults. She enjoys listening to patient’s stories and helping them achieve their goals and manage symptoms. Although medications are an essential component of treatment, Dr. Purkayastha recognizes that true mental well-being is achieved through social support, therapeutic processes, skill building and behavioral change. Children and adolescents feel comfortable with Dr. Purkayastha, and she teaches parents communication strategies and positive reinforcement techniques to support their child at home. She believes that mental health is impacted by both genetics and environment, and makes sure that patients understand their behavioral patterns and what may be impacting symptoms. Using a multi-cultural lens, she approaches each patient with sensitivity to their family background, working with patients and their families to manage expectations and enhance communication.
Areas of Expertise:
Dr. Purkayastha specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents with anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, autism, trauma, and ADHD. She also works with adults suffering from, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorders, psychosis and personality disorders. She takes the time to talk through a patient’s concerns, educating them on the potential benefits of various treatment options and giving them decision-making power to manage their own mental health. She collaborates with primary care physicians, educators, therapists, and other providers to offer well rounded and holistic mental healthcare to her patients. In addition to diagnosis, assessment, and medication management, she provides evidence-based behavioral techniques to empower an individual with their own agency.
Experience and Training:
Dr. Purkayastha completed her psychiatric residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Elmhurst Hospital) and her child and adolescent training at Tulane University, where she served as Chief Fellow. She completed her Forensic Psychiatry fellowship at Harvard University’s Massachusetts General-Brigham Hospital. She received her medical degree from Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi, India. An avid student, she has sought out additional training in PCIT, DBT, PTSD therapy for children, Coping Cat for Anxiety for children and adolescents, and Psychiatric Management of Borderline Personality Disorder. She also participated in the Global Mental Health Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, offering mental health services to underserved populations in India.
Fluent in Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu
