Our Doctors

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Dr. Nadia Nassar Kuhn, MD

Founder & CEO  |  Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist

Dr. Nadia Nassar Kuhn founded Seaside Psychiatry with a belief that continues to guide her work: meaningful psychiatric care begins with truly understanding the person behind the symptoms.

As a psychiatrist in Encinitas, California, she works with adults, children, adolescents, and families navigating a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and mental health concerns. She has a particular interest in supporting high-performing professionals, executives, and families who value thoughtful, individualized care.

Dr. Nassar Kuhn understands that life can look successful from the outside while feeling considerably more complicated on the inside. Demanding careers, family responsibilities, academic pressures, and high personal expectations can take a toll, even on people who are accustomed to managing a great deal. She approaches each patient with curiosity and respect, taking time to understand their circumstances, strengths, relationships, and goals before determining the best path forward.

Her approach combines evidence-based psychiatry with a broader understanding of the factors that influence mental health, including sleep, daily habits, relationships, and life transitions. Treatment is tailored to the individual and may include medication management, psychotherapy, behavioral strategies, and lifestyle interventions, depending on each person's needs.

Clinical Background & Experience

Dr. Nassar Kuhn's perspective on psychiatry has been shaped by experiences both inside and outside of medicine. Before becoming a physician, she taught science in Los Angeles and worked with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. These early experiences fostered an appreciation for individual differences in learning, development, and potential—perspectives that continue to inform her work with children, adolescents, and adults.

She earned her medical degree from Creighton University School of Medicine, completed her adult psychiatry residency at the University of California, Irvine, and pursued fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.

Her clinical experience also includes serving as Medical Director of a women's recovery center and working as a school psychiatrist in an adolescent day treatment program. These roles gave her insight into the many ways mental health intersects with family life, education, relationships, and the challenges people face at different stages of life.

Today, she brings this breadth of experience to Seaside Psychiatry, where she cares for patients across the lifespan.

Areas of Clinical Focus

Dr. Nassar Kuhn provides individualized psychiatric evaluations, treatment, and ongoing care for a range of concerns, including:

• Adult Psychiatry: Anxiety, mood disorders, ADHD, insomnia, and stress related to work, relationships, and major life transitions.
• Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: ADHD, anxiety, mood and behavioral concerns, academic difficulties, and challenges associated with development and adolescence.
• Psychiatry for High-Performing Professionals: Support for executives, physicians, entrepreneurs, and other professionals navigating burnout, high expectations, attention difficulties, and the demands of leadership.
• Parenting & Family Support: Guidance for parents seeking to better understand their children's emotional and behavioral needs and strengthen family relationships.
• Personalized Medication Management: Thoughtful medication decisions that consider each patient's history, preferences, response to treatment, and broader clinical needs.

A More Personal Approach to Psychiatry

Dr. Nassar Kuhn believes that good treatment requires more than identifying symptoms and choosing an intervention. It requires understanding the context in which those symptoms occur, listening carefully, and working together to determine what is most likely to help.

She values the relationships that develop over time and the opportunity to adjust treatment as patients grow, circumstances change, and new priorities emerge. Medication is considered thoughtfully, alongside other evidence-based approaches, with attention to both its benefits and its place within an individual's broader treatment plan. This philosophy is at the heart of Seaside Psychiatry. Dr. Nassar Kuhn created the practice to offer a more personal experience of psychiatric care—one in which patients and families have the opportunity to feel heard, ask questions, and participate meaningfully in decisions about their treatment.

Psychiatry Designed Around You

Whether you are seeking support for yourself, your child, or your family, finding the right psychiatrist is a personal decision. Dr. Nassar Kuhn strives to create a thoughtful, welcoming environment where patients can speak openly and work toward meaningful, lasting improvements in their lives.

Seaside Psychiatry serves adults, children, adolescents, and families in Encinitas and throughout North County San Diego, with telehealth appointments available throughout California.

We welcome you to connect with Seaside Psychiatry to explore whether our approach is the right fit for you or your family.

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Dr. Nisha Patel, MD

Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist

Dr. Nisha Patel believes that good psychiatric care begins with listening carefully, understanding each person's experience, and finding an approach that feels both thoughtful and practical for their life.

At Seaside Psychiatry in Encinitas, California, Dr. Patel works with children, adolescents, and adults navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, mood concerns, stress, and significant life transitions. She has a particular interest in women's mental health, parenting support, and helping young adults find their footing during periods of change.

Dr. Patel brings a calm, collaborative approach to her work. She recognizes that mental health concerns rarely exist in isolation. Relationships, family dynamics, personal history, daily responsibilities, and the transitions we experience throughout life can all shape how we feel and function. Taking time to understand these factors helps her develop treatment recommendations that reflect the individual rather than simply the diagnosis.

Her approach integrates evidence-based psychiatric care with psychotherapy, behavioral strategies, mindfulness, and lifestyle considerations. When medication may be helpful, she discusses its potential role alongside other treatment options, with the goal of finding an approach that fits each patient's needs and preferences.

Clinical Background & Training

Dr. Patel earned her undergraduate degree from Nova Southeastern University, where she studied biology and psychology, before completing her medical degree at St. George's University.

She completed her adult psychiatry residency at New York Medical College and pursued fellowship training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.

Her training across adult, child, and adolescent psychiatry informs her understanding of how emotional health evolves throughout life. She is particularly interested in the ways early experiences, family relationships, and major life transitions influence mental health over time.

At Seaside Psychiatry, she brings this perspective to her work with adolescents and adults, offering attentive, individualized care grounded in clinical evidence and a genuine respect for each patient's experience.

Areas of Clinical Focus

Dr. Patel provides psychiatric evaluation and treatment for a range of concerns, including:

• Anxiety & Depression: Understanding emotional distress, identifying contributing factors, and developing an individualized treatment approach.
• ADHD & Attention Concerns: Evaluating attention and executive functioning difficulties and exploring appropriate treatment options.
• Women's Mental Health: Supporting women navigating emotional health concerns and changes across different stages of life.
• Adolescent & Young Adult Psychiatry: Helping young people manage anxiety, mood concerns, changing responsibilities, relationships, and the transition into adulthood.
• Stress & Life Transitions: Working with individuals navigating personal changes, family demands, and periods of uncertainty.
• Sleep & Insomnia: Incorporating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and other appropriate strategies to address sleep difficulties.
• Parenting Support: Helping parents better understand emotional and behavioral concerns and identify practical ways to support their children.

A Thoughtful, Individualized Approach

Dr. Patel draws on a range of therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic principles, mindfulness-based strategies, and CBT-I for insomnia. She also incorporates parenting guidance when appropriate.

Her approach is not about fitting every patient into the same treatment model. Instead, she works collaboratively to understand what a person is experiencing, what they have already tried, and what they hope to change.

For some patients, that may mean psychotherapy and practical behavioral strategies. For others, medication may be an important part of care. Often, treatment involves a thoughtful combination of approaches that can evolve as circumstances change.

Dr. Patel values creating an environment where patients feel comfortable speaking openly, asking questions, and participating in decisions about their care. She believes that feeling understood is an important part of building a productive therapeutic relationship.

Psychiatry Designed Around You

Seeking psychiatric care can feel like a significant step, whether you are looking for support for yourself, your teenager, or a young adult in your family. Dr. Patel strives to make that process feel approachable, respectful, and collaborative.

At Seaside Psychiatry, she works with patients to develop a clearer understanding of their concerns and identify meaningful next steps—without losing sight of the person, relationships, and life circumstances behind them.

Seaside Psychiatry serves adolescents and adults in Encinitas and throughout North County San Diego, with secure telehealth available throughout California.

We welcome you to connect with Seaside Psychiatry to explore whether our approach is the right fit for you or your family.