Find a psychiatrist in Amherst, MA — covered by insurance
Top psychiatrists in Amherst, MA accepting new patients
Amherst, Massachusetts residents can access therapy and medication management through Headway's network of 375 providers. Whether you're in Downtown, North Amherst, or South Amherst, find the right fit for your needs with free consultations available and appointments as soon as tomorrow.
I earned my Bachelor of Nursing from University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!) before moving to Boston to start my career in bedside nursing in 2019. After serving as an RN and Director of Nursing at a residential treatment center, I earned my PMHNP at Regis College to specialize in mental health. Since then, I’ve gained diverse experience providing cutting-edge ketamine therapy in outpatient clinics and managing complex cases in inpatient psychiatry. Now, I’m bringing that clinical expertise—along with post-graduate training in CBT—to my full-time private practice, where I provide comprehensive, compassionate care for patients navigating anxiety, depression, OCD and ADHD in the South Boston area.
Healing Across the Lifespan: A Partnership in Mental Wellness
Choosing a mental health provider is a deeply personal decision. You aren’t just looking for a prescriber; you are looking for a witness to your story, an expert in the biological complexities of the brain, and a partner in your recovery.
My name is Jessica Stanley, and I am a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). My journey to this practice has been defined by a unique duality: the macro view of a healthcare executive and the micro focus of a dedicated clinician. Before opening the doors to this practice, I served as the Clinical Director for a large-scale healthcare organization. In that role, I was responsible for the oversight of complex systems, the mentorship of large clinical teams, and the implementation of evidence-based protocols across diverse populations.
While my time in leadership allowed me to impact mental health at a systemic level, my true passion has always remained in the quiet, transformative moments of the exam room. I have returned to full-time clinical practice to bring that high-level expertise back to where it matters most: the individual human experience.
Mental health does not exist in a vacuum, nor does it look the same at age seven as it does at seventy. I specialize in treating patients across the entire lifespan. Whether I am working with a child struggling to navigate their first years of school, an adolescent facing the pressures of identity formation, or an adult managing the heavy mantle of career and family, my approach remains the same: comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.
Areas of Specialization
I am trained to treat a broad spectrum of psychiatric conditions including:
ADHD & Neurodivergence
Anxiety Disorders
Depression
PTSD & Trauma Recovery
Accepting New Clients: if you are seeking medication management & mental health services for treatment of anxiety, ADHD, depression or OCD, and you are an adult or college student located in MA, NH, ME, VT then you have come to the right place. Treatment is personalized & holistic. This approach supports you in meeting your goals while overcoming challenges & empowers reconnecting with your strengths while moving towards a more balanced & fulfilling life. During treatment, supplements, diet, lifestyle & self-care interventions are explored.
With 165+ reviews and a 4.96 rating on Zocdoc, I have specialized in advanced medication management for complex, treatment-resistant conditions. I utilize a neurobiological approach that focuses on frontal lobe/executive functioning, nervous system dysregulation, and neurotransmitter systems to diagnose and treat various concerns - ADHD/executive dysfunction, OCD, trauma/C-PTSD, high-masking autism, personality profiles, and cases where standard medication treatments have failed. While I specialize in clinical complexity, I bring that same deep, careful attention to treating anxiety, depression, and clients starting medication for the first time.
About our psychiatrists serving Amherst, MA
- 99%Anxiety
- 98%Depression
- 87%PTSD
- 84%ADD/ADHD
- 81%Bipolar disorder
- 98%Aetna
- 94%Cigna
- 87%Point32 Healthcare
- 86%Carelon Behavioral Health
- 57%Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
- 98%English
- 6%Spanish
- 5%Haitian Creole
- 5%French
- 3%Igbo
- 86%Online only
- 14%In-person or online
- 77%Woman
- 22%Man
- 1%Non-binary
- 91%Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
- 8%Medical Doctor
- 2%Clinical Nurse Specialist
- 96%Individual therapy
- 15%Family therapy
- 6%Couples therapy
- 5%Child or adolescent therapy
Frequently asked questions
Find the right psychiatrist for you
Headway makes it easy to find support for your mental health — from finding the right provider, to understanding costs, to scheduling with ease.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Psychiatrist in Amherst
Finding psychiatrists in Amherst starts with knowing whether you need medication support, therapy, or both. Psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication; therapists provide talk therapy and support. If you are looking for care related to anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, or medication management, review each psychiatrist’s listed specialties, clinical background, and approach to see whether their experience matches what you want help with.
In a smaller city like Amherst, local psychiatry options may be more limited than in larger Massachusetts markets, so virtual appointments can help expand your choices. Psychiatric care often follows a different schedule than therapy, with medication management visits that are usually shorter and less frequent. Some psychiatrists also offer therapy, and some people work with both a therapist and a prescriber. As you compare options, look at appointment availability, whether the psychiatrist is accepting new patients, and what their bio says about communication style and session structure.
Psychiatric care in Amherst can be a significant expense without insurance. Using in-network insurance is one of the most reliable ways to reduce session costs and understand what you may pay before you book. Headway helps you search for psychiatrists who match your needs, accepts a wide range of insurance plans nationally, and shows estimated costs after you enter your insurance details, so you can review bios and book directly when you are ready.
If you're already taking psychiatric medication and considering switching providers, talk to your current prescriber before changing or stopping any medication — most psychiatric medications shouldn't be stopped abruptly. Anyone experiencing thoughts of self-harm or in acute crisis should call 988 or go to the nearest emergency department rather than wait for an outpatient appointment.
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