Avinash Puchalapalli, MD

Adult Psychiatrist

I work with adults across the range of mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, ADHD, trauma and PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD, and problems with alcohol or drugs. You do not need to be in crisis to see a psychiatrist. Many of the people I work with are managing careers and families while finding it far harder than it should be.

What drew me to psychiatry is that no two people arrive with the same story. Two patients may share a diagnosis and have almost nothing else in common: different histories, different pressures, different reasons the symptoms took hold when they did.

I have seen up close what untreated mental illness does to a person and to those around them, and how much changes when someone finally receives care built for them rather than for their diagnosis.

That belief shapes how I practice. The first appointment is an hour, and I use it to understand the whole picture: your history, your family, your sleep, the shape of your work and home life, and what treatment you have had before and how it went. Symptoms rarely exist in isolation, and understanding what surrounds them is what makes a treatment plan worth following.

My specialty lies in integrating medication management with psychotherapy, and I have trained in cognitive behavioral therapy alongside my prescribing work. Which of those carries more weight depends entirely on the person in front of me.

When medication is the right step I explain clearly what it does, how long it takes, and what to expect from it. When therapy or another approach would serve you better, I say so. A treatment plan should be something you understand and agree with, not something handed to you.

I studied at Penn State and earned my medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. I completed my psychiatry residency at the New York Medical College program in North Jersey at Saint Clare’s Denville Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital.

My clinical interests include addiction psychiatry, care for Veterans and patients with PTSD, and psychosomatic medicine, the overlap between physical illness and mental health.

Beyond my clinical work, I am committed to expanding access to psychiatric care in the settings where people already are, including schools and correctional facilities, where the need is considerable and the provision is not.

Outside of work, I cook, hike, and visit museums whenever I can. I love learning something new. One of my favorite topics is astrophysics. I have a lasting curiosity about how things fit together that I find carries over into how I approach my patients.

Education

Pennsylvania State University, Bachelors of Science

Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Doctorate of Medicine

Residency and Fellowship

New York Medical College/Saint Mary’s and Saint Clare’s Program, Boonton, NJ: Adult Psychiatry Residency Program

Book Appointments with Psychiatrist in Red Bank, Freehold, New Jersey

Serving Red Bank, Freehold, Rumson, Lincroft, Tinton Falls, Middletown, Manalapan, Marlboro, Ocean county, Monmouth county, Little Silver, NJ and NYC

Book an Appointment Today

Dr. Puchalapalli offers both in-person appointments at our Red Bank office and telehealth across New Jersey.

He is currently accepting new patients for September, and you can book using the scheduler below.

Conditions We Treat

Our experienced New Jersey psychiatrists specialize in treating a wide range of mental health issues, from simple to complex concerns, including but not limited to depression, anxiety OCD, ADHD, corporate work stress, and personality disorders.