Nashville patients seeking medication management or neuromodulation work with physicians whose primary credential is the Diplomate certificate issued by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). ABPN certification in Psychiatry requires a four-year residency accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, passage of the ABPN written examination, and ten-year Continuing Certification through self-assessment activities. In plain English: a “board-certified psychiatrist” or “ABPN Diplomate” is a physician who completed psychiatry residency and passed the certifying exam, which is the baseline credential a patient should look for on a clinic’s About page. Subspecialty Diplomate status in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, or Forensic Psychiatry requires an additional one-year or two-year ACGME fellowship and a separate ABPN examination.
The three psychiatry groups profiled below operate under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 63 Chapter 6 medical licensure overseen by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, with controlled-substance prescribing tracked through the Controlled Substance Monitoring Database administered by the Tennessee Department of Health. Where applicable, the practices also align with American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines and with United States Food and Drug Administration labeling for Spravato (esketamine) under the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program and for NeuroStar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation cleared for treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Synaptic Psych | American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Diplomate physicians; APA Distinguished Lifetime Fellow (DLFAPA); Clinical TMS Society Fellow (FCTMSS); Child and Adolescent Psychiatry subspecialty training on staff | Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, FDA REMS-protocol Spravato, intravenous ketamine, ECT, VNS, medication management, telehealth |
| Associated Psychiatrists of Nashville | ABPN Diplomate physicians; psychoanalytic and forensic psychiatry coursework; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship from Vanderbilt | Lifespan psychiatric diagnostic evaluation, medication management, individual psychotherapy, TMS, ECT referral coordination |
| Nolensville Psychiatry | ABPN Diplomate; National Board of Physicians and Surgeons certification; Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama medical licensure for telehealth coverage | Pediatric through adult medication management plus psychotherapy for ADHD, MDD, generalized anxiety, and couples therapy |
1. Synaptic Psych #
Synaptic Psych operates a physician-owned group at 2125 Belcourt Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212, reachable at (615) 224-9800. The Nashville office began as the Nashville Center for Hope and Healing before rebranding through the NeuroScience and TMS Treatment Centers name and adopting the Synaptic Psych identity, with TMS service available at the practice since 2011.
Physician Roster and Board Status #
Founder Michelle Cochran, MD trained at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and served as Chief Resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and she holds Distinguished Lifetime Fellow status with the American Psychiatric Association (DLFAPA) along with Fellow status in the Clinical TMS Society (FCTMSS). Additional ABPN board-certified physicians on staff include Elizabeth Shultz, DO, Jessica Merritt, MD with Child and Adolescent Psychiatry subspecialty training, and Manpreet Bindra, DO. Marshall Fife, NP and Michael DeMarco round out the prescribing and psychotherapy roster.
Neuromodulation and Interventional Services #
The clinic provides Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, intranasal Spravato administered under the FDA REMS protocol, intravenous ketamine therapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Prism therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, psychiatric evaluations, medication management, and telehealth. The neuromodulation menu makes the group a referral destination for treatment-resistant depression cases that have not responded to two or more adequately dosed antidepressant trials.
Conditions Treated and Network Reach #
Conditions treated include Major Depressive Disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, PTSD, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The group operates satellite offices in Brentwood at 5300 Maryland Way, Suite 103, in East Nashville at 3800 Gallatin Pike, and in Franklin at 381 Riverside Drive, Suite 460, which spreads access across Davidson and Williamson counties.
2. Associated Psychiatrists of Nashville #
Associated Psychiatrists of Nashville is located at 30 Burton Hills Boulevard, Suite 375, Nashville, TN 37215, with appointments scheduled through (615) 327-4877. The practice is among the longest-running outpatient psychiatry groups in Davidson County, with W. Scott West, MD in Nashville practice since 1986 and Casey Arney, MD in private practice since 1992.
Senior and Subspecialty Credentials #
Casey Arney, MD is certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and pursued additional psychoanalytic training along with forensic psychiatry coursework. W. Scott West, MD served as Medical Director of the Neurobehavioral Unit at Saint Thomas Hospital from 1987 to 2018, with a clinical focus on the intersection of dementia and psychiatric co-morbidity that overlaps Geriatric Psychiatry practice. Allyson Witters Cundiff, MD completed her Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Ben Frock, MD rounds out the four-physician roster.
Clinical Services #
The group offers psychiatric diagnostic evaluation, ongoing medication management, individual psychotherapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and Electroconvulsive Therapy referral coordination. The combined adult, child and adolescent, and late-life clinical coverage lets the clinic see patients across the lifespan within a single practice, which simplifies transitions of care from adolescence into adulthood or from adulthood into geriatric psychiatry.
Outpatient Hours and Access #
Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with a midday administrative break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The schedule supports established medication-management patients and new diagnostic intakes, with after-hours emergencies routed to 911 and to the Mobile Crisis line operated by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS).
3. Nolensville Psychiatry #
Nolensville Psychiatry serves the southern Nashville metropolitan area from 7175 Nolensville Road, Suite 200, Nolensville, TN 37135, reachable at (615) 671-7258. The group is led by Christopher Van Schenck, MD, who carries ABPN Diplomate status with an initial certificate dated 2014, additional certification through the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS), and approximately sixteen years of clinical experience across inpatient and outpatient psychiatry.
Physician Background #
Dr. Van Schenck earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University College Cork School of Medicine in Cork, Ireland and previously served as Chief of Staff of Psychiatry at Dignity Health Medical Group in Stockton, California before relocating to Middle Tennessee. The training pathway combines European medical school with United States residency and board certification, which is recognized through the standard Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates pathway used by ABPN.
Patient Population and Modalities #
The clinic treats patients from age six through adulthood, with clinical focus on ADHD, Major Depressive Disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and individual and couples psychotherapy paired with medication management. Dr. Van Schenck states that pharmacology alone is not the sole treatment lever, which is consistent with American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines that recommend combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for many mood and anxiety presentations.
Service Area and Telehealth #
In-person visits are available at the Nolensville office, and HIPAA-compliant telehealth coverage extends across Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama under the respective state medical licenses. The southern-county service area serves patients in Brentwood, Franklin, Smyrna, and Murfreesboro who prefer a shorter drive than the downtown Nashville corridor.
https://www.nolensvillepsychiatry.com/
Choosing Among the Three Practices #
The right match depends on what kind of psychiatric care the patient needs. Synaptic Psych is the strongest fit for treatment-resistant depression, given the in-house TMS, Spravato, ketamine, ECT, and VNS menu the group runs under one roof. Associated Psychiatrists of Nashville suits patients who want long-tenured physicians and a lifespan-coverage roster that includes child, adult, and late-life psychiatric expertise within a single Burton Hills office. Nolensville Psychiatry is the practical option for families south of the I-440 loop who want a single-physician relationship with ABPN-certified medication management plus psychotherapy in one room.
All three groups operate within ABPN Diplomate standards, the American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines framework, and Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners licensure under TCA Title 63 Chapter 6. Patients with treatment-resistant depression should ask specifically about REMS-compliant Spravato administration and NeuroStar TMS coverage criteria before the first appointment, and parents seeking child or adolescent care should ask whether the treating physician holds the ABPN subspecialty Diplomate in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry or completed an ACGME-accredited fellowship in that field.
Selection Methodology #
The three practices above were narrowed from the wider Nashville psychiatry field using these gates: minimum tenure on Nashville-area patient care, verifiable American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Diplomate status on the physician roster, named practice brand carrying a working street address on the practice’s own website, and a published service scope that maps to patient need without scope-of-practice overreach. National rollups, mid-level-only practices without published physician supervision, and offices without verifiable street addresses were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: Does the practice offer telehealth visits or only in-person care?
A: Many Nashville clinics now offer secure telehealth video visits for follow-up, medication management, and certain triage scenarios, while procedural and physical-exam visits remain in person. Ask whether your concern qualifies for telehealth, whether your insurance covers it at the same rate, and what platform the practice uses.
Q: How does the practice coordinate referrals to specialists?
A: Ask whether the practice has an internal referral coordinator who handles authorization, sends records, and books the specialist appointment, or whether the patient is expected to manage the chain. For HMO and similar plans, a documented referral on file is often required before the specialist visit will be covered.
Q: Are any of the three practices paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No firm sponsored placement.
Q: How does the practice transmit prescriptions and handle refills?
A: Most Nashville clinics send prescriptions electronically to your chosen pharmacy. For refills, ask whether the patient portal accepts a refill request, the standard turnaround time for refill approval, and whether any medication on your list requires an office visit or labs before the next refill can be authorized.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.