Dr. “Katarina” Doan-Thu Nguyen founded Sunshine Psychiatry following nearly a decade of practice caring for children and young adults dealing with a wide range of mental health challenges including anxiety disorders, ADHD, angry outbursts, depressive disorders, autism spectrum disorders, OCD, and parent-child relational problems.  Dr. Nguyen is a board-certified psychiatrist and graduate of the University of Virginia and UVA School of Medicine.  Earlier in her career, Dr. Nguyen served as the Chief Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at the UVA Medical Center, having completed her residency and fellowship at UVA as well as years of pediatric psychiatry care and supervision of more junior physicians at the Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents, the UVA Child & Family Psychiatry Clinic and other clinical settings.

 

A Northern Virginia native, Dr. Nguyen is familiar with the challenges children and families face in this competitive, on-the-go environment.  She grew up in this area, attending Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology before going to UVA as an Echols Scholar, graduating with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Psychology.  Dr. Nguyen’s interest in promoting children and young adults’ mental health began in college, where she volunteered for the suicide crisis hotline and the UVA Learning Needs and Education Center, and earned a Madison House Award for Volunteerism for her work at UVA Hospital’s Women’s Place.  Her dedication continued through medical training, leading to honors such as her nomination for the Association of Women Psychiatrists’ Leah J. Dickstein, M.D. Award and early admission to the UVA Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship.

 

Dr. Nguyen founded Sunshine Psychiatry to use her extensive experience in personalized medication management and psychotherapy to help children and young adults in the Virginia and Maryland community to address their mental health challenges and reach their greatest potential.  She collaborates closely with each patient and caregiver to evaluate their needs and empower them to make informed treatment decision tailored to their unique concerns.  A respected expert in mental health care, Dr. Nguyen also continues to provide mental health education and training, including serving as an Adjunct Professor for the UVA Psychiatry Program and as a Clinical Preceptor for psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioners at numerous universities.