About Dr. Hedaya

Robert J. Hedaya, M.D., DLFAPA, is a pioneer in Functional Medicine and psychiatry and a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center.

He developed the Whole Psychiatry methodology, which offers proven, data-driven results in the treatment of psychiatric issues. It is a comprehensive physiological and psychosocial approach to mental health. In addition to his private practice, Dr. Hedaya, a visionary in the field of psychiatry, teaches fellow psychiatrists and physicians, medical students, and mental health clinicians. He is the author of three books, multiple articles, and has frequently been called upon by the media for his medical expertise.

“My passion is helping people get their bodies and brains working properly so they have the energy and clarity to live the life they know they were meant to live. The greatest professional joy and privilege I can have is to help people regain a sense of vibrant wellness and hear them say, “I feel better than I have in years. Feeling better physically and mentally improves all aspects of one’s life – both personally and professionally.”

Medical Approach

In 1983, Dr. Hedaya began his career by treating chronic pain. Currently, Dr. Hedaya has determined that the best way of treating chronic pain and illness is by focusing on the detailed evaluation and bi-directional interactions between a person’s hormonal system, immune system, gastrointestinal system, nutrition, environment, inflammation, infection, genetics, detoxification, cell signaling, life circumstance, age and gender. As a result, outcomes are improve and medication is avoided or reduced. This approach is based on the latest scientific and medical research.

Education and Training

Dr. Hedaya has had decades of clinical training and experience. He is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a Distinguished Life Fellow of American Psychiatric Association. He is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center. He has been certified as proficient in psychopharmacology by The American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Dr. Hedaya has been recognized as a certified Master Clinician in Functional Medicine by the Institute for Functional Medicine.

Dr. Hedaya acquired specialized training in psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center and at the National Institute of Mental Health. He trained under the auspices of students of Goodwin, Beck, and Bowen, each recognized leaders in the psychiatric community. He later had five years of supervision in Family Systems Theory along with training in Integrative Hypnotherapy. Dr. Hedaya continued on to acquire advanced training in Functional Medicine and orthomolecular psychiatry.

Teacher and Author

Since 1983, Dr. Hedaya has managed an active private clinical practice while also teaching at the Georgetown University Medical Center School of Medicine where he is a Clinical Professor of psychiatry. He has been a consultant to the National Institute of Mental Health and was selected to teach the first psychoendocrinology course at the Georgetown University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Hedaya is invited to present and teach at medical and professional conferences nationwide. He also conducts no-cost monthly workshops by phone for both medical and mental health professionals and lay people nationwide. Dr. Hedaya has been featured as an expert consultant numerous times, including television appearances on the Today Show, Fox, CBS Evening News, 20/20, MSNBC, and CNN.

Dr. Hedaya is recipient of the Physician’s Recognition Award from the American Medical Association and has been voted Outstanding Teacher of the Year multiple times by the Georgetown University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry. He is author of Understanding Biological Psychiatry (Norton, 1996), The Antidepressant Survival Program: How to Beat the Side Effects and Enhance the Benefits of Your Medication (Crown-Harmony, 2000), and Depression: Advancing the Treatment Paradigm (2008, the Institute for Functional Medicine).