Meet Dr. Niyati Dhand, MD

'Alaire' means to be filled with joy, and for me, joy is closely tied to purpose and meaning. Beyond providing thoughtful and tailored medication management, the essence of my psychotherapy work is helping my patients rediscover purpose, joy, and rebuild themselves after loss or hardship. I believe deeply in our intrinsic resilience, and it’s an honor to help my patients access it.

Losing a parent to heart disease at a young age deeply shaped my desire to become a physician, a path that developed as I connected with and processed my loss. Initially drawn to cardiology, I soon discovered that psychiatry offered the depth of connection and transformation I sought in medicine. I grew up in the 90s in a South Asian immigrant culture where mental illness was largely misunderstood and the treatment of it was inadequately regarded. Having witnessed the profound impact of depression on a beloved member of my community and their family, and later observing the remarkable transformations possible with treatment during my time in medical school, I was inspired to pursue a career in psychiatry.

I found myself leaning into working with individuals and populations who experienced significant adversity and judgment. This is where I found an early interest in working with women & individuals with substance use disorders and subsequently discovered my passion for perinatal psychiatry as well. After completing a general psychiatry residency, I completed two post-graduate academic fellowships: an addiction psychiatry fellowship and later, a reproductive psychiatry fellowship.

Women’s mental health was always an interest and focus for me, but after experiencing a devastating 2nd trimester loss followed by years of infertility, I set out to establish purpose. While the phrase ‘not everything happens for a reason’, couldn’t be more true, I wanted to decide what to do with ‘my happening’. This experience inspired me to dedicate my career to supporting women and parents through reproductive life transitions and challenges. While already in practice as a psychiatrist, in order to offer the excellence of care I wanted for my patients, I returned to complete an additional 1-year Perinatal Psychiatry & Women’s Mental Health fellowship at Northwestern University.

 In my journey as a psychiatrist, I have learned that every challenge can be an opportunity for growth and healing, both for myself and for those I am privileged to serve. My purpose is to support each patient in reclaiming their life with joy and resilience, helping them to rediscover a sense of self amidst life’s trials. At Alaire, I am committed to walking this path alongside my patients, empowering them to find meaning in their own stories and to embrace a sense of hope in their lives.