Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

Most psychiatric care focuses on managing symptoms. Evolution Medicine focuses on understanding why they're there.

Dr. Sonya Lazarevic, Dr. Shuki Cohen, and Helaine Polanco provide psychiatric evaluation, psychotherapy, and functional nutrition — individually or as a coordinated team — with an approach grounded in root-cause investigation, not just symptom management or suppression.

Conditions Treated

Depression · anxiety disorders · Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) · bipolar disorder · Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma · obsessive-compulsive disorder · personality disorders · insomnia and sleep disorders · perimenopause and menopause-related mood changes · burnout and stress-related conditions · treatment-resistant presentations of any of the above.

For substance use and addiction: Addiction Psychiatry →

Our Approach

Psychiatric Evaluation — Dr. Lazarevic holds board certification in General Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry, with advanced training in integrative, functional, and regenerative medicine. Assessments begin with a 60-minute initial evaluation and may take two to three appointments to complete. Comprehensive functional testing — gut health, inflammation markers, hormones, nutritional status — is incorporated where clinically relevant. The goal is a complete diagnostic picture, not a 15-minute med check.

Medication Optimization — Where medication is appropriate, it is used as one component of a broader multi-pronged treatment plan. Dr. Lazarevic reviews existing regimens, identifies medication interactions or over-prescribing, and calibrates treatment to the specific presentation rather than defaulting to the next medication in line.

Psychotherapy — Dr. Shuki Cohen, PhD specializes in trauma-informed approaches including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), psychodynamic therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, and motivational interviewing. Available independently or coordinated with psychiatric care. Dr. Lazarevic also integrates psychotherapy within psychiatric sessions, including Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), and supportive approaches.

Functional Nutrition — Helaine Polanco, MS evaluates gut-brain health, nutritional status, and dietary patterns that affect mood, cognition, and treatment response. Available a la carte, as a standalone nutrition package, or within Momentum Care™ Packages.

Addiction, Dual Diagnosis, and This Practice

A significant portion of Dr. Lazarevic's caseload involves substance use — often alongside depression, anxiety, or trauma. Patients do not need to identify as having an addiction to have substance use addressed as part of their evaluation. Many people use alcohol, cannabis, or other substances to manage symptoms without recognizing the connection. Dr. Lazarevic's board certification in both General Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry means both conditions receive clinical attention from the same provider — not separate referrals to separate specialists.

What Makes This Different

Board certification across two disciplines — General Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry, with additional training in integrative, functional, and regenerative medicine. Fewer than 5% of psychiatrists hold this combination.

Time and clinical depth — Assessments begin at 60 minutes and are not rushed to conclusion. Complex histories are given the appointment time they require — often two to three sessions before the full picture is clear.

A coordinated clinical team — Dr. Lazarevic, Dr. Cohen, and Helaine Polanco work independently or together, with care integrated across disciplines rather than siloed across providers.

Still evaluating? These pages may help.

Integrative psychiatry explained → Integrative Psychiatry NYC
Treatment hasn't worked → Why Your Mental Health Treatment Isn't Working
Is this the right fit? → Who We're Best For
Have questions? Frequently Asked Questions

  • Standard psychiatric care typically centers on diagnosis and medication. At Evolution Medicine, the evaluation goes further — incorporating functional testing, a review of biological contributors like gut health, inflammation, and hormonal factors, and consideration of the psychological and behavioral patterns sustaining symptoms. The goal is to understand the full picture before landing on a treatment plan, not to match a symptom profile to the nearest available medication.

  • Yes — and this is a clinical strength, not a side service. Dr. Lazarevic holds board certification in both General Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry. Dual diagnosis presentations — substance use alongside depression, anxiety, trauma, or other conditions — are a significant part of the caseload here.

    Patients do not need to self-identify as having an addiction; if substance use is clinically relevant no matter the frequency, it will be explored as part of the evaluation.

  • Yes. Both the psychotherapy and nutrition services are available independently — neither requires an active psychiatric relationship with Dr. Lazarevic. If psychiatric evaluation or medication becomes relevant to your care, a referral can be made at any point. Coordination across providers is available but not required.

  • Assessments begin with a 60-minute appointment with Dr. Lazarevic. For complex presentations — multiple diagnoses, extensive treatment history, or co-occurring conditions — the evaluation may take two to three appointments to complete.

    Functional lab work may be ordered during or after the initial session. You leave with a clear diagnostic picture and a treatment plan, not just a prescription.

  • Yes. Dr. Lazarevic offers telepsychiatry for patients in New York (NY), Connecticut (CT), and California (CA). Dr. Cohen and Helaine Polanco also offer virtual sessions. Patients in other states are welcome to inquire.

Psychiatry that investigates why — not just what to prescribe next.

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Nutrition & Momentum Care™ Packages available · Self-pay practice · All consultations are confidential.