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Dr. Sonali Sharma, known to her friends and colleagues as Allie, is a Cornell-trained board-certified Adult Psychiatrist and has had a private practice in Manhattan since 2008 and now is operating out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Dr. Sharma’s approach is broad, open-minded, and is drawn from her professional experiences working in various settings and across cultures throughout New York City, and around the globe. Her goal is to ensure that her patients’ experience is valuable, therapeutic and grounded in best practice standards and clinical excellence.

Dr. Sharma has held various clinical positions, including Emergency Psychiatry at Columbia University, Student Mental Health at Columbia University’s health science campus, and supporting mental health of the homeless population across shelters in New York City.

In addition to providing direct clinical care, Dr. Sharma has had significant experience in Global Mental Health and in leadership positions within Public Psychiatry including at an NGO in Europe advising at the country level for two post-conflict countries on how to integrate mental health into primary care, as a World Health Organization (WHO) consultant on projects in Libya, Ethiopia, for WHO’s mhGAP Intervention Guide version 2.0 and various other WHO projects, in a Bronx primary care system starting a collaborative (integrated care) care program, and more recently as a Director of a Thrive NYC initiative designed to expand the mental health workforce in NYC’s highest need communities.

Her interests include Clinical Psychiatry, Global Mental Health and Public Psychiatry and is committed to Mental Health Advocacy and Decreasing Stigma. Dr. Sharma recently launched Mind Studios, a platform for mental health podcasts and is a podcast host with the goal in mind to normalize the conversation on mental health. She is currently a Women’s Health Advisor in Psychiatry for Evernow; and a Program Advisor for Kenneth Cole’s Mental Health Coalition.

Dr. Sharma completed her Psychiatry Residency at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center​ at Payne Whitney Clinic and her Internship in Psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She holds a Medical Degree from Weill Medical College of Cornell University and a Master’s Degree in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics.

Dr. Sharma in her free time loves to travel, cook, swim, learn languages, and spend quality time with her family.

Press and Media

Honored to recently be featured in Capsule’s Dear Doctor Blog! Click here to read more.

Academic and Medical Training

  • Residency, General Adult Psychiatry, Payne Whitney Clinic, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell University, New York, NY.

  • Internship, Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

  • M.D., Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY.

  • M.Sc., with Merit, London School of Economics, Social Policy and Planning, London, UK.

  • B.A., with Highest Distinction, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Double Major in Economics and Chemistry, Chapel Hill, NC.

Honors

  • Member, Young Psychiatrist Council, World Psychiatric Association (WPA)

  • Fellow, American Psychiatric Association (APA) - Bristol Myers Squibb Public Psychiatry Fellowship, 2006-2008

  • Faculty Council Resident Teaching Award, Payne Whitney Clinic

  • Samuel W. Perry III, M.D. Award, Research Honorarium, Payne Whitney Clinic

  • Rosenbluth International Fellow, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

  • Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society

Professional Organizations and Societies

  • American Psychiatric Association

  • Past Executive Member, Conflict Management and Resolution Section, World Psychiatric Association

  • Past member, Joint Reference Committee, APA

  • Past member, Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster, APA

PUBLICATIONS

  • Familiar I, Sharma S, Ndayisaba H, Muntentwari N, Sibomana S & Bass JK. (2013) Community perceptions of mental distress in a post-conflict setting: A qualitative study in Burundi, Global Public Health, 8:8, 943-957.

  • Sharma, S. ‘Epidemiology and Public Policy’. Chapter in Psychiatry In-Review: 2006 Study Guide. Companion to the Online Practice Exam. Ed. Ferrando, SJ. ETAS 2006.

  • Piachaud J. Sharma S.  The Crucible of Iraq – Causes and Consequences. Med Confl Surviv, 2008 Apr-Jun; 24(2): 115-29.

  • Agrawal, Shantanu, Everett, Worth W. & Sharma, Sonali. Medical student views of substance abuse treatment, policy and training. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy. 17(5): 587-602.

  • Sharma S., Piachaud J.  Iraq and Mental Health Policy: a post invasion analysis. Intervention 2011, 9 (3): 332-344. 

PRESENTATIONS

  • 'Global Mental Health & Public Psychiatry: A Presentation to Cornell Medical Students' Global Health Course. Weill Cornell Medical College, February 26, 2018.

  • 'Global Mental Health & Public Psychiatry: An Introduction' Global Health Course. Weill Cornell Medical College, March 3, 2015.

  • ‘Community Responses to Mental Health in Burundi and Beyond: A Collective Approach to Trauma’ 2014 American Psychiatric Association Symposium: Psychiatrists on the Global Stage. New York, NY, May 7th, 2014.

  • ‘Integration of Mental Health into Primary Care: A Close-Up View of Burundi’ Global Mental Health Program, Columbia University, 27 January 2014.

  • ‘Sustainability in Global Mental Health Programming’ The 2nd Annual NYC Global Mental Health Forum: Culture, Capacity and Creative Funding. Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons Faculty Club, May 6, 2013.

  • Numerous Presentations at HealthNet TPO and ITSP on Global Mental Health, Transitional Justice, Integration of Mental Health into Primary Care in Post-Conflict States, and WHO’s mhGAP Action Plan, 2011-2012.

  • Numerous presentations to Human Rights Watch staff, Columbia University on ‘Humanitarian Work and Mental Health’, ‘Caught in the Cross Fire: Investigative Journalism, ‘Mental Health and Burn-Out’, with peer group sessions every 2-3 months, Human Rights Watch, New York, NY, 2008-2010.

  • ‘Humanitarian Work and Mental Health’ for 3rd Regional Conference sponsored by the Peter C. Alderman Foundation on Psychotrauma in Nairobi, Kenya on July 5, 2010

  • ‘Iraq and Mental Health Policy Post-Invasion’ MEDACT meeting, London, UK, March 19th, 2010. 

  • Co-leader and Lecturer for Post-Disaster Mental Health and Trauma Conference in Haiti, in conjunction with the Peter C Alderman Foundation and Partners in Health, Dec 2008.

  • ‘Community Healing and Reconciliation: Psychiatric Services in Iraq’ Presented to Psychiatry Residents at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, March 13th, 2008.

  • ‘Mental Health in Iraq: A Systemic Analysis’ Payne Whitney Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, NYPH- Cornell Campus, October 17th, 2007.

  • ‘Mental Health in Iraq: A Systemic Analysis’ Presentation at MEDACT, London, UK. 4th Sept 2007.

  • Co-Chair and Organizer of the APA's Committee of Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster Workshop entitled 'Social Dimensions of Disasters and Community Recovery' American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, May 23rd, 2007.

  • Presenter for Symposium entitled 'International Mental Health and Conflict' on Community Healing and Reconciliation, presented at the Institute for Psychiatric Services in New Orleans, LA on Oct 12, 2007.