Zamir
Nestelbaum, MD

I’ve been practicing psychiatry since 1985 when I completed my residency at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. I’ve had the pleasure of a long and varied career with multiple clinical and leadership positions listed below. Since 1989, the one constant has been my work with extraordinarily talented and like-minded mental health clinicians at the Newton Square Counseling Center in Worcester. Recently we’ve rebranded as the Newton Square Counseling Collaborative to better reflect our multi-disciplined and collegial approach in a post-covid hybrid and telehealth environment.

 We will continue to offer multiple helping modalities to a complex and diverse community of patients and clients using state of the art technologies that have become available. We will be offering in-person and telehealth services by psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, psychologists and social workers working closely together for the common goal of improving the mental health and functioning of our community.

 My own work at Newton Square has centered around providing psychiatric evaluation and treatment including psychopharmacology services to people, most of whom are also receiving psychotherapy with a colleague. I have never believed that one approach, one modality, one treatment works for everyone. People are too complex for simplistic approaches. Yet virtually all recognized clinical approaches work for some people and our challenge is to fit our treatments to the individual rather than fit the individual to the treatment as is so often the case elsewhere. The old saying that if all you have is a hammer, then everyone looks like a nail does not apply at Newton Square. I am most comfortable thinking creatively and working with therapists who do the same, who work with the same compassion and humanism that I do.

 I’ve been fortunate to have had wonderful and varied professional opportunities in many geographical areas. I’ve practiced in Boston, New York City and its suburbs, Worcester, Amherst, Northampton, Holyoke and for many years in Southbridge: urban, suburban and rural areas. I’ve been a Medical Director and Chief Psychiatrists in various settings. I’ve been a Residency Training Program Director and worked with residents and medical students at 3 teaching hospitals. I’ve worked with the chronic and persistently mentally ill as well as college students and mentally ill residents in long term care facilities. I’ve worked with very high functioning people grappling with anxiety, depression, mood disorders and developmental issues. I’ve worked with individuals, groups and families. I’ve been a psychotherapist and I’ve administered ECT. I’ve worked in Psychiatric Emergency Departments and Hospital Inpatient Units and Consultative Services. I’ve worked in Addiction Medicine and started 3 Suboxone programs in Southbridge, Boston and Worcester. I’ve taught, written and lectured. I’ve won several awards for teaching excellence and have been made a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. I’ve worked at many outpatient settings and have been blessed with many long-term patients at Newton Square, some still with me for 25-30 years.

 Some current and former positions that I’ve held include:

President, Newton Square Health Center, PC

Chief Psychiatrist – Amherst College Counseling Center

Medical Director, Mission Care at Holyoke (LTC facility)

Department of Industrial Accidents Impartial Physician (Worker Compensation and Disability)

Vice Chair, Department of Psychiatry at the St Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston

Residency Training Director, St Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston

Director, Department of Psychiatry, Carney Hospital, Dorchester, Ma

Medical Director, Cooley Dickinson Hospital Psychiatric Inpatient Service, Northampton

Chief of Psychiatry, Harrington Memorial Hospital, Southbridge, Ma

Medical Director, River Valley Counseling Center, Holyoke, Ma

Private Practice, New York City