Pediatric Psychiatrist in Chennai | Expert Clinical Care for Your Child’s Mental Health

At Chennai Minds, our Pediatric Psychiatrist in Chennai provides expert assessment and diagnosis for children and adolescents facing emotional, behavioural, and developmental issues like ADHD, anxiety, autism, and mood disorders. Through thorough clinical evaluations, the psychiatrist identifies underlying behavioural causes and supports evidence-based treatment choices. Collaborating closely with our child psychologists, the paediatric psychiatrist ensures comprehensive, ethical, and child-focused mental health care aimed at long-term improvement.

Why a Psychiatric Evaluation is the First Step at Chennai Minds

At Chennai Minds, we start every child’s mental health journey with a psychiatric assessment because children’s behaviours may appear similar on the surface but often have very different underlying causes.

Concerns like hyperactivity, frequent tantrums, anxiety, learning difficulties, or emotional withdrawal can arise from developmental, emotional, or neuro biological factors. A thorough evaluation by our Pediatric Psychiatrist in Chennai helps us determine what truly drives your child’s challenges, rather than relying on assumptions or labels.

What the Assessment Involves

During the assessment, the psychiatrist carefully investigates:

👉 Developmental history and emotional patterns.

👉 School performance and family background.

👉 Standardised assessments (when necessary) to clarify conditions such as ADHD, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum conditions, or mood-related issues.

This process offers parents clarity and reassurance, helping them decide whether their child needs therapy, medical support, or both.

Dr. Radhika Murugesan, Psychiatrist

Psychiatrist

Dr. Radhika Murugesan

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Our Philosophy: Therapy First

At Chennai Minds, medication is never the default starting point. * For many children, especially those with mild to moderate concerns, therapy is the first and most effective step.

⚕️🧒 Our child psychologists in Chennai then design a personalised therapy plan that may include play therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, behavioural interventions, or parent guidance.

⚕️🧒 Medication is considered only when symptoms are more severe, significantly affecting learning or daily functioning, or when therapy alone is not sufficient.

⚕️🧒 Even then, it is used thoughtfully, ethically, and always alongside psychological care.

An Integrated Approach to Care

Once the psychiatric evaluation is finished, the psychiatrist and child psychologists collaborate closely to support your child’s progress.

Our commitment to long-term success:

⚕️🧒 Regular Reviews: Treatment plans are reviewed regularly and adjusted as your child develops, ensuring care remains suitable and effective over time.

⚕️🧒 Better Outcomes: This integrated method helps prevent unnecessary treatment, decreases trial-and-error, and results in improved emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes.

What are the Conditions We Treat?

At Chennai Minds, we support children and adolescents with a wide range of emotional, behavioural, and developmental concerns. Our approach is always personalised, compassionate, and guided by thorough psychiatric assessment and evidence-based therapy.

ADHD

Behavioural Challenges

Anxiety

Social Difficulties

Mood Disorders

Emotional regulation difficulties

Autism Spectrum

(ASD)

Adjustment issues

Childhood and Adolescent Depression

Learning stress and exam-related pressure

Emotional and Mood-Related Care

⚕️🧒 Anxiety: Many children experience anxiety, manifesting as excessive worries, fears, school refusal, physical complaints, or emotional withdrawal. Our child psychologists in Chennai assist children in developing coping skills, emotional resilience, and confidence through structured, age-appropriate therapy.

⚕️🧒 Childhood and Adolescent Depression: We treat childhood and adolescent depression, where children may appear withdrawn, irritable, low in mood, or lose interest in daily activities. Early identification and supportive therapy can significantly enhance emotional recovery and long-term well-being.

⚕️🧒 Mood Disorders (including Bipolar Disorder): For children and adolescents with mood disorders such as Bipolar Disorder, our paediatric psychiatrist conducts careful assessment, monitoring, and treatment planning, working closely with psychologists and families to ensure stability, safety, and emotional balance.

Neurodevelopmental Support

⚕️🧒 ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder): We frequently work with children with ADHD, who may struggle with attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, emotional regulation, or academic performance. Through accurate diagnosis, behavioural strategies, therapy, and when necessary, medical support, we help children improve focus, confidence, and daily functioning.

⚕️🧒 Autism Spectrum (ASD): We also provide comprehensive care for children on the Autism Spectrum (ASD), addressing challenges related to communication, social interaction, sensory sensitivities, and emotional regulation. Therapy aims to build skills, promote independence, and enable families to better understand and support their child’s unique needs.

Additional Areas of Support

Whether concerns are mild or complex, we support children with:

⚕️🧒 Emotional regulation difficulties

⚕️🧒 Behavioural challenges

⚕️🧒 Learning stress and exam-related pressure

⚕️🧒 Adjustment issues

⚕️🧒 Social difficulties

Our Holistic Philosophy

Our aim is always to understand the child holistically—not just through a diagnosis. By integrating expert child psychiatry and psychology in Chennai, Chennai Minds provides thoughtful, ethical, and effective care that fosters children’s emotional well-being, academic success, and family relationships.

What to Expect During the Initial Consultation

At Chennai Minds, the initial consultation is designed to be calm, child-friendly, and comprehensive—ensuring parents leave with understanding rather than confusion. Whether you’re consulting our Paediatric Psychiatrist in Chennai or our child psychologists in Chennai, the first session focuses on understanding your child holistically: their temperament, development, emotions, school performance, and family environment.

Gentle Observation

We usually begin with gentle observation, especially for younger children. As your child plays, talks, or settles into the space, the clinician quietly observes attention, activity level, communication style, emotional regulation, social engagement, and sensory comfort. For older children and adolescents, this might resemble an informal chat to understand mood, stressors, friendships, self-esteem, and daily routines.

 

 

Gathering a Full Picture

Occasionally, we seek feedback from schools or teachers to understand how classrooms function. The goal is not to quickly label but to gain an accurate, evidence-based understanding—especially when symptoms overlap, like anxiety and ADHD, or autism traits and social behaviour anxiety.

Comprehensive Parental Interview

Next, we carry out a comprehensive parental interview since parents possess the most precise timeline of a child’s development. We ask about pregnancy and birth history, early milestones, speech and language development, sleep and appetite, behavioural patterns, screen time, school issues, peer relationships, and emotional triggers at home. We also review the strategies you have already tried, what has worked, and what has been difficult. This process helps us differentiate “normal phases” from clinically significant concerns and identify the factors that sustain the problem.

Your Path Forward

By the end of the first consultation, you will typically receive a clearclinical explanation of what we believe is happening, why it might be occurring, and the suggested next steps. For some families, the next step might be therapy (play therapy, CBT, behavioural interventions, parent guidance). For others, we may recommend further assessment, school collaboration, or medical treatment if clinically necessary. Importantly, Chennai Minds follows an ethical approach, where medication is carefully considered and never used as a quick fix, and therapy is always tailored to the child’s individual needs.

Most parents tell us that the greatest relief after the initial consultation is feeling seen, understood, and guided with a practical plan for the future.

Supporting your child’s emotional, behavioral, and developmental growth

Book a safe and confidential session with our Child Psychiatrist

Modes of Therapy

In-Person  |  Online  | Home Visit

Address :

ChennaiMinds

24 S 11, SSR Pankajam Enclave, Arunachalam Road,

Saligramam, Chennai – 600093