Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates

What the service is

Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates is a founder-owned private psychiatry practice that delivers medication management and psychotherapy for adults, adolescents and children across nine in-person locations and telehealth. Founded in 2012 by Chris Pagnani, MD, an instructor at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the practice employs 25 mental health professionals including psychiatrists, board-certified nurse practitioners, and psychologists, with no ties to private equity or large corporations.

How care works

Rittenhouse offers both in-person and virtual psychiatry and therapy appointments. The practice states appointments are available "in 1-2 weeks." Care is delivered through several modalities: in-office visits, online talk therapy, and what the site calls "telehealth virtual psychiatry" with virtual waiting room links for providers.

The nine physical locations span Pennsylvania (Center Valley, Paoli, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh), Maryland (Baltimore), New York (Manhattan), New Jersey (Collingswood), Delaware (Wilmington), and Florida (Delray Beach). The site notes that "telehealth psychotherapy is available in most states," including unshaded states on their map, suggesting coverage beyond their in-person footprint.

Matching and switching details are not described on the captured page. The site does not specify how initial sessions are structured, how provider matching works, or how to switch therapists if needed. It does not mention wait times for new patients beyond the 1-2 week appointments claim, nor does it discuss continuity of care between psychiatrists and therapists within the practice.

Services and conditions

Rittenhouse lists 17 service categories on its site: ADHD Evaluations for Accommodations, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Couples Therapy, LGBTQIA+ Care, Medication Management, Men's Mental Health, Military/Veteran/Law Enforcement Services, Neuropsychological Testing and Evaluation, In-Office and Online Talk Therapy, Student Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder Treatment (MAT), Tapering OFF Psychiatric Medications, Women's Mental Health, 504/IEP Testing and Accommodations, and others.

The practice lists 12 conditions on its site: Addiction, ADHD, Adjustment Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Depression and Depressive Disorders, Eating Disorders, Insomnia and Sleep Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Personality Disorders, PTSD, and Schizophrenia.

The site highlights specialized expertise in anxiety in children and adolescents, eating disorders, OCD, panic disorder, perimenopausal depression/anxiety/insomnia, social anxiety, and adult ADHD.

Credentials and provider backgrounds

The captured page details credentials for multiple named providers. Chris Pagnani, MD (founder and medical director) is listed as an instructor at Johns Hopkins Hospital for the Department of Psychiatry. Paula Bu, MD is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Emily Bernstein, MD is lead clinical physician and director of women's mental health. Karen Chen, CRNP is listed as instructor at University of Pennsylvania and board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. Juliet Muzere, DO is board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry and trained at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Loretta Sernekos, PhD, CRNP is an advanced senior lecturer at University of Pennsylvania and board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. Tina DeMure, CRNP is dual board-certified. Cara Gouldey, CRNP is an instructor at University of Pennsylvania and board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. Richard D'Amato, CRNP is an appointed instructor at The University of Pennsylvania and St. Joseph's University. Samantha Wyckoff, MD is director of addiction medicine and instructor at Jefferson and Temple University Hospitals. Tracy Kuniega-Pietrzak, MD is director of eating disorder services and dual board-certified in child and adolescent and adult psychiatry. Sarah Friedman, Psy.D. is director of neuropsychology and psychological assessments.

The practice states that "our providers trained at Johns Hopkins, The University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and similar institutions" and that "most of our psychiatrists teach, or have taught, in academic settings." The practice reports "over 70 peer-reviewed medical and psychological publications," "over 60 presentations at medical and psychology conferences," "18 providers with current or past academic appointments," and "over 350 cumulative years experience in medicine and psychiatry." It has received "Top Docs" awards annually since 2021. A newsletter signup and service brochures are available for adult psychiatry and child psychiatry, though their content is not captured here.

Pricing and insurance

The site contains no information about pricing, copays, insurance coverage, or whether the practice accepts insurance at all. The captured page only mentions a link to "Office Policies & Fees" but the content of that page is not included in the captured data.

What the pages do not say

The site provides no pricing structure, either out-of-pocket or in-network. It does not specify which insurance plans are accepted, whether the practice is in-network or out-of-network, or whether it accepts insurance at all. There is no information about copays, deductibles, or typical costs for an initial consultation or ongoing medication management. There is no information about payment methods, sliding scale fees, or financial assistance. The site does not state whether prescriptions for controlled substances are available. It does not publish average wait times for first appointments, expected length of initial visits, or typical frequency of follow-up appointments. Availability of crisis or same-day appointments is not mentioned. The site does not specify whether psychotherapy sessions are available as intensive outpatient programming or group sessions. It does not name the specific medications the practice is or is not willing to prescribe. Languages spoken by providers are not listed.

Who it fits and who it doesn't

Rittenhouse is built for adults and adolescents in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, or Florida who prefer in-person, face-to-face psychiatric care and can travel to one of the nine offices. Its prominent academic credentials and track record of peer-reviewed publications appeal to patients seeking a clinically rigorous, research-informed practice rather than a mass-market operation. The founder-owned structure and emphasis on independence from private equity align with patients who prioritize boutique, relationship-based care. Teenagers and families seeking specialized ADHD evaluations for school accommodations (504/IEP testing) will find named expertise. People with eating disorders or OCD may value the practice's stated specialization and named clinical directors in those areas.

It is a poor fit for patients without cash reserves who cannot verify insurance participation beforehand: the site does not list which plans it accepts. Those in states outside the telehealth footprint cannot use the practice remotely. Patients who need urgent or same-day access will need to call directly; the site does not advertise emergency slots. Anyone entirely cash-pay and budget-conscious should not assume affordability without first requesting a fee schedule. Patients seeking therapy alone without psychiatric evaluation should confirm whether the practice can offer talk therapy as a standalone service or whether it expects concurrent medication review.