John A. Zagat, M.D.

When people ask what is special about my work as a psychiatrist, this is how I answer: 
 
I am a psychiatrist for change. I work with adolescents and adults struggling under the weight of expectations about who they're supposed to be. Much of the unhappiness I see in my clients comes from their trying to fit into a certain mold that doesn’t quite work for them. Our goal in working together is to help them move from feeling stuck to feeling free, empowering them to break out of those molds. In doing so, they can see all the opportunities that are available to them, even ones they may have dismissed in the past. 
 
If any of the below resonates with you: 

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You became exactly what everyone wanted you to be, but you're miserable. 
 
Or you couldn't make it happen, and you feel like a failure. 
 
Either way, the problem isn’t who you are. It’s that someone else decided who you should be. 
 
Then I am the psychiatrist for you. 
 
Here's what I've learned: Whether you succeed at meeting others' expectations or fall short of them, the real problem is the same. Someone else wrote the script for your life. At some point, something needs to change. You need to question that script and see the full range of possibilities available to you, not just the narrow path you thought was required. 
 
My approach combines psychiatric expertise with therapy that goes deeper than symptom management. 

  
Our work is about helping you figure out what matters to you (not what should matter) and making changes that stick, whether that’s small adjustments or a complete course correction. 
 
I am double board-certified in General Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, with specialized expertise in ADHD and learning challenges. I earned my medical degree from NYU School of Medicine and completed my residency and fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. I previously served as an attending psychiatrist at Westchester Medical Center and an assistant clinical professor at New York Medical College. I am Licensed in CT, NJ, NY, and PA for both in-person and telehealth appointments.