Dr. Shelley Doumani-Semino, MD, FAPA

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Get to know Psychiatrist Dr. Shelley Doumani-Semino, who serves patients in Phoenix, Arizona.

Board-certified psychiatrist, Dr. Doumani-Semino, specializes in adult psychiatric care, addiction psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. She currently holds the position of Senior Medical Director of BH Western Territories at Aetna.

Founded in 1853 in Hartford, Connecticut, Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving an estimated 46.7 million people with information and resources to help them make better decisions about their healthcare. It is now a subsidiary company of CVS Health Corporation. 

Prior to her current endeavors, Dr. Doumani-Semino served as the Deputy Medical Officer of Behavioral Health at Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care in Phoenix, Arizona from 2014 until 2016. Before that, she served as the Medical Director of MercyCarePlan in Phoenix from 2003 until 2014.

Pertaining to her educational background, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology from McGill University, followed by her medical degree from McGill University – Faculty of Medicine in 1974. She then went on to complete her residency in psychiatry and her clinical research fellowship in group therapy and addiction therapy at the University of Toronto. In 2002, she completed her psychoanalytic training as part of the Canadian Psychoanalytic Society – Quebec English Branch.

A Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Doumani-Semino is board-certified in psychiatry and addiction psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, which is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to promoting high-quality patient care for the public through the initial and continuing certification of psychiatrists and neurologists.

Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behavior, cognition, and perceptions. A psychiatrist specializes in diagnosing the nature and extent of mental disorder. They employ diagnostic tools to observe the structure and function of a patient’s brain and once a diagnosis has been made, they may use behavior or cognitive therapy in order to address the patient’s condition. They may also use a number of other types of therapy in combination with or in place of medication. 

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