Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatry
Dr. Muneer Ali is a double board-certified psychiatrist practicing by telehealth in Georgia, Tennessee and Florida. He works with children and adults of all ages, and takes a precision, personalized approach to the treatment of attention, mood, and anxiety disorders.
Get in touchLicensed in Georgia, Tennessee and Florida. Telehealth only. Accepting a limited number of new patients.
The approach
Traditional psychiatry often starts with a short visit, a symptom checklist, and a prescription. It can work well for some, but falls short for many. When the medication doesn't work or causes side effects, it can lead to a frustrating cycle of trial and error.
There is a lot that should be considered before the first prescription, and it starts with testing for all of the possible underlying biological causes that could be driving symptoms in the first place. This precision approach helps us create a personalized plan that starts with diet and exercise recommendations, lifestyle changes, and targeted supplementation.
Omega-3 index, iron, ferritin, B12, folate, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D all bear on attention, mood and sleep. Low-normal is not the same as optimal.
hs-CRP and related markers, along with the food and environmental exposures that drive them.
Stress and sex hormones both. Under-investigated and frequently mistaken for a primary psychiatric picture.
A classic mimic. Underactive can look like depression, overactive like anxiety, and antibodies often rise years before the gland itself fails.
Glucose handling, insulin resistance and cardiac health, each of which shapes energy, focus and mood long before it shows up as disease.
Often the highest-yield target, and the one most often addressed last.
Comprehensive Testing
Comprehensive baseline biomarker testing is included in every initial evaluation. Specialty testing can be considered as indicated, including a deeper look at genetic factors, food sensitivities, chronic infections and toxic exposure.
What follows below is a list of what gets measured at intake, and why each group is worth measuring:
| Category | What it tells us |
|---|---|
| B vitamins and folate pathway | B12 and folate are needed to make the chemicals that regulate mood and to keep nerves healthy. Running low can look like low mood, irritability or forgetfulness. Homocysteine shows whether your body is actually using them, which a B12 level on its own cannot. |
| Vitamin D | The brain uses vitamin D directly. Low levels are linked with low mood, fatigue, and feeling worse during the darker months of the year. |
| Minerals and trace elements | Magnesium affects sleep and how the body handles stress. Zinc affects mood, appetite and growth, which matters in growing children and adults alike. Copper is measured alongside zinc because the two compete with each other, and too much copper causes problems of its own. |
| Iron status | The body needs iron to make dopamine, the chemical behind focus and motivation. Low iron is common in growing children and in women who have heavy periods, and it can look like trouble concentrating, restlessness, tiredness and poor sleep. Iron stores fall long before a standard blood count would call it anemia. |
| Thyroid function | The thyroid can imitate a psychiatric problem closely enough that it is worth checking in everyone. An underactive thyroid can look like depression and slowed thinking. An overactive one can look like anxiety. Antibodies often appear years before the thyroid itself starts to struggle. |
| Inflammation | Low grade inflammation shows up across psychiatric presentations, from low mood and anxiety to fatigue and cognitive fog. Where it is present, it can blunt the response to standard medication. |
| Omega-3 status | Omega-3 fats are part of the physical structure of brain cells. This test measures what is actually in your body rather than what you think you eat, and there is real evidence for omega-3 in both mood and attention. |
| Metabolic health | Checks how the liver, kidneys and blood sugar are working. In adults we also look for early insulin resistance, which can appear years before diabetes and often comes with fatigue and mental fog. |
| Cardiovascular riskAdults | In addition to a standard Lipid Panel, ApoB is a more direct measure of heart risk than standard cholesterol. Lp(a) is inherited, only needs checking once in your life, and picks up risk the other numbers miss. |
| HormonesAdults | One of the most commonly missed causes of changes in mood, energy, sleep and motivation. Sex hormones shift with age, pregnancy and the menstrual cycle, and those shifts often show up first as psychiatric symptoms. Morning cortisol gives a first look at how the body is handling stress. |
Draws are done at a local lab near you. These markers are used to understand what may be contributing to how you feel. They are not a diagnostic test for any psychiatric condition and they do not replace a psychiatric evaluation. Any testing beyond your initial panel is billed at cost, and interpreting and acting on those results is included in membership.
Clinical Care
Every patient begins with an initial comprehensive evaluation. After that, membership keeps you in ongoing care.
Initial Comprehensive Evaluation
$2,500
One time, required before membership
Membership
$250 / month
Ongoing, month to month
This is a private-pay practice. No insurance is billed, which is what makes the visit lengths and access listed above possible. A superbill is provided on request for out-of-network reimbursement, and HSA and FSA funds are generally eligible. Monthly visits do not roll over.
Any laboratory testing beyond your initial panel is billed at cost through our laboratory partners and is not included in the monthly fee. Interpretation and follow-up on those results is included in your membership.
Employer and organizational partnerships are available. Please get in touch to discuss.
About
Dr. Muneer Ali is a double board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist who has spent over a decade treating thousands of patients of all ages. He started his career at the Amen Clinics where he also served as a medical director, helping to develop treatment protocols utilizing a root-cause approach to psychiatric care. Dr. Ali went on to lead the Medical Affairs team at Tempus AI, educating providers all over the country on the importance of Pharmacogenomic testing. Most recently, he co-founded a pediatric mental health company built around precision and personalized approaches for psychiatry.
Over the course of his career Dr. Ali has gained increasing conviction in a simple fact that defines his treatment philosophy: a great deal of psychiatric suffering may be driven by an underlying biological cause, and you don't know what you don't test. In his clinical practice, Dr. Ali is committed to providing the most comprehensive and compassionate care possible to see his patients through to optimal health and wellness.
Get in touch
Not for emergencies.
If you or someone you care about is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to your nearest emergency department.
Thank you.
Your message has reached the office. Dr. Ali will be in touch within one business day to see whether the practice is a good fit.
If something is urgent in the meantime, call or text 988 or go to your nearest emergency department.