Philosophy

We founded MHNW because we want to provide excellent, integrated mental health care in an environment of mutual respect and equality.  We believe there is still too much hierarchy, too much specialization, and not enough humility in the culture of medicine.  As medical doctors with specialized training in psychiatry, we are not only expertise in psychiatric diagnosis and treatment but have general medical expertise and are mindful of all the factors that contribute to overall health. We express our humility by taking a conservative approach to medications, recognizing alternative treatments, and working collaboratively alongside our patients.

Regarding medications, we recognize the limitations and risks of the medications we prescribe.  We are more liberal in recommending medications with minimal risk and are more cautious in recommending medications with potentially harmful side effects.  We reserve medications with significant side effect potential for substantial impairments in functioning or distress.  We are transparent about potential side effects and potential benefit.  We believe in evidence-based medicine and are committed to keeping up with evidence from new research, as it unfolds.  We recognize that medications are not the only options in treating mental health disorders and are committed to informing our patients when non-medication treatment options exist for their conditions.

For many mental health conditions, psychological treatment, or psychotherapy, is equally or more effective than medications.  We believe in letting our patients know when psychotherapy could be helpful for their conditions and are also committed to directly providing high-quality psychotherapy for our patients, or collaborating with your psychotherapist.

In regards to our approach to relationships with our patients, we believe in a collaborative relationships with informed consent and shared-decision making.  We strive to achieve a therapeutic alliance with our patients through demonstration of competence, empathy, transparency, and respect for autonomy.  We understand that medicine and psychiatry have a long history of further discriminating against and mistreating marginalized peoples, including the LGBTQ community and communities of color.  We do not want to continue this pattern.  We strive to provide culturally specific (or at least culturally competent) care and treat all patients with respect.  We recognize that each person carries with them intergenerational resilience and trauma and we want to learn your stories.

Vision

We currently are a group of psychiatrists offering telehealth and in person appointments.  We hope to add clinicians and expand services in the future to become a more comprehensive mental health center. 

If you are a mental health provider (psychiatrist, psychotherapist, alternative medicine practitioner) and would be interested in collaborating with us or joining the team, please contact us via phone or email. 

Services

PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

We offer appointments in person and remotely using a secure, HIPAA compliant, video communication platform over the internet.  Drs Christensen and Worthington are licensed to practice in Oregon and Washington so can see patients that live in both states. Drs Shenoy and Rodriguez are licensed in the state of Oregon.  Please note that for telehealth sessions the patient must be physically located in the state where their physician is licensed to practice medicine.

EVALUATION AND MEDICATION MANAGEMENT

Psychiatric evaluation is the process of diagnosing mental health conditions.  We diagnose mental health conditions based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5), a publication by the American Psychiatric Association.  We are also licensed in the states of Oregon and Washington to prescribe medications for mental health conditions.  Initial appointments for psychiatric evaluation and medication management are 60-90 minutes.  Follow-up appointments for medication management are 20-25 minutes. Psychotherapy appointments (with or without medication management) are 50 minutes.

We do not provide psychiatric evaluations for disability evaluations, legal proceedings, medical clearance, or employer evaluations.

PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION

We provide psychiatric consultations, which includes a psychiatric evaluation with treatment recommendations without establishment of a doctor-patient relationship or prescription of medications.  Psychiatric consultation can be requested by an patient or by a primary care provider.  Treatment recommendations may include medications, psychotherapy, behavioral changes, therapeutic procedures, and further medical evaluation, such as lab tests or other diagnostic processes.  Psychiatric consultations typically occur over one to three 60-90 minute sessions and result in a written report and discussion of findings with the patient and/or referring provider.

PSYCHOTHERAPY

Currently we provide individual psychotherapy and hope to provide group psychotherapy in the future.  Individual psychotherapy can be combined with medication management.  One of the advantages of seeing a psychiatrist for psychotherapy is that a psychiatrist can provide both medication management and psychotherapy within the same visit.  While the practice of psychiatry aims to treat diagnosed mental health conditions with medications, psychotherapy can have a much broader scope.  In addition to seeking help for mental health conditions, people may seek out psychotherapy for purposes of gaining a better understanding of their experiences, behavioral change, improving relationships, setting goals, exploring purpose/meaning/values, coping with death anxiety, improving social skills, mind-body practices, or learning about mental health.

Psychiatrists

Dr. Scott Christensen

Temporarily not accepting new patients, please click here to submit an inquiry form.

Dr. Christensen is in network with Pacific Source, United, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Providence, Aetna, and MODA. To verify your coverage, please contact your insurance provider. He provides in person and telemedicine services.

I grew up in the Los Angeles area.  As a child, I was drawn to sports and put a lot of my energy into playing sports.  I shifted my focus towards academics in college at the University of California Santa Barbara.  I studied business economics, which lead to nine years working in accounting prior to deciding to pursue a career in medicine.  I went back to school to complete the prerequisites for medical school and got my medical degree from the University of California Los Angeles.  I quickly recognized the importance of mental health, the connection between mental and physical health, as well as the need for more mental health providers.  For residency training, I matched at the Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, Oregon.  During residency, I developed more interest and passion for psychotherapy.  I believe in being a well-rounded mental health practitioner, one that can provide both sound medication management as well as psychological and behavioral interventions.  I spend a lot of time reading books and listening to podcasts in efforts to be a more therapeutic psychotherapist and overall healthcare provider.  I am well-versed in exercise and mind-body practices.  For my own well-being, I play golf, exercise, hike with my dog, travel, practice mindfulness, and visit with friends.

  • Undergraduate: University of California Santa Barbara
  • Medical School: University of California Los Angeles
  • Psychiatry Residency: Oregon Health & Science University
  • Board Certification: Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology 
  • Medical License: Oregon, Washington

Dr. Cecille Reuther

Accepting new patients, please click here to submit an inquiry form.

Dr. Reuther is in network with Providence, Pacific Source, MODA and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. She will join additional networks in the near future. To verify your coverage, please contact your insurance provider. She provides in person and telemedicine services.

I grew up in the Philippines during a time of political and economic turmoil. Witnessing how my family served the community through health care reinforced my decision to be a doctor. It was a less-resisted path to alleviate peoples suffering amid the oppressive society we were in. After medical school in 1991, I ran a clinic in my hometown as a general practitioner. A work visa through my undergraduate degree gave me an opportunity to immigrate to the US. My Physical Therapy career was successful but I missed practicing medicine. I went into residency training then worked as an Attending Psychiatrist at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston. I also held a teaching position as Assistant Clinical Professor at the Medical School.

For over two decades I worked as a psychiatrist in private and public sectors doing direct patient care, research, health care management and education. My evidence based medicine practice aims to assist adults from diverse backgrounds as they navigate life transitions. A special focus of my work in this clinic is helping women manage their mental health needs across the lifespan. I offer expertise in integrating Medication Management, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Complementary and Alternative medicine in managing complex and treatment resistant conditions. I rely on Collaborative Care Model to address the interplay of medical, social and psychiatric conditions. The best outcome is possible when patients and families are empowered as active agents for their own health and healing. I foster a strong therapeutic alliance to help patients progress from illness management, to pursuing a life worth living.

In the underserved field of psychiatry patients continue to suffer the consequences of disparities. My commitment to bridge gaps in healthcare inequities keeps me active in platforms aside from patient care. I volunteer as a consultant for Post Partum Support International Filipino Bayanihan Center and Project Steady: Asia. We partner on passion projects to train the next generation of psychiatrists, increase mental health awareness, improve delivery of care, and expand services to the community.

Living in the Pacific NW has allowed me to fully enjoy traveling, gardening, hiking, improvisational cooking and crafting.

  • Undergraduate: BS in Physical Therapy, University of the Philippines, College of Allied Medical Professions
  • Medical School: University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Quezon City, Philippines
  • Psychiatry Residency: University of Texas Health Sciences Center Houston
  • Additional Training:
    • Mood Disorders Fellowship, Portland VAMC-OHSU
    • Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training: Houston Galveston Psychoanalytic Institute
    • Postgraduate Executive Program: Leadership in Medicine Southeast Asia, Harvard Medical School
  • Board Certification:  Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • Medical License: Oregon

Dr. Mikaela Rodriguez

Temporarily not accepting new patients, please click here to submit an inquiry form.

Dr. Rodriguez is in network with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, MODA, and Pacific Source. To verify your coverage, please contact your insurance provider. Dr. Rodriguez provides telemedicine services.

I am Dr. Mikaela Rodriguez, a psychiatrist at Mindful Health Northwest. Originally from Alaska, I have called the Pacific Northwest home since 2016. After growing up in Alaska I migrated south to Claremont, California for my undergraduate studies at Scripps College where I graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Biology in 2008. After a year of teaching in Southeast Asia on Fulbright fellowship, and a few more years of living in Alaska, I moved out to Vermont for four years of medical school. 

In 2016, I moved back to the Pacific Northwest for four years of psychiatry residency training at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). After graduating, I stayed on as faculty, practicing for three years in OHSU’s Adult Psychiatry Clinic before joining Mindful Health Northwest in the summer of 2023. 

I offer medication management, psychotherapy, and comprehensive psychiatric consultations (including ADHD evaluations). Most of my medication management appointments are an hour in length and include some discussion of non-pharmacologic treatment approaches (e.g., lifestyle changes, behavioral changes, sleep habits, mindfulness, exercise, psychotherapy, and more), individually tailored to meet each client’s goals.

My therapeutic approach is eclectic and draws from CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), mindfulness, motivational interviewing, non-violent communication, gradual exposure, and executive functioning training for ADHD, among other modalities. 

You may view my patient reviews here: https://www.ohsu.edu/providers/mikaela-rodriguez-md

  • Undergraduate: Scripps College
  • Medical School: University of Vermont College of Medicine
  • Psychiatry Residency: Oregon Health & Science University
  • Board Certification: Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • Medical License: Oregon

Dr. Anushka Shenoy

Please click here to submit an inquiry form.

Dr. Shenoy is in network with Pacific Source, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Providence, Aetna, and MODA. To verify your coverage, please contact your insurance provider. She provides in person and telemedicine services.

Accepting some new patients for medication management services.

I am a native Oregonian who turned to psychiatry after a brief career in business consulting.  I switched careers because I want to work closely with patients from all walks of life to address their most intimate, pressing issues.

I attended Columbia University in the City of New York, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Economics-Mathematics and completed premedical coursework at Portland State University.  I completed four years of medical school and four years of psychiatry residency training at the Oregon Health and Science University. I was named one of Portland’s Top Docs in 2024, an honor I cherish because I was chosen by my peers. 

I have special interests in psychopharmacology, women’s psychiatry, integrative and nutritional psychiatry, and treatment resistant mood disorders. I believe that lifestyle, food, community, and exercise are powerful tools alongside medical treatment. I am a direct and empathetic person.  I am a first generation American.  I enjoy exercising, watching television, backpacking, and spending time with my family.

  • Undergraduate: Columbia University
  • Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
  • Psychiatry Residency: Oregon Health & Science University
  • Board Certification: Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • Medical License: Oregon

Dr. Payton Sterba

Temporarily not accepting new patients, please click here to submit an inquiry form.

Dr. Sterba is in network with Pacific Source, United, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Providence, Aetna, and MODA. To verify your coverage, please contact your insurance provider. He provides telemedicine services.

I’m Daniel Payton Sterba, a psychiatrist at Mindful Health NW. Originally from Wisconsin, I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2017 for my psychiatry residency at Oregon Health & Science University. Prior to joining Mindful Health NW in 2022, I practiced inpatient psychiatry at Unity Center for Behavioral Health in Portland, OR. 

As a psychiatrist, my services include psychiatric evaluations, medication management, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and guidance in promoting mental well-being through lifestyle changes. I have a special interest in meditation, mindfulness, and breathing practices, and I emphasize optimizing nutrition, exercise, and healthy routines. I work to improve my patients’ relationships with substances through harm reduction, supporting sobriety, and providing medication-assisted treatment when appropriate. 

In my practice, I am dedicated to helping my patients gain self-understanding, achieve goals, cope with life’s demands, find inner peace, and experience satisfaction. Building a strong therapeutic relationship is fundamental to my approach. I actively listen to your story, concerns, and goals, ensuring a personalized treatment plan rooted in evidence-based practices. Together, we will manage symptoms, enhance coping skills, and foster long-term resilience.

  • Undergraduate: Marquette University
  • Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Psychiatry Residency: Oregon Health & Science University
  • Board Certification: Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • Medical License: Oregon

Dr. Jared Worthington

Please click here to submit an inquiry form.

Dr. Worthington is in network with Pacific Source, United, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Providence, Aetna, and MODA. To verify your coverage, please contact your insurance provider. He provides in person and telemedicine services.

I was born in Ontario, Canada and grew up in the Midwest.  I attended college at the University of Michigan, where I decided to study mental health from a neuroscience perspective.  I then moved to Chicago to attend medical school at Northwestern University, where my passion for mental health was solidified by witnessing the impact of mental health across all clinical settings.  These experiences, combined with my interest in neuroscience, spurred me to pursue residency training in psychiatry – which I completed at OHSU in Portland.  During my training I developed an interest in medication management, while gaining an appreciation for the importance of different psychotherapeutic techniques.  I recognize that often a multimodal approach must be taken for patients to begin the path towards wellness, and often combine medication management, psychotherapy and social/behavioral interventions in my collaborative treatments plans with patients.  Since living in the Pacific Northwest I have rekindled my passion for the outdoors, and enjoy hiking, backpacking as well as exploring the food scene around Portland.

  • Undergraduate: University of Michigan
  • Medical School: Northwestern University
  • Psychiatry Residency: Oregon Health & Science University
  • Board Certification: Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology 
  • Medical License: Oregon, Washington