A Little About Dr. Hammel
As a board-certified psychiatrist trained by nationally-recognized experts in both medication management and talk therapy, Dr. Hammel offers a holistic approach to your treatment: Whether you would benefit from medication management or interventional care such as TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) or esketamine (Spravato), Dr. Hammel is here to help you get to where you need to go. Although Dr. Hammel is not currently accepting new patients for talk therapy, his training in this area infuses all of his approach.
Dr. Hammel studied locally at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, where he obtained his MD and MPH degrees. As a medical doctor, his treatment is guided by an in-depth understanding of how medications impact the complex interface between your body and mind. Dr. Hammel then completed Psychiatry residency, an additional 4 years of specialty training after obtaining his MD, at the Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital (IOL). Founded in 1822, the IOL is one of the oldest mental health facilities in the country and is considered among the “Ivy League” of psychiatric centers. There, he served on the Ethics Committee, the Executive Graduate Medical Education Committee, and in other leadership roles. He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, the Connecticut Psychiatric Society, and the Connecticut State Medical Society, and he is a Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Supervisor for the Psychiatry Residency Program at the Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital. He is an expert in the medication management of psychiatric disorders and in psychodynamic and supportive talk therapy models. He has additional training in a number of other psychotherapy models which he incorporates into treatment when indicated.
Because Connecticut Psychiatry does not work with health insurers, Dr. Hammel is able to run a patient-focused practice which focuses on quality of care rather than volume. Although Dr. Hammel does not interact with your insurer, he provides receipts which you can submit for out-of-network coverage. He is versed in medical coding and always bills to the highest code justified by your visit in order to maximize your potential reimbursement. Please call your health insurer ahead of time to ask about your out-of-network benefits. By keeping your insurer out of the room, you and Dr. Hammel can work together to discuss your challenges and use the best clinical evidence and judgment to design a personalized treatment plan to help you find comfort and resolution. Also of note, Dr. Hammel does not accept any money, meals, “education,” or other compensation from the pharmaceutical industry.
If you are interested in TMS or Spravato, Dr. Hammel also runs a second practice in the same building, Polaris Psychiatry, which is accepting referrals for both treatments and accepts insurance. Please see the Polaris website for more details. You can see Dr. Hammel for medication management in his private practice and still work with him for TMS or Spravato.
