About Dr. Veras

Dr. Yokarla Veras is a board-certified psychiatrist and psychotherapist specializing in reproductive and general adult psychiatry, with licensure in New York and New Jersey. She completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University, earned her MD and Master of Science in Population Medicine from Brown University, and returned to Columbia for both her general psychiatry residency and a fellowship in Women’s and Reproductive Mental Health. Her training across Ivy League institutions has equipped her with a strong foundation in both clinical excellence and academic leadership.

Throughout her career, Dr. Veras has cultivated extensive experience treating a wide range of mental health conditions, from mood and anxiety disorders to severe mental illness. Her work has spanned diverse care settings, including community mental health, academic medical centers, and specialized women's mental health services. Her advanced experience and training also includes psychotherapeutic modalities rooted in the belief that meaningful, lasting change often requires addressing problems from a holistic and well-rounded perspective. She approaches care through medication management and psychotherapy, working with the patient to determine whether either or both treatment approaches fit well for them. 

She currently serves as an Instructor in Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University and an Attending Psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, where she supervises psychiatry residents, fellows and medical students.

Dr. Veras has contributed to her field through a prior literature review of postpartum depression screening practices. She has presented her work at national conferences and co-authored peer-reviewed publications spanning public health to women's health. Her academic and clinical background reflects a deep commitment to advancing mental health care that is informed, inclusive, and impactful.