Meet Our Doctors

W. Scott West, MD

 

Dr. West has been practicing psychiatry in Nashville since 1986 when he finished his residency in psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Prior to that, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and received his medical degree from The University of Tennessee Medical Center in Memphis.

He has an outpatient practice where he treats adults dealing with mood disorders such as depression or anxiety, cognitive or attention problems, stress, relationship struggles and personality/interpersonal issues. He was Medical Director of the Neurobehavioral Unit at St. Thomas Hospital from 1987 to 2018 where his focus was on treating patients with problems associated with dementia or psychiatric problems with medical co-morbidities. He also serves on the clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt where he supervises residents.

Dr. West’s philosophy of treatment involves seeing each patient as a whole person including mind, body and spirit, and as an individual with unique life experiences and circumstances. He uses psychotherapy and/or medications as indicated to meet each patient’s needs as well as helping them find services to guide them toward a healthy lifestyle. This approach has led to his receiving honors such as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Exemplary Psychiatrist Award in 1994, as well as the St. Thomas Hospital Humanitarian Award in 2009.

In April of 2010, Dr. West brought Nashville TMS to Nashville using the technology of NeuroStar TMS, becoming the first physician in Tennessee to offer the option of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for patients whose depression has not responded to a course of antidepressant medication.

To learn more about his academic history and professional career, please download Dr. West’s Curriculum Vitae 2012

Casey Arney, MD

 

Since beginning private practice in 1992, Dr Arney has enjoyed the work of office- based psychiatry. He particularly appreciates the effectiveness of combining different modes of treatment – psychotherapy, medication, and ancillary treatments- to help bring about needed change in his patient’s lives. In practice he addresses a range of issues including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, grief, and difficulties adjusting to life changes. Dr Arney believes that a healthy mind requires attention to physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational health.

A wide range of professional experiences informs Dr Arney’s work including forensic psychiatry, psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, and experiential therapy. He attended medical school at University of Louisville School of Medicine, internship at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, and residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. For many years he served on clinical faculty at Vanderbilt as Assistant Clinical Professor and enjoyed supervising and teaching residents as well as maintaining a weekly Vanderbilt student clinic. Dr Arney is certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr Arney is currently not seeing new patients. He enthusiastically recommends the other psychiatrists of Associated Psychiatrists of Nashville.

Ben Frock, MD

 

Dr. Ben Frock graduated magna cum laude from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska and particularly enjoyed his courses in neuroscience and philosophy. He then enrolled in medical school at Creighton University School of Medicine and this led him to Phoenix, Arizona where his love of psychiatry was fostered. He completed psychiatry residency training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was the recipient of the Marc H. Hollender Award for outstanding performance by a resident and was honored to be inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Dr. Frock attributes his interest in the complexity of human condition to the numerous mentors and inspirations he has encountered along his educational path.

In his office-based practice, Dr. Frock especially enjoys combining different modalities of treatment -psychotherapy, medication, TMS, and ECT- to help patients reach their maximum potential. He is comfortable treating a range of issues including depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, attention deficit disorders, grief, interpersonal struggles, as well as difficulty adjusting to the many life changes we all may experience.

An individualized treatment plan is fundamental to Dr. Frock’s philosophy of care. He believes that we are shaped by our experiences, relationships, and loss over the course of time. As such, all persons should have needs tailored to the moment and treatment may include psychotherapy, medications, or a combination of both. Dr. Frock understands that not all situations require medication and enjoys providing psychotherapy for those interested. He also enjoys working with therapists of all kinds in the community to collaborate and work towards the best possible outcome.

If interested, Dr. Frock looks forward to an opportunity to work with you.

Scot McKay, MD

 

Dr. Scot McKay is proud to be joining Associated Psychiatrists of Nashville as a child and adolescent psychiatrist with his focus on school-aged to college-aged patients. After moving from Denver, CO. Dr. McKay graduated magna cum laude from Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC with a degree Biology. He then pursued his medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina where he first fell in love with the practice of Psychiatry, previously wanting to become a Pediatrician. He completed his residency in General Psychiatry and Child/Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Center. He continued his practice in Denver first as an attending psychiatrist on the Child and Adolescent Inpatient and Day Treatment Psychiatric Units at the Children’s Hospital Colorado and then working in the school-based health clinics through Denver Health in partnership with Denver Public Schools. Dr. McKay relocated to Nashville with his wife and children to be closer to family. He had been working at the Mental Health Cooperative prior to joining the Associated Psychiatrists of Nashville.

Dr. McKay is Board-certified in both General Psychiatry and Child/Adolescent Psychiatry. He felt a calling into psychiatry as it allows him to spend time and better understand his patients to promote wellness and not just prescribe medications. He believes that medication is an important tool in psychiatrist’s toolbox which also includes psychotherapies and behavioral techniques for healing mind, body, and spirit. He has trainings in psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, family therapy, and motivational interviewing. He has experience in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression, Suicidality, Anxiety disorders (including post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder), and Bipolar disorder. He also has familiarity with substance use issues and autism spectrum disorders (but does not provide autism evaluations)

Allyson Witters Cundiff, MD

 
Dr. Allyson Witters Cundiff is pleased to offer psychiatric care in the middle Tennesse area for all ages.   As a Nashville native with an understanding and appreciation of the growth of this wonderful community, she has become very aware of the increased stress that our community has endured with this growth, and specifically over the last few years with the fallout from the pandemic and other tragedies. She is grateful to be able to work collaboratively in order to best help patients achieve their goals for mental wellbeing and healing.

Dr. Cundiff graduated from Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate work and then moved to Memphis where she completed medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.  She completed her residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and her fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry also at Vanderbilt.  She served as Chief Fellow and received the Bolian Award for her outstanding clinical care and dedication as a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow.  She remained on faculty following the completion of her fellowship where she served as Medical Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Consult Liaison Service at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.  She also served as Principal Investigator on a number of clinical trials while at Vanderbilt.  Additionally, Dr. Cundiff was trained in electroconvulsive treatment while at Vanderbilt and is able to recommend alternative treatments other than psychopharmacology.  In her last three years at Vanderbilt, she was the Medical Director of the Psychiatric Assessment Service for adults, providing emergency psychiatric assessments.  While on faculty, she also received the Dozier Award in appreciation of her commitment and education to patient care and excellence in teaching.

Dr. Cundiff has dedicated her life’s work to taking care of people who struggle with anxiety, depression and mania, in addition to trauma, psychosis, attention deficit disorders and behavioral problems. She is comfortable serving all ages for mental health needs.  

Although the majority of her career has focused on academic-based medicine with her previous faculty appointment at Vanderbilt, she has transitioned to the outpatient clinical world through private practice so that she is able to spend more time with each patient.  This allows for detailed diagnostic and treatment plans with the end goal of mental wellness.

Address

30 Burton Hills Blvd, Suite 375

Nashville, TN 37125

Phone

615.327.4877

If you are having a medical emergency, call 911

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