Dr. Dirk Winter, MD, PhD

Founder, Winter Psychiatry

I believe that healing begins with connection—between patient and clinician, between mind and body, and between evidence and meaning. That’s why I value being transparent about my training and philosophy while staying deeply curious and compassionate about your unique story.

I’m a board-certified psychiatrist with expertise in working with adults, adolescents, and children. I earned a PhD in developmental biology from Harvard Medical School, and completed my psychiatry residency and child fellowship at Columbia University, where I’ve remained on faculty for over a decade. My clinical experience has spanned diverse settings: I’ve worked in community psychiatry, supporting individuals facing complex psychiatric illnesses, and in private practice, helping professionals, children, and families on Manhattan’s Upper West Side navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, and attention challenges.

While I’m grounded in mainstream psychiatry—including medication management, CBT, DBT, and psychodynamic therapy—I’ve also been drawn to newer, trauma-informed approaches that empower deeper, more lasting change. Over the past several years, I’ve pursued advanced training in EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), clinical hypnosis, Breath-Body-Mind, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. I believe that having a wide, science-informed toolset allows me to develop personalized, efficient, and truly transformative treatment plans.

At the heart of my work is a simple truth: we all long for meaning, connection, and purpose. That belief inspired me to launch the Developing Meaning podcast, where I speak with healers and thought leaders about how they create meaning in their own lives and in the lives of those they serve.

Whether you’re facing a moment of crisis or simply looking for a more grounded way forward, I’m here to help you explore what healing—and meaning—can look like for you.