top of page

What Mental Health Looks Like When You Treat the Whole Person - Exclusive Interview With Dr. Elizabeth Ssemanda

Dr. Elizabeth Ssemanda is a board-certified psychiatrist and the founder of New U Psychiatry. Rooted in both African and African American cultural traditions, she integrates a soul-centered, holistic approach to healing with a mission to challenge stigma and redefine mental wellness.


Navigating the space between two cultures shaped Dr. Elizabeth Ssemanda’s life in profound ways. As the daughter of Ugandan refugees, her upbringing was infused with resilience, history, and silence—particularly around the traumas of war. It’s from this intersection of inherited pain and the search for healing that her passion for psychiatry emerged.


Her journey began with a fascination for people and science, blossoming into a desire to understand and support others on their healing journeys. Through psychiatry, she found a language to engage with suffering, resilience, and transformation. After working in a range of settings—from emergency care during COVID-19 to boutique practices—she became disillusioned by a model focused primarily on symptom suppression. It was then that New U Psychiatry was born.

Article Highlights

Article Image

What Your Poop Is Telling You and The Missing Piece In Your Health Puzzle

I often tell my clients: “What’s coming out is just as important as what’s going in”. Your daily bowel movements offer critical insights, from how well you’re digesting and absorbing nutrients to...

Article Image

How to Keep Your Cool and Ways to Control Your Anger

All of us, at times, may find ourselves triggered into an angry response. It can be so instantaneous that we don’t see it coming. For many, it is not really a problem and is something we can easily...

Article Image

3 Ways Bodybuilding Principles Are Transforming Everyday Women’s Health

When most people hear “bodybuilding,” they picture extreme discipline, restrictive eating, and hours in the gym. But here’s the truth: the science behind elite physique prep holds powerful...

Article Image

The Silent Struggle of High-Achieving Men and Why Success Doesn’t Silence Anxiety

High-achieving men often appear to embody success, confidence, and resilience. However, beneath the surface, many grapple with silent struggles, low self-worth, emotional suppression, and the...

Article Image

The Smartest Way to Save Money and Stress as a Small Business Owner

Running a small business is exciting, you get to be your own boss, create something new, and serve your clients and customers. But with all the big dreams and hard work, there's also something that...

Article Image

6 Ways Reiki Can Reduce Your Stress and Anxiety

Do you ever feel overwhelmed and powerless? Are stress or anxiety causing issues with your energy levels, mood and sleep? Unfortunately, you are not alone. "As of August 2024, 31 per cent of adults...

Quote of the week

"The Only Way Out Is Through!"

What Is Health, Really? – Rethinking Wellness in a World of Individual Needs

What if health isn’t a finish line but a conversation, an ongoing dialogue with your body, mind, and spirit? In a world filled with one-size-fits-all solutions, this article invites you to rethink...

Embracing Happiness Without Guilt

Happiness is a wonderful feeling that we all strive for, yet there are moments when, even amid joy, we catch ourselves hesitating. We question whether we deserve to feel happy or begin comparing our joy...

Why High-Functioning People Struggle to Stop Drinking and Why It’s Not About Willpower

For high-achieving, capable people who “have it together” on the outside, the private battle with alcohol can be one of the most misunderstood and silently painful struggles. And the reason so many intelligent...

Momentum and Meaning – Reigniting Drive Through Reflection and Legacy

In this deeply personal and reflective piece, we explore how to reignite focus and energy at mid-year, not through forced motivation, but by building meaningful momentum. Written in the wake of his brother’s passing...

Article Image

Brainz Expert Panel

Expert Panelists are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within the areas of Business, Mindset, Leadership, Lifestyle, and Sustainability. Members of The Brainz Magazine community of experts will share their best tips, advice, ideas, and hacks within different topics. 

Brainz podcast

What is an Intuitive Psychiatrist?

Dr. Elizabeth Ssemanda is a board-certified psychiatrist and the founder of New U Psychiatry. Rooted in both African and African American cultural traditions, she integrates a soul-centered, holistic approach to healing with a mission to challenge stigma and redefine mental wellness. Navigating the space between two cultures shaped Dr. Elizabeth Ssemanda’s life in profound ways. As the daughter of Ugandan refugees, her upbringing was infused with resilience, history, and silence—particularly around the traumas of war. It’s from this intersection of inherited pain and the search for healing that her passion for psychiatry emerged.


Her journey began with a fascination for people and science, blossoming into a desire to understand and support others on their healing journeys. Through psychiatry, she found a language to engage with suffering, resilience, and transformation. After working in a range of settings—from emergency care during COVID-19 to boutique practices—she became disillusioned by a model focused primarily on symptom suppression. It was then that New U Psychiatry was born.

bottom of page