Kanya L.P. Nesbeth, MBBS MD

Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

Kanya Nesbeth, MD, is a board-certified general adult and geriatric psychiatrist at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, where she provides comprehensive care for adults across the lifespan. She treats a broad range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, mood, psychotic, and neurocognitive disorders, as well as behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Dr. Nesbeth takes an evidence-based, holistic approach that integrates medication management with psychotherapy and lifestyle interventions. She incorporates mind–body medicine principles into her practice to build emotional resilience and enhance overall well-being. A strong believer in empowering patients, she leverages digital tools, such as virtual reality, memory aids, meditation apps, and sleep apps to support continuity of care for older adults at home.

With specialized training in geriatric psychiatry, Dr. Nesbeth closely monitors each patient’s daily functioning, independence, and quality of life. Her clinical interests include late-life depression, mild cognitive impairment, dementia prevention, caregiver burnout, and social isolation. Her research on the use of artificial intelligence and robotics in addressing loneliness among older adults, as well as perimenopausal mental health, has been presented at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Dr. Nesbeth is dedicated to advancing health equity and health literacy, providing a safe and nonjudgmental environment where patients feel seen and supported.

A native of Jamaica, Dr. Nesbeth trained at the University of the West Indies in Kingston. She completed her psychiatry residency at Howard University Hospital, where she served as Chief Resident and earned the GME Research Award, Residency Program Research Award, and the top score in her resident-in-training examinations. She then completed a geriatric psychiatry fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. She has been an APA fellow, serving on the geriatric council, and was also an AAGP scholar.

She is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, and the Jamaican Psychiatric Association.

Outside of the clinic, Dr. Nesbeth enjoys traveling (over 30 countries and counting), road trips, hiking, yoga, audiobooks, gardening, and discovering new restaurants. She appreciates life by the Baltimore waterfront, which reminds her of where she grew up.

Philosophy of Care

“My approach is strongly patient-centered, combining education, holistic treatment, and digital aids to empower patients to make meaningful changes. I treat each patient as an individual, not their diagnosis, and aim to create a safe, collaborative environment where they feel seen, heard, and supported.”