Arwen Podesta, MD, ABPN, FASAM, ABIHM
Arwen Podesta, MD is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with sub specializations in addiction medicine, forensic psychiatry, and integrative medicine. A graduate of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Podesta completed her psychiatry residency in at Louisiana State University before pursuing fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry at Tulane University.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Podesta became involved in actioning psychiatric care for underserved and disenfranchised populations, and was awarded the Gambit’s 40 Under 40 in 2009. Since then she has been an enthusiastic participant in the public sector as Medical Director of ACER and a consultant for the Orleans Criminal Court, Drug Court and Re-entry Services. Additionally, she maintains status as a consulting Addiction Medicine Specialist. Across all contexts and venues, Dr. Podesta’s primary focus has been and continues to be access to integrative mental health and addiction treatment, and rational prescribing practices.
Dr. Podesta maintains an active role in the academic community as a clinical faculty for Tulane Psychiatry Residency, Louisiana State University Psychiatry Residency, and Tulane Addiction Medicine Fellowship. Her outstanding clinical and academic contributions to the field of medicine earned her a nomination for the role of President of the Louisiana chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine in 2017. In 2019 she was awarded the honor of Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. A renowned speaker, Dr. Podesta regularly travels to teach and speak on the topics of Addiction Medicine and Integrative Psychiatry.
Since opening Podesta Psychiatry LLC in 2012, Dr. Podesta has been voted into the ranks of New Orleans Magazine’s Top Doctors on an annual basis. The Podesta Psychiatry team includes some of the best treatment providers in the Gulf Coast, and Podesta Psychiatry continues to evolve toward the multi-disciplinary collaborative model that embodies Dr. Podesta’s wellness model for whole health.
