Brian  Tesar
Zencare Vetted

Brian Tesar

He/Him/His

Adult Psychiatrist, MD Specialties Insurance & Fees Locations
Rhode Island, Massachusetts Accepting Online
Blackstone Accepting In-person
Updated October 30, 2023

Specialties & Expertise

  • ADHD
  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Depression
  • Medical professionals' mental health
  • Addiction

Professional statement

Brian Tesar is a psychiatrist on the east side of Providence. Dr. Tesar can answer questions about medications for mental health, such as if medications could be helpful for you or whether or not to change or get off medications that you are already taking. Dr. Tesar has a relaxed style. He will engage you in a conversation about your history and your lifestyle to better understand how symptoms affect you. Dr. Tesar's emphasis is on well-defined and measured goals of treatment, providing practical and unbiased information, considering the context in which people use medications and the impact that may have on their functioning and outlook.

Dr. Tesar completed a psychiatric resdiency at Barnes Hospital/Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri in 1996. He has been on staff at the Cape Cod and Islands Community Mental Health Center, Gosnold Cape Cod, and Butler Hosptial (since 2009). Dr. Tesar has been in private practice in Providence since 2018. Previously, Dr. Tesar had practices in New York City and Cape Cod. Dr. Tesar has strong interests in the use of evolutionary therory and information technology in psychiatry. Dr. Tesar does not participate in pharmaceutical industry sponsored educational events and Dr. Tesar does not meet with pharmaceutical representatives in his office.

Dr. Tesar is located at 480 Hope Street in Providence. He requires inital visits to be in-person and thereafter telehealth visits are an option. The intial visit is usually 75 minutes. Follow-up visits for medication management are usually 20-25 minutes. Dr. Tesar only sees patients for therapy when it seems a natural progression from medication therapy. That is, through the process of medication management, a rapport that is conducive to therapy develops.


Message to clients

I want to provide a no-nonsense approach to medication treatment. The process is at a basic level one of trial and error. The challenge is understanding and defining the goals of treatment and then measuring the impact. Symptoms-negative feelings, thougths, and behaviors-do not occur in a vacuum. Symptoms have to be considered in the context of a persons life to understand the impact of any treatment, including medication, that may change these things. If a medication has no apparent benefit, then it is easy to know what to do: stop the medication. When a medication is helpful in some way, important questions come up. How long should a medication be taken? Does the effect of medication tell me anything about myself? Will the medication affect how I live my life? Will I remain true to my values or will my values change? Considering these questions is essental to making a sound decision about medication, and I am here to help you to do that.

I try to come up with a flexible plan that anticipates when changes may be needed between sessions, so as to reduce to frequency of appointments. That includes being avaialble via email or text. If soemone will stay on the same medication over a longer period, visits will be spaced out to every three months, and later every six months.


Specialties

ADHD - Skill-building and support around organizational challenges, distracted attention, procrastination; building and maintaining healthy routines and structure

Anxiety - Coping with excessive worry, nervousness, or stress; intense discomfort in social settings (social anxiety); sudden and intense feelings of panic (panic disorder)

Bipolar disorder - Developing coping and preventive strategies to stabilize extreme mood swings, including manic and depressive episodes; increasing effective strategies to regulate emotions and maintain a healthy daily routine

Depression - Providing support and promoting healing of hopelessness, low motivation and energy, sadness, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of interest and pleasure in life

Medical professionals' mental health - Support navigating work-related expectations and stress; addressing issues of burnout, hierarchical pressures, and vicarious trauma

Addiction - Coping with emotional discomfort and suffering; reducing or abstaining from unwanted behaviors such as unhealthy gambling or shopping




Clientele

  • Adults (24+)
  • Seniors (65+)
  • Young adults (18-24)

Insurance

  • Aetna
  • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island BCBS RI
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA HMO
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA PPO
  • ComPsych
  • Medicare
  • Medicare (through Blue Cross Blue Shield)
  • Meritain Health
  • Tufts Health Plan (Commercial Plans, not via Mass Health or Navigator)
  • UMR

Out-of-pocket fees

  • Individual sessions: $340 (50min)
  • Initial session: $425 (75min)
  • Medication management sessions: $170 (20min)

Location(s)

Online Sessions (Rhode Island)
Accepting new clients online
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon 8:30am-5pm
  • Tue 8:30am-5pm
  • Wed 8:30am-8:30pm
  • Thu 8:30am-5pm
  • Fri 8:30am-2pm
  • Sat closed
  • Sun closed

Online Sessions (Massachusetts)
Accepting new clients online
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon 8:30am-5pm
  • Tue 8:30am-5pm
  • Wed 8:30am-8:30pm
  • Thu 8:30am-5pm
  • Fri 8:30am-2pm
  • Sat closed
  • Sun closed

Blackstone practice
480 Hope St, Providence , Rhode Island 02906
Accepting new clients in-person
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon 8:30am-5pm
  • Tue 8:30am-5pm
  • Wed 8:30am-8:30pm
  • Thu 8:30am-5pm
  • Fri 8:30am-2pm
  • Sat closed
  • Sun closed

Work and Education


Barnes Hospital/Washington University, Psychiatric Residency, 1996
University of Illinois College of Medicine, MD, 1992
University of Chicago, BA, 1987


Licensure

Rhode Island: CMD12836

Massachusetts: 151303


Languages

English