EM Psych is a mental health practice built on a mission to make care accessible, personal, and responsive to the evolving needs of patients across every stage of life. Serving children, adolescents, and adults, the practice offers comprehensive evaluations, therapy, medication management, and collaborative care, designed to support individuals with clarity and compassion.
The story of EM Psych begins with its founder, Erica Malloy, whose path into mental health wasn't planned. She started in political science and pre-law, then shifted toward medicine, only discovering psychiatry during her clinical rotations. That first exposure changed her trajectory. "It felt like a wake-up call," she says. "I realized I was drawn to how people think, how they process the world. There was something meaningful in that space." That realization set the foundation for a career shaped by attentiveness and a commitment to understanding the people she serves.
From the beginning, Malloy approached care with a sense of curiosity and openness. She gravitated toward a model that emphasized listening, not as a step in the process, but as its foundation. "Patients will always show you what they need if you take the time to hear them," she says. "Every decision I've made in my practice has come from that place." This perspective would later influence how EM Psych evolved, particularly in its early adoption of telehealth.
Malloy notes that years before virtual care became widely discussed, she began integrating telehealth into her work in New York. The decision reflected the realities of her patients' lives. "Snowstorms, long work hours, childcare responsibilities, and mobility challenges often disrupted in-person visits. Telehealth can offer continuity," she explains. Malloy adds that when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed virtual services into the mainstream, EM Psych was already operating in a way that supported continuity.
Even as telehealth expanded, Malloy remained attentive to changing preferences. "Our patients shared that they're interested in face-to-face connection, so we responded by creating an environment where both modalities can coexist," she states. Committed to meeting people where they feel most supported, EM Psych expanded into a physical location.
The decision did not mark a departure from telehealth but an extension of it. An analysis found that approximately 51% of mental health outpatients in the U.S. continue to receive care entirely in person, while about 28% rely solely on telehealth and 22% engage in hybrid models. For EM Psych, this data aligns naturally with its philosophy.
The growth of EM Psych has followed a path that reflects Malloy's personal values. According to Malloy, she has chosen to keep the practice free from external investment and formal marketing strategies. The goal is for its reputation to develop through patient relationships and referrals. "If something doesn't feel authentic in my personal life, I won't bring it into my professional one," she says.
This is even reflected in how Malloy approaches developing the people behind the practice: She says, "I look at creating my team like creating a bouquet of flowers, they don't have to be perfect, or all the same, but they all fit, and they all contribute to something beautiful."
This approach, as Malloy notes, has contributed to long-term relationships that extend beyond traditional expectations. She shares, "Many patients choose to continue their care with the practice long term. Over time, their milestones and challenges become familiar through ongoing conversation and shared history. That kind of trust tends to stay with you."
Care at EM Psych often extends beyond scheduled sessions. Malloy integrates small, thoughtful gestures into her work. "Giving is part of how I understand this work," she says. "It's part of the practice." According to Malloy, she has provided pro bono care for longstanding patients, sent books and journals during periods of grief, and organized community support efforts, including holiday meals and school donations.
Malloy's approach also challenges conventional ideas about the provider-patient relationship. She brings a sense of openness into her interactions, allowing patients to see her as both a clinician and a person. This transparency, she believes, helps foster trust. "Connection grows when people feel understood," she says. "That understanding comes from being present, being honest, and being willing to meet someone where they are."
Underlying these efforts is a philosophy that progress happens through meaningful steps. EM Psych aims to follow a path that reflects growth guided by listening. In an environment where mental health care continues to expand in form and accessibility, EM Psych intends to offer a perspective centered on connection and responsiveness.
