Donate Now

Mariam Rahmani, MD

Mariam Rahmani, MD, Psychiatry and Psychology at CHKD

Phone: (757) 668-4673

Specialty:

Education

Medical School: University of Florida

Residency: University of Florida

Fellowship: University of Florida

Certification

American Board of Psychiatry

Child/Adolescent Psychiatry

Bio

Dr. Mariam Rahmani, who grew up in Kuwait and Pakistan, moved to the United States for her higher education. After earning her bachelor’s with Honors in the Major environmental engineering from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., she received her medical degree and completed her psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) fellowship from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. At the University of Florida, Dr. Rahmani was a member of the faculty for more than nine years and served more than seven years as the training director of its CAP fellowship program. In 2024, Dr. Rahmani made CHKD/EVMS at ODU her new professional home and assumed the position of training director of our new CAP fellowship program. 

Dr. Rahmani is passionate about education and creating a psychologically safe learning environment. At the University of Florida, she won several teaching awards for teaching PA students, medical students, pediatrics residents, psychiatry residents, and CAP fellows. She was the first psychiatrist faculty to be inducted into the University of Florida College of Medicine Society for Teaching Scholars. At CHKD/ODU, Dr. Rahmani has shepherded the growth of our fellowship program and has been induced into the prestigious Fine Family Academy of Educators.

Dr. Rahmani believes that children exist in the context of families, neighborhoods, and communities. She believes in partnering with patients and their families and treating a child as part of the family system rather than treating the child in isolation. She uses family interventions, various psychotherapy modalities, and psychopharmacology to provide the best outcomes for her patients.

Additional Information

Clinical Interests

Dr. Rahmani's clinical interests include girls' development, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma and stressor-related disorders, and autism spectrum disorders. She uses psychotherapy and non-pharmacological interventions in addition to psychotropic medications.

Awards and Honors

  • Society of Teaching Scholars, University of Florida COM, to honor and foster teaching excellence and educational scholarship. 202
  • Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (honorary distinction for psychiatrists who continue to make significant contributions to the field of psychiatry). 2023
  • The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outstanding Mentor Award (for mentoring CAP Fellow Young Jo MD). 2022
  • The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outstanding Mentor Award (for mentoring medical student Sydney Cabana). 2022
  • The AADPRT Model Curriculum Award, given by the national psychiatry training directors association, to recognize the creation of an innovative model curriculum “psychiatric assessment of pre-school age children.” 2020
  • Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, representing excellence in professional career and positive contribution to the field. 2019
  • The Victor J. Teichner Award, a national award by the AADPDP and AADPRT, to promote the teaching of psychodynamic principles to psychiatrists-in-training, made annually to one residency training program. 2019
  • UF COM Exemplary Teacher Award. 2019-2020, 2018-2019, 2017-2018, 2015-2016, 2014-2015
  • UF Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (DCAP) Faculty Teaching Award (chosen by residents and faculty). 2021, 2018
  • UF COM Dept. of Psychiatry Exemplary Mentor Award. 2016-2017

Publications

Dr. Rahmani has published and presented on several educational topics including using group therapy skills in small group teaching, working with learners at various performance and self-confidence levels, virtual recruitment in residency programs, how to deal with rumors in the learning environment, and creating a culture of confidentiality in training programs. She has also presented perspectives/workshops on several clinical topics including issues unique to the development of girls, working with families, and psychiatric assessment of pre-school age children. She continues to mentor trainees in their quality improvement projects and scholarly work as well.

Dr. Rahmani's published research can be viewed at PubMed.

Community Involvement

Dr. Rahmani is an active contributing member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Group for Advancement of Psychiatry, and the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training.

Refer to Our Mental Health Program

CHKD offers a full continuum of mental health services to support children and teens, including outpatient therapy, intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, and inpatient care at the Children’s Pavilion. Our referral process makes it easy for providers to connect patients with the appropriate level of care. Learn how to refer, review program criteria, and find the right support for your patients and families.

Inpatient, Outpatient, and Partial Hospitalization Referrals
Patient with providers in Children's Pavilion

Concerned About Your Child's Mental Health?

If you are concerned about your child's mental health, the best place to start is with your child's primary care pediatrician. Many of CHKD's pediatricians have completed advanced training in the management of disorders such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety.

Find a CHKD Pediatrician Near You