Meet Dr. Vihasa Govada
Compassionate and Holistic Support from a Dedicated Psychiatrist — Available Remotely for Patients in Bucks County, Newtown, and All of Pennsylvania
With a commitment to building trusting, collaborative relationships, Dr. Govada approaches each patient as a whole person, addressing both the challenges they face and the deeper questions that shape their well-being. Grounded in evidence-based practices and a personalized approach, she strives to help patients find balance, resilience, and meaningful growth throughout their mental health journey.
Dr. Govada provides virtual care exclusively to patients located in Pennsylvania. Her remote appointments offer a flexible and convenient way to access support and stay connected, with the same thoughtful, personalized care, all from the comfort of home.
About Dr. Govada
Thoughtful, Personalized Psychiatry for Meaningful Change
Dr. Govada approaches psychiatry as a partnership grounded in curiosity, trust, and honesty. Her work is guided by evidence-based practices, but it’s also deeply human. She believes treatment is most effective when it’s built collaboratively and when it accounts not only for symptoms, but also for the deeper questions people bring to the room: “Who am I becoming?” “What truly matters to me?” “How do I stay grounded in a world that’s constantly accelerating?”
Dr. Govada has worked across inpatient, outpatient, and consultation-liaison psychiatry settings, using both medication management and psychotherapy. In your work together, she’ll focus on your strengths, your story, and what wellness looks like for you. That may include individually- tailored therapy, medication, mindfulness practices, journaling, or behavioral strategies.
Her clinical approach draws from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), psychodynamic therapy, and CBT for insomnia (CBTi). She also brings in Eastern philosophies such as mindfulness, presence, and non-attachment to help cultivate clarity and inner resilience. Where medications are useful, Dr. Govada is direct and transparent about their benefits and limitations, so that she and her patients can make a collaborative decision on what fits. Dr. Govada cares deeply about building strong, long-term relationships with patients. The most meaningful part of this work for her is seeing lasting growth unfold over time.
Specialties
Dr. Govada specializes in mood and bipolar disorders, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She also offers care for various life contexts, including burnout, moral injury, life and role transitions, perfectionism, work-life balance, impostor syndrome, grief and loss, relationship issues, cultural trauma, and meaning-finding.
A Contextual, Culturally Attuned Lens
Dr. Govada believes that mental health does not exist in a vacuum. She works with individuals navigating not just internal struggles, but also the complexity of identity, relationships, technology, and modern work culture. Her practice is strengths-based, culturally responsive, and LGBTQ+ affirming. She brings a sensitivity to how systems, culture, and lived experience shape how we suffer and how we heal.
Background
Dr. Govada is a Board-Eligible Psychiatrist with a foundation in both biological science and humanistic care. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Duke University, her Medical Degree from Florida Atlantic University, and completed her psychiatry residency at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
She sought out experiences that went beyond textbook psychiatry, focusing on burnout, identity, and the search for meaning in high-performance environments. Dr. Govada also created a podcast for physicians-in-training, exploring how to build a life, not just a career, during medical training. While her clinical practice now serves a broader audience, she remains passionate about helping individuals navigate life transitions with greater alignment and self-awareness.
What to Expect When You Meet with Dr. Govada
Dr. Govada’s style is warm, collaborative, and clear. She will listen deeply and speak directly. She is not afraid to ask difficult questions or name the patterns she observes, but always in service of growth, clarity, and healing. She wants your sessions to feel both safe and useful, like somewhere you can be fully yourself, and leave with something meaningful.
On a Personal Note
Outside of work, Dr. Govada enjoys rock climbing, playing tennis, experimenting in the kitchen, and occasionally watering her drought-stricken houseplants. She especially values time with loved ones, whether it’s a cozy night playing board games or a picnic outdoors. She believes that connection and belonging are not just therapeutic ideas but essential human needs, and she works to intentionally weave them into her own life even when time is short or energy is low. These everyday efforts reflect her broader belief that healing often happens through small, deliberate choices we make to show up for ourselves and each other.