After More Than Four Decades in Psychiatry, Dr. Jeffery Grace Continues to Show That Healing Begins by Helping People Feel Seen and Heard

BUFFALO, NY, August 04, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Long before “patient-centered care” became a familiar phrase in medicine, psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist Dr. Jeffery Jerome Grace built his practice around something much simpler. Before people can begin to heal, they need to know someone is willing to truly listen.

For more than four decades, Dr. Grace has cared for thousands of individuals facing depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, severe mood disorders, substance use disorders, and some of life’s most difficult personal challenges. Psychiatry has changed dramatically over the years, but one thing has not. Trust still comes first. Without it, even the best treatment plan has a harder time succeeding.

“Medication is important,” Dr. Grace said. “But healing begins the moment someone feels heard. When people know they’re being respected and understood, they’re much more willing to believe tomorrow can be different.”

Based in Buffalo, New York, Dr. Grace maintains a private psychiatric practice while serving as an addiction medicine specialist within an outpatient clinical dependency program and providing psychiatric care through outpatient mental health services. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly three decades as Clinical Director of the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, overseeing psychiatric services for one of Western New York’s largest regional mental health institutions. He also maintains professional affiliations with Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Erie County Medical Center, Kenmore Mercy Hospital, and the Buffalo Psychiatric Center.

Whether caring for patients in private practice, leading multidisciplinary treatment teams, supervising addiction services, or teaching future physicians, Dr. Grace has approached every role with the same belief that first drew him to medicine.

Every diagnosis belongs to a person.

Every chart tells someone’s story.

Every conversation matters.

Throughout his career, Dr. Grace has also served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the State University of New York at Buffalo, helping educate future generations of physicians. When mentoring young psychiatrists, he encourages them never to lose sight of the human being sitting across from them.

“I just want to continue taking care of people,” Dr. Grace said. “That’s what has always mattered to me. Every person who walks through my door deserves my attention, my respect, and my best effort. If someone leaves feeling a little more hopeful than when they arrived, then I’ve done something worthwhile that day.”

Dr. Grace’s approach to medicine didn’t begin in medical school. Growing up in Detroit, he admired the quiet compassion of his family physician. At home, his mother showed him the value of listening without judgment. Looking back, he sees both influences in the way he practices medicine today.

Dr. Grace knows that medicine demands a great deal from the people who choose it. Like many physicians, he’s spent years balancing the needs of his patients with the needs of his own family. He speaks about that balance with humility, believing that caring for others also means recognizing our own humanity.

Dr. Grace earned an Associate of Science degree from Highland Park Community College before receiving his bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Michigan. He went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1981, completed his residency in adult psychiatry at the University of California Davis Medical Center, and later completed a research fellowship in biological and psychopharmacology of psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

His professional contributions have earned numerous distinctions, including designation as a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, membership in the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. He has also authored numerous scientific publications and received the Dr. Charles A. Weiss Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his contributions to psychiatry.

Despite those accomplishments, Dr. Grace doesn’t spend much time thinking about awards or titles.

He continues advocating for greater understanding of mental illness while encouraging people to seek help without shame or hesitation.

“I hope people come to understand that caring for emotional health is no different than caring for any other part of the body,” Dr. Grace said. “Seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s often the first step toward living a healthier, fuller life.”

After more than forty-five years in medicine, Dr. Grace still measures success the same way he always has.

Did someone leave feeling more hopeful than when they arrived?

For him, that’s always been the measure that matters.

It has simply been the way he’s cared for people.

About Dr. Jeffery Jerome Grace

Dr. Jeffery Jerome Grace is a board-certified psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist based in Buffalo, New York. For more than four decades, he has provided comprehensive psychiatric care through private practice, hospital leadership, addiction treatment, and academic medicine. His work emphasizes evidence-based medicine, compassionate care, and meaningful therapeutic relationships while helping educate future generations of physicians.

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