Merritt Hubsher, MD
Board-Certified Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist in New Jersey
Merritt Hubsher, MD is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and the medical director of ADHD, Mood & Behavior Center in New Jersey.
With more than 40 years of clinical experience, Dr. Hubsher works with children, teens, adults, and older adults who need help with ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety, OCD, behavioral concerns, autism spectrum disorders, and complex psychiatric symptoms.
He is often the right fit for patients and families who need more than a quick diagnosis, especially when previous treatment has not worked, medication results have been unclear, or symptoms do not fit neatly into one category.
About Dr. Merritt Hubsher
Dr. Hubsher has spent more than four decades helping patients and families better understand psychiatric symptoms, treatment options, and medication decisions.
His work focuses heavily on diagnosis and medication management. He looks closely at which medications, or combinations of medications, may be most helpful for each patient’s needs.
For some patients, the issue is not that they have never received care. It is that the care they received did not fully explain what was happening, or the treatment plan did not lead to real improvement.
Dr. Hubsher reviews each patient’s symptoms, medical history, prior treatment, medication response, school or work concerns, and family observations when appropriate.
He treats children as young as 5, along with adolescents, adults, and older adults. That broad age range gives him experience with how psychiatric symptoms can appear differently across childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and later life.
Diagnosis, Medication Management, and Second Opinions
Many patients come to Dr. Hubsher because they need a clearer diagnosis, a more effective medication plan, or a second opinion after treatment has not worked as expected.
During an evaluation, Dr. Hubsher looks at what has already been tried, how the patient responded, what side effects occurred, and whether the current treatment plan matches the diagnosis.
He also considers how symptoms show up in daily life. For a child, that may include school behavior, emotional outbursts, attention problems, or family stress. For an adult, it may include work performance, relationships, focus, mood, sleep, or follow-through.
A second opinion may be helpful when:
- A patient has tried medication without enough improvement
- Symptoms have changed over time
- The current diagnosis feels incomplete
- Parents are unsure whether a child’s behavior is related to ADHD, anxiety, mood, autism, or another issue
- A patient has several symptoms that overlap
- Medication side effects are making treatment difficult
- A family wants a clearer explanation of what may be happening
- A previous treatment plan has not addressed the patient’s day-to-day struggles
For patients with overlapping symptoms, care often requires more than matching one diagnosis to one prescription. Dr. Hubsher’s experience helps him recognize patterns that may be missed when ADHD, anxiety, depression, mood instability, autism, or behavioral symptoms appear together.
Conditions Dr. Hubsher Treats
Dr. Hubsher diagnoses and treats a wide range of psychiatric and behavioral health concerns in children, adolescents, and adults.
These include:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, including ADD and ADHD
- Depression and other mood disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Behavioral disorders in children and adolescents
- Complex cases involving more than one diagnosis
- Medication concerns or ineffective prior treatment
Many patients do not fit neatly into one simple category. For example, trouble focusing may be connected to ADHD, anxiety, depression, sleep issues, emotional regulation, or several of these at once.
Dr. Hubsher looks beyond the most obvious symptom to better understand what may be driving the problem.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Dr. Hubsher has extensive experience working with children and teens who are struggling at home, in school, socially, or emotionally.
Parents may notice concerns such as inattention, impulsivity, irritability, school avoidance, anxiety, mood swings, defiance, emotional outbursts, or difficulty with transitions.
In younger patients, the same symptom can have several possible causes. A child who refuses schoolwork may be distracted, anxious, overwhelmed, oppositional, depressed, or frustrated by something they cannot easily explain.
Dr. Hubsher’s training in child and adolescent psychiatry helps him evaluate young patients with attention to development, family dynamics, school pressures, and age-specific treatment needs.
When appropriate, he includes parent and family input so he can better understand what is happening outside the appointment.
Adult Psychiatry and ADHD Treatment
Dr. Hubsher also treats adults with ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety, OCD, and related psychiatric concerns.
Some adults have lived with symptoms for years before seeking care. Others were diagnosed earlier in life but need their treatment plan reassessed as their responsibilities, health, or daily demands have changed.
Adult ADHD can affect focus, organization, time management, follow-through, emotional regulation, relationships, and work performance.
Dr. Hubsher evaluates adult patients with attention to both current symptoms and long-term patterns. This helps him understand whether ADHD, anxiety, depression, mood instability, OCD, chronic stress, or another concern may be affecting daily life.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Expertise
Dr. Hubsher also has experience treating patients with autism spectrum disorders.
Patients on the autism spectrum may also deal with attention problems, anxiety, mood symptoms, irritability, behavioral challenges, or difficulty with emotional regulation.
In these cases, psychiatric care may involve identifying which symptoms are creating the most difficulty at home, in school, at work, or in relationships.
Dr. Hubsher considers whether medication management may help with related concerns such as anxiety, mood instability, irritability, attention, or emotional regulation.
A Whole-Person Approach to Psychiatric Care
Dr. Hubsher does not approach treatment as a simple checklist of symptoms.
He reviews the patient’s history, diagnosis, prior treatment, family context, school or work challenges, medical factors, and emotional well-being.
This is especially important when symptoms overlap.
A child who appears defiant may be struggling with anxiety, ADHD, mood dysregulation, frustration, or several issues at once. An adult who feels depressed may also be dealing with untreated ADHD, chronic stress, anxiety, or medication that is not working well.
By looking at these details together, Dr. Hubsher can better understand where treatment may need to change.
Education, Training, and Credentials
Dr. Hubsher received his medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York.
He completed his residency training in Psychiatry at New York University Medical Center. He later completed his fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the same institution.
Dr. Hubsher is board certified in Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry.
As the medical director of ADHD, Mood & Behavior Center, he works with children, teens, adults, families, and referring healthcare professionals across New Jersey.
Professional Recognition and Community Education
Dr. Hubsher has been recognized for his expertise in psychiatry and has appeared on television and radio.
He has also been quoted in newspaper articles and has given lectures to school teachers, guidance counselors, therapists, parent groups, and other psychiatrists.
Dr. Hubsher regularly consults with pediatricians, family practices, primary care providers, and specialist physicians to support psychiatric care for children, adolescents, and adults.
In December 2018, Dr. Hubsher was voted the number one Favorite Kids’ Doc out of pediatric doctors across all specialties in New Jersey.
Appointments with Dr. Hubsher in New Jersey
ADHD, Mood & Behavior Center is located in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey and serves patients across the state.
Patients may contact the practice to ask about appointment availability with Dr. Hubsher or the broader clinical team for psychiatric evaluation, ADHD treatment, medication management, second opinions, mood disorders, anxiety, OCD, behavioral concerns, and autism-related psychiatric care.
The practice also offers online services for patients throughout New Jersey when appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dr. Merritt Hubsher
Dr. Hubsher specializes in ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety, OCD, behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders, medication management, and second-opinion evaluations.
He treats children, adolescents, adults, and older adults.
Yes. Dr. Hubsher treats children as young as 5, as well as adolescents, adults, and older adults.
His experience across age groups helps him understand how psychiatric symptoms can change throughout life.
Yes. Many patients and families seek a second opinion from Dr. Hubsher when treatment has not been effective, the diagnosis is unclear, or they feel that their symptoms have not been fully understood.
A second opinion can help clarify the diagnosis, medication options, and next steps in care.
Yes. Medication management is one of Dr. Hubsher’s key areas of expertise.
He reviews each patient’s symptoms, diagnosis, treatment history, medication response, and overall needs before recommending medication options.
Dr. Hubsher sees patients through ADHD, Mood & Behavior Center in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey.
The practice also offers online services for patients throughout New Jersey when appropriate.
Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Merritt Hubsher
If previous treatment has not worked, the diagnosis still feels unclear, or medication has not brought the improvement you expected, Dr. Hubsher may be able to help you take a closer look at what is going on.
Contact ADHD, Mood & Behavior Center to ask about appointment availability with Dr. Merritt Hubsher.