Like many of Skypiatrist’s doctors, Elisabeth Gray brings a wealth of life experience to her work. But, although she’s had a comparatively unorthodox path to psychiatric medicine, one thing has always been a constant—a passion for helping people.

A native of upstate New York, Dr. Gray received her BA in Studio Art from Williams College before earning her MS in Mathematics from Syracuse University. For years, she helped struggling college students complete their remedial math requirements. But it was volunteering and later working professionally as an EMT that gave her the confidence to pursue medicine.

Through her residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Dr. Gray remembered her time working on the ambulance and felt a calling to specialize in psychiatric medicine. “I always liked helping the patients where you had to puzzle it out, which is a big component of psychiatry. The patient says something and you’re looking for the space between the words,” she recalls.

A career with New York State Office of Mental Health, Office of Addiction and Substance Abuse Services, and other state agencies followed. Now retired, Dr. Gray is excited to work in a practice with a variety of people, adding that she’s especially open to helping transgender patients.