SHAW WENDI FORTUCHANG, M.D., FAPA
My story.
I was baptized when I was 9 years old. I was saved and going to heaven, I attended church regularly, I had an amazing family and great friends, and I was enjoying all the success that the world offered. But, despite all that success, something was missing. I felt empty on the inside. I had not been taught the difference between religion and relationship. I had not been taught that there is a difference between mere church attendance and a real relationship with Jesus. I had not been taught that God's Word is like food for the spirit and medicine for the soul.
Then, in October 2002 while visiting a non-denominational church with a medical school classmate, that changed! I learned of the redemptive power of God's Word and how to apply it to my life! I learned how to fully trust God and rely on His strength instead of trying to accomplish goals in my own strength. I began to understand and appreciate the importance of feeding my spirit, and started to experience the life-changing effects of doing so! (Before then, The Bible was something I only opened on Sunday mornings to read from during communion.)
What began that October sparked a deep, experiential relationship with Jesus Christ. And then, my life's calling became abundantly clear to me: provide overtly Christian-based psychiatric care to help patients confront and conquer fear, and live the victoriously abundant life Jesus Christ died for them to live.
As a result, The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center was established. This would not have been possible without the strong roots of hard work and determination instilled by my phenomenal parents, their sacrificial love, or my husband's unwavering support and belief in what God called me to do. To God be all the glory, praise and honor!
Then, in October 2002 while visiting a non-denominational church with a medical school classmate, that changed! I learned of the redemptive power of God's Word and how to apply it to my life! I learned how to fully trust God and rely on His strength instead of trying to accomplish goals in my own strength. I began to understand and appreciate the importance of feeding my spirit, and started to experience the life-changing effects of doing so! (Before then, The Bible was something I only opened on Sunday mornings to read from during communion.)
What began that October sparked a deep, experiential relationship with Jesus Christ. And then, my life's calling became abundantly clear to me: provide overtly Christian-based psychiatric care to help patients confront and conquer fear, and live the victoriously abundant life Jesus Christ died for them to live.
As a result, The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center was established. This would not have been possible without the strong roots of hard work and determination instilled by my phenomenal parents, their sacrificial love, or my husband's unwavering support and belief in what God called me to do. To God be all the glory, praise and honor!
My training.
I am a proud 2006 graduate of Meharry Medical College, a historically black college and university (HBCU) in Nashville, TN, which produces most of our nation's Black doctors. From 2006-2009, I completed residency training in General Psychiatry at The University of South Carolina School of Medicine. After graduating in 2009, I moved to Chicago to begin sub-specialty fellowship training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Medicine (where I served as Chief Fellow and Resident Member to the Illinois Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry during my second year) and graduated in 2011. Afterward, I moved to Atlanta to begin sub-specialty fellowship training in Forensic Psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine, graduating in 2012.
I am a Diplomate of and triple board certified by The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in the medical specialty of Psychiatry, and in the sub-specialties of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry. I am licensed to practice medicine in Georgia and South Carolina. I received education in Biblical counseling, so I am also a board-eligible Professional Christian Counselor.
I am a Diplomate of and triple board certified by The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in the medical specialty of Psychiatry, and in the sub-specialties of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry. I am licensed to practice medicine in Georgia and South Carolina. I received education in Biblical counseling, so I am also a board-eligible Professional Christian Counselor.
My experience.
Prior to opening The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center, I provided psychiatric services in many settings. I have extensive experience with inpatient, outpatient, university-based and jail-based psychiatric treatment-- in secular and Christian settings. I am blessed with the ability to accurately diagnose and treat various mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. I have expertise in conducting various types of forensic evaluations, both civilly and criminally. I am an active member of various professional and community-based organizations, where I frequently participate in teaching and speaking engagements. As a life-long learner, I engage in continuing medical education to maintain board certification and to remain current with the latest trends and updates in psychiatry.
From a Christian standpoint, I have been blessed with the opportunity to present numerous workshops at national conferences for Christian counselors, local churches, and community-based programs. I have been a featured guest speaker on a regional Christian talk radio show regarding issues of mental health in the Christian community.
I often have the pleasure of working with pastors and other church leaders to explain the medical science behind mental illnesses. By providing psycho-education, I help them to understand and appreciate the fact that mental disorders are medical conditions. This allows them to gain a better understanding of how to address the needs of congregants who may be living with a psychiatric disorder. I also help church leaders recognize warning signs and to know when professional mental health services may be needed for their congregants.
From a Christian standpoint, I have been blessed with the opportunity to present numerous workshops at national conferences for Christian counselors, local churches, and community-based programs. I have been a featured guest speaker on a regional Christian talk radio show regarding issues of mental health in the Christian community.
I often have the pleasure of working with pastors and other church leaders to explain the medical science behind mental illnesses. By providing psycho-education, I help them to understand and appreciate the fact that mental disorders are medical conditions. This allows them to gain a better understanding of how to address the needs of congregants who may be living with a psychiatric disorder. I also help church leaders recognize warning signs and to know when professional mental health services may be needed for their congregants.
My practice.
As a medical doctor, I understand the biological and neurological aspects of mental disorders and I strongly believe in the important role of medication. Additionally, I am a formally trained psychotherapist and I provide psychotherapy to the majority of my patients. This is not a practice engaged in by most psychiatrists and is therefore a rare quality. My main areas of interest and expertise include any and all fear-based issues, (like Anxiety Disorders, OCD, Phobias, Stress Disorders and Panic Disorder), and related Mood Disorders (Depression and Bipolar Disorder).
My psychiatric services are individualized and tailor-made to meet the specific needs of each patient. My clinical judgement is based on the most current and up-to-date medical science and guidance from The Holy Spirit. Treatment plans include a biological, psychological, social, spiritual perspective, because each plays a key role in a person's overall wellbeing. Including the spirit is what makes The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center (TFCPC) unique, because though the spirit is the most important part of a person, it is often unaddressed in traditional psychiatric settings.
As a Christian psychiatrist, I use a Biblical approach to treatment. I incorporate God's Word (Bible scriptures) into the treatment process, and the presence of God (The Holy Spirit) is invited into every session through prayer. Prayer is either led by me or the patient before, during or after the session. By including The Prince of Peace, The God of Hope and The Wonderful Counselor, my patients gain access to His peace, hope and comfort. I acknowledge that, as humans, our knowledge and understanding are finite, but that God is omniscient and His knowledge and power are infinite and unlimited. Relying on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance adds depth to my medical knowledge, which allows me to deliver a higher level of patient care.
As Christians, we were created with three components to our being: we are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. I have witnessed the life-changing, transformative effect of addressing a person's spirit in treatment! I strive to facilitate personal wholeness, interpersonal competence, mental stability and spiritual maturity in the lives of my patients. I help them learn to reject the lies they believe about their lives and circumstances, and replace them with God's unchanging truth!
The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center (TFCPC) serves as a fortress of protection and a place of refuge for the patients I have been given the honor and privilege to serve. We are inclusive of everyone and we judge no one. Everyone is accepted-- regardless of religious, cultural, ethnic or racial background. We were all created by God with unique differences, preferences and the freedom to make our own choices. We value, respect and honor every single patient, and we consider it a privilege to serve.
My psychiatric services are individualized and tailor-made to meet the specific needs of each patient. My clinical judgement is based on the most current and up-to-date medical science and guidance from The Holy Spirit. Treatment plans include a biological, psychological, social, spiritual perspective, because each plays a key role in a person's overall wellbeing. Including the spirit is what makes The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center (TFCPC) unique, because though the spirit is the most important part of a person, it is often unaddressed in traditional psychiatric settings.
As a Christian psychiatrist, I use a Biblical approach to treatment. I incorporate God's Word (Bible scriptures) into the treatment process, and the presence of God (The Holy Spirit) is invited into every session through prayer. Prayer is either led by me or the patient before, during or after the session. By including The Prince of Peace, The God of Hope and The Wonderful Counselor, my patients gain access to His peace, hope and comfort. I acknowledge that, as humans, our knowledge and understanding are finite, but that God is omniscient and His knowledge and power are infinite and unlimited. Relying on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance adds depth to my medical knowledge, which allows me to deliver a higher level of patient care.
As Christians, we were created with three components to our being: we are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. I have witnessed the life-changing, transformative effect of addressing a person's spirit in treatment! I strive to facilitate personal wholeness, interpersonal competence, mental stability and spiritual maturity in the lives of my patients. I help them learn to reject the lies they believe about their lives and circumstances, and replace them with God's unchanging truth!
The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center (TFCPC) serves as a fortress of protection and a place of refuge for the patients I have been given the honor and privilege to serve. We are inclusive of everyone and we judge no one. Everyone is accepted-- regardless of religious, cultural, ethnic or racial background. We were all created by God with unique differences, preferences and the freedom to make our own choices. We value, respect and honor every single patient, and we consider it a privilege to serve.
During and after treatment, my patients at TFCPC reported that they...
- experienced hope and peace in the midst of their struggle, when they choose to believe God not fear.
- demonstrated a greater response to treatment when they allow God (The Holy Spirit) into the process.
- relied upon God and credited Him for the victory over fear-based disorders, not me, medication or themselves.
- enjoyed a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, God and The Holy Spirit during/after treatment.
- became empowered as they learned to replace fearful, condemning thoughts (lies) with God's truth.
- understood the importance of the mind/soul, body, spirit connection, and how one affects the other.
- felt freedom and joy because they "finally have their life back"!
Teaching Truth. Creating Hope. Restoring Minds. Transforming Lives.
I have served as an Adjunct Professor at Richmont Graduate University, I am a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, I am a Fellow of The American Psychiatric Association, and I am the Medical Director, co-founder and co-owner of The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center (TFCPC) with my husband, Dr. Joseph Fortuchang.
We are covenant members of Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, under the leadership of Bishop Dale C. Bronner, where we actively serve the body of Christ in the Ministry of Christian Education as Bible study teachers.
We are covenant members of Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, under the leadership of Bishop Dale C. Bronner, where we actively serve the body of Christ in the Ministry of Christian Education as Bible study teachers.
The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center (TFCPC) proudly provided
Christ-centered psychiatric services that were anchored in Biblical principles &
evidence-based medical science. Thank you for allowing us to serve you!
Christ-centered psychiatric services that were anchored in Biblical principles &
evidence-based medical science. Thank you for allowing us to serve you!
whoever does not love does not know god, because god is love! 1john 4:8
The Prayer of Salvation
The Bible says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 That's the gift of salvation—the greatest gift of all!
How do we receive this gift? Romans 10:9-10 tells us, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." When we surrender our lives to Him, the result is peace, freedom from condemnation, joy, hope, and connection with God for eternity!
If you've never accepted the love and forgiveness that Jesus has to offer, there's no better time than now. I'm not talking about becoming religious and trying to be good enough; I'm talking about having a relationship with the Creator of the universe through His Son, Jesus Christ. It's so simple.
The Bible says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 That's the gift of salvation—the greatest gift of all!
How do we receive this gift? Romans 10:9-10 tells us, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." When we surrender our lives to Him, the result is peace, freedom from condemnation, joy, hope, and connection with God for eternity!
If you've never accepted the love and forgiveness that Jesus has to offer, there's no better time than now. I'm not talking about becoming religious and trying to be good enough; I'm talking about having a relationship with the Creator of the universe through His Son, Jesus Christ. It's so simple.
Just pray this prayer from your heart:
"Dear Jesus, I know I'm a sinner and I need a savior. I believe You are the Son of God, that You died, paying the price for my sins, and rose again. I ask You to come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior."
"Dear Jesus, I know I'm a sinner and I need a savior. I believe You are the Son of God, that You died, paying the price for my sins, and rose again. I ask You to come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior."
Copyright ©2014-2025 The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center (TFCPC).
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12
All information on this website is provided for general informational purposes only and should never be construed to be medical advice or treatment.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12
All information on this website is provided for general informational purposes only and should never be construed to be medical advice or treatment.