Born and raised in southern Illinois, Dr. Christopher Trammell enjoys life in rural communities and serving the behavioral needs of rural residents.

“Working with people and working together on common goals is rewarding,” he said. “And the brain is the final frontier of medicine.

”Taking a neurochemistry class during his junior year in college helped Dr. Trammell decide upon psychiatry as his specialty.

“Neurochemistry can affect people’s lives so strongly. That spoke to me.”

Neurochemistry includes the study of neurotransmitters, believed to be linked to mood and anxiety disorders.

Dr. Trammell says helping people identify and begin the journey to reach their behavioral health goals is a bit less complex than neurochemistry.

“I keep it simple. I do my best to be open with my patients, to be flexible, to listen and be non-judgmental,” he said. “What’s going on and how can I help you?”

When not seeing patients, Dr. Trammell enjoys time on the tennis court. He’s been a fan of the sport since attending tennis camp in junior high school. The doctor became serious about his other hobby, playing the guitar, during medical school. Ask him to tell you the story of his Gibson guitar.