I am a Family Physician, not a Psychiatrist. Mental Health is my area of interest and expertise. This job is a labor of love for me, and I strive to serve God through my interactions with my patients.
I started out as a Patient Advocate, and advocacy is still a big part of what I do. I am good at explaining things in plain English and meeting people right where they are. Many patients remark that I am not like any other doctor they have ever met. I take this as a compliment; I have reached a point in my life and career where I feel completely comfortable just being myself. I think this is what God wants for me and for all of us.
I graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Human Biology in 1992 and from the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine in 1999. I completed a Family
Medicine Residency in 2008 at Kaiser Riverside and a year-long Fellowship in Integrative Psychiatry in 2020.
I have worked in many different clinical settings in Family Medicine and I was employed by the Kaiser Department of Outpatient Psychiatry in 2008-2009 for a year doing mental health medication evaluations and follow-ups under the supervision of two psychiatrists. I have helped patients with mental illness over my career in several Community and County Clinics, Kaiser, Urgent Care, and a Student Health Center.
My calling is to treat mental dis-ease and emotional turmoil, using humor, empathy, and kindness.
I participate in 12-Step recovery, meditation, prayer, and support groups. I have bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and marijuana addiction, which were diagnosed over 20 years ago, and are controlled with medications, 12-Step recovery, and natural supplements.
