Psychiatry | Wellbeing | Forensic | Leadership

I am a psychiatrist board-certified in  General, Addiction and Forensic Psychiatry, and Lifestyle Medicine, as well as a certified physician executive.  

After completing my residency and a research fellowship training at Stanford, I spent four years at San Francisco General Hospital/UCSF, where I gained valuable experience in the areas of substance use, HIV, and public health. For over two decades, I dedicated my practice to serving veterans at the Palo Alto VA. I then went on to lead as chief medical director at Mental Health and Addiction Services, El Camino Health for two and a half years, and later as the Executive Medical Director of Custody Behavioral Health at Santa Clara County. I returned to UCSF for two years as Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, and I currently teach as an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine.  

My career has spanned working, leading and teaching in diverse environments, including inpatient and outpatient settings across both private and public sectors. I have relished the opportunity to create and implement innovative programs within the healthcare system and community. My interests encompass wellness and self-care for physicians, women's health, and health creation and resiliency building for the community. Additionally, I am passionate about Physician Coaching and have organized Wellness Retreats to foster mental and physical well-being. As a certified meditation teacher I incorporate mindfulness-based interventions to enhance wellbeing. I completed my first Sprint and Olympic triathlons after I turned fifty, and continue to explore ways of aging well. I enjoy traveling the world which has helped expand my perspective and stay open and curious.  

I was honored to receive the Outstanding Community Clerkship Preceptor Award in 2010 and the Arthur L. Bloomfield Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Clinical Medicine in 2015 at the Stanford University School of Medicine. I am a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.