“Compassion is a relationship between equals, not a relationship between the healer and the wounded.”

Pema ChÖdrÖn

Long before I began studying medicine, I knew I wanted to be a doctor. When I was five, my younger brother was born with Down's Syndrome and a heart defect which caused congestion in his lungs. Each winter he would get a life-threatening respiratory illness and my family would rush him to hospital. When he went in he was barely breathing and his lips were blue, and with treatment he would be completely restored. So I learned early on that medicine is a miracle. 

Today, I still marvel at the power good medical care has to transform lives. Everyday I see patients who are on a journey to change their lives from the inside out, and I am honored to be their guide on the path to wellness. My own experience of being in psychotherapy during my training as a psychiatrist helped me realize the power of transformation it provides. I continued seeing a therapist after finishing training, to help with stress management, and to improve my quality of life.

After practicing psychiatry for over 25 years, I know how much my patients want to live healthy, meaningful lives.

How do you take that desire and turn it into action?

Taking that first step is sometimes the hardest, and the work ahead may not be easy. I promise you, it’s worth it.

I Am Here to Help

Sometimes movies portray psychiatrists who simply listen, nod, and take notes while you lie on a couch and pour your heart out. That’s not me. I am warm, collaborative, and also pretty direct: if I can tell you something in 10 minutes that will help you change your life, I won’t wait 10 sessions. My goal isn’t for you to come to therapy forever;  it is to help you grow, heal, love yourself and “graduate” from therapy when you are satisfied with your level of improvement.