UCLA-trained double-boarded psychiatrist (adult and child & adolescent psychiatry) in active clinical practice. Experienced in academic psychiatry, community mental health, inpatient psychiatry, residential treatment, incarcerated juvenile treatment, and private practice outpatient care. Lived and worked in Europe, Asia, and Central America--proficient in Japanese, Spanish, and French. One year of public school teaching experience. Undergraduate education in classical music, history, and literature. Experienced in medical-legal consultation for medical record review and deposition preparation, as well as expert witness testimony for child and adult emotional injury cases, representing both plaintiff and defense. Private practice in Los Angeles specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry since 2013.
Candidate in adult psychoanalysis since 2012 at the Psychoanalytic Center of California (PCC). Taught seminars at both the PCC and the Maple Counseling Center, focusing on the integration of medication treatment and psychotherapy.
EMPLOYMENT
2013-Present Adult, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry Private Practice
2012-2014 Staff Psychiatrist LA County DMH
2010-2012 Staff Psychiatrist Pacific Hospital
2010 Staff Psychiatrist St. Elizabeth Hospital
EDUCATION
2012 Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Harbor-UCLA
2010 Adult Psychiatry Residency University of Cincinnati
2007 MD Medical College of Wisconsin
1995 BA University of California Berkeley, First Honors
Board certified in Adult Psychiatry
Board certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Qualified Medical Examiner (QME) for State of California DWC
In the absence of physical evidence or eyewitness testimony, establishing a criminal charge of child sexual abuse often boils down to a “he said, she said” weighing of credibility of the accuser and accused. As the burden of proof lies on the prosecution to establish the charge beyond a reasonable doubt, witness testimony becomes paramount in determining the outcome of the case. If the alleged victim is suffering from a serious mental illness, such as psychosis, that impairs one’s ability to either accurately recall the alleged abuse or distinguish reality from fantasy, witness credibility will suffer, and the defendant will likely be found not guilty. For both plaintiff and defense counsel, when there is any suspicion of psychotic illness in the accuser, it is critical to assess the following before trial: type and severity of mental illness, genetics, drug use, previous abuse, and neglect.
