Hi there. My name is Elana and I’m a psychiatrist based out of Los Angeles, California. I love to write, read, and make music. Here are a few of the things I believe in:
- Discovering joy and happiness in everyday life, even amidst chaos and stress
- Synthesizing Eastern perspectives on mindfulness and spirituality into the Western view of the mind and brain
- Integrating traditional psychiatric treatments with complementary approaches
- The resilience of the human spirit and the power of love
I received my B.A. in psychology at Harvard University before studying medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, where I was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. I completed my psychiatry residency training at the University of California, Los Angeles, where I was nominated as a UCLA Exceptional Physician.
In December of 2013 I was diagnosed with Stage IV Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, and I survived. I wrote about my experience with cancer and path to healing as it was happening, as honestly when it was hopeful as when it was sad.
My writing has been featured on the Huffington Post, Forbes, KevinMD, Reimagine, on the website of the Academy of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. The article I wrote shortly after my cancer diagnosis reached millions of people and was translated into French, German, Italian and Japanese. I have spoken at UCLA’s Psychiatry Grand Rounds on the power of love and hope in the field of psychiatry. My blog has a modest but dedicated email subscriber base of over 11,000 people (you can subscribe here). My free online guide about dealing with a cancer diagnosis, Holy Shit, You Have Cancer (A Quick Start Guide), has been downloaded thousands of times.
I currently have a small private practice based out of my office in West Los Angeles, California where I use both traditional medicinal and holistic non-medicinal approaches to help professionals overcome anxiety, depression, and stress to live happier and more fulfilling lives.
Living an authentic life requires both reflection and action. It necessitates both examination and experimentation. I appreciate you joining me here and I look forward to helping (or at least entertaining) you along your journey.