Spanish-Speaking Psychiatrist in San Francisco

I trained in medicine in Spanish, in Mexico, before completing my psychiatry residency in the United States. As a physician I can both prescribe and provide the psychotherapy myself, so both halves of a treatment plan are decided in the same room.

¿Prefiere leer esto en español? Psiquiatra que habla español en San Francisco.

You may not be the patient. The person you are looking for may be a parent, a partner, or a relative who follows English well enough in daily life but not well enough for a conversation about a diagnosis, a medication, or a dose change.

That distinction matters more in psychiatry than in most specialties, because the work is almost entirely conversation. A patient who is translating in their head while describing a symptom gives a less accurate history, and a patient hearing side effects explained through a third party remembers less of it.

You are welcome to make the first call. From there the consultation itself can run entirely in Spanish.

I earned my medical degree at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, graduating with honors, a distinction awarded to five to ten percent of each class. I also received the award for outstanding performance on the EGEL-MEDI, Mexico's national medical licensing examination.

I completed my psychiatry residency at the University of Washington, finishing with distinctions in psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and collaborative care, and later a master's in clinical research and epidemiology at Stanford University.

I am board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and hold an active California medical license.

Anxiety, depression, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and difficulties in a relationship.

A common reason couples find me is that each partner is more fluent in a different language; in couples therapy they can be seen together without either of them working in a second language for the whole session.

I also see second opinions, patients with complex medical conditions alongside a psychiatric one, and people whose first treatment attempt did not work.

The two areas where I concentrate the most work are medication management and deprescribing for patients who want to come off a medication rather than start one. Both have Spanish pages: manejo de medicamentos and dejar o reducir un medicamento.

This is a private, cash-pay practice. Credit cards are accepted. I do not bill commercial insurance. The first appointment is $695 for 85 minutes, and a combined psychotherapy and medication management appointment afterwards is $495 for 55 minutes. I provide a superbill you can submit for out-of-network reimbursement. Reimbursement depends on your plan and is not guaranteed. If care needs to be paid through a health plan directly, that plan can provide a list of psychiatrists in its network. I see patients with Original Medicare (Part B) case by case as a non-participating provider. Please contact me before booking to confirm availability, fees, and how payment and claims will be handled.

I see patients by appointment only, at 450 Sutter Street, Suite 1822, near Union Square, and I see patients from San Francisco, Marin County, and the Bay Area.