Dr. Helder Araujo MD PhD

Dr. Helder Araujo (MD, PhD) is a board-certified psychiatrist in California whose work integrates psychiatry, neuroscience, and education.

Originally from Portugal, he completed medical school and began training in neurology before moving to the United States. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in neuroscience and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Southern California. He has also taught at the college and university level—an experience he continues to value deeply.

Dr. Araujo completed his psychiatric training to pursue his central focus: helping adults across California navigate and manage complex mental health challenges with a thoughtful, individualized approach.

My goal is to provide individualized psychiatric care, with the understanding that mental health conditions—whether anxiety, depression, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related disorders, psychosis, or ADHD—do not present in the same way across individuals. Each person’s experience is different.

My approach is based on the premise that truly individualized treatment requires a thorough and thoughtful understanding of the person and the various factors contributing to their clinical picture. For this reason, I devote more time to psychiatric evaluation and ongoing visits than is typical in many psychiatric settings.

Treatment integrates medication management with psychotherapy.

Medication decisions are guided by current evidence while taking into account each patient’s individual needs, preferences, and circumstances.

My approach to psychotherapy places a strong emphasis on psychoanalytic and psychodynamic techniques, while also drawing from more immediate, practical approaches to help patients manage symptoms and develop coping strategies when needed.

I devote meaningful time to each session and work collaboratively with you to understand your concerns and treatment goals.

I keep my practice intentionally small, allowing each patient the time and attention needed for a thorough psychiatric evaluation.

The first visit focuses not only on your current symptoms, but also on understanding how they developed, the factors that may be contributing to them, and how best to approach treatment. When appropriate, the initial evaluation may also incorporate psychotherapy.

Because a thorough understanding cannot always be reached in a single visit, I will often recommend a relatively soon follow-up appointment to complement the initial evaluation, further clarify the clinical picture, and continue treatment.