Dr. Jonathan Lee

I'm a quadruple-board-certified psychiatrist -- twice in Adult Psychiatry in Canada and the States, and 2x in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Canada and the States. I immigrated from Canada to LA in 2019 on an O-1 visa granted for my research in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation method to treat depression. A mouthful, I know.

While I don't consider myself an "alien of extraordinary ability" (or Melania Trump, for that matter), UCLA and the USCIS did -- who knew! After years in academia on both sides of the pond, I've left the ivory tower to be the warm, irreverent (and of course professional) psychiatrist I am, fulfilling my life's mission to do the "art of medicine".

I'm a Pisces by heart, and loyal to a fault with people who choose to work with me. I've never thought psychiatry was "just" about meds -- though I'm skilled at prescribing them.

Invariably, I incorporate approaches from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and internal family systems (IFS) into the "work" of prescribing, at times, shifting more fully into a longer-term, psychotherapy model with patients who've stabilized on their chosen meds.

In my most SELF-led times, I'm humorous and irreverent. I've been known to break out into song spontaneously (thank you, ACT and DBT), which often lightens the mood. Still, I will sit with you in your pain, sadness, anxiety, and joy, as long as you let me (and schedule permitting, of course),

A first session generally involves gathering information about your history, symptoms, and goals, along with an honest vibe check to see if we could work together.

I've learned that not everyone appreciates my direct, no-nonsense "Asian-mom" approach -- and by that I mean a dogged, caring, and at times exasperatingly annoying approach -- but I'm lucky to have many trusted colleagues I refer to (and who refer to me) when my shoe just doesn't fit you.