CREDENTIALS
EDUCATION
B.A., Haverford College
M.D., Harvard Medical School
TRAINING
Residency, Adult Psychiatry
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles
Fellowship, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles
BOARD CERTIFICATION
Diplomate in Adult Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Diplomate in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
LICENSURE
California, 2009 - present
Massachusetts, 2014 - present
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
2016 - present Assistant Clinical Professor, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
2014 - 2016 Instructor, Havard Medical School Department of Psychiatry
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2011 - present
American Psychiatric Association, 2008 - present
OTHER CERTIFICATIONS & TRAINING
*Supervisor, Mentalization-Based Therapy for Adolescents, Anna Freud National Center for Children and Families
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
*I am formally certified as a supervisor of mentalization by Dr. Trudie Rossouw and Professor Peter Fonagy at the Anna Freud Centre in London. Mentalization is the capacity to understand that people act (converse, create, explore, etc.) because of what is in their mind - feelings, goals, expectations, etc. Mentalization can be thought of as what encompasses both mindfulness (self-directed understanding) and empathy (other-directed understanding). This capacity is vital to mental health because when we feel understood, when we feel that people 'get it', we calm ourselves and we begin to heal. Enhancing this capacity serves as an evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder, and can strengthen any psychological treatment.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Fellow, American Psychiatric Association, 2016
Partners in Excellence award for administrative leadership, 2015
Educational Outreach Program award, 2012
Anjelica Luz Chavez Memorial Fund grant, 2005
INVITED LECTURES
2016 - "Children with special needs: an introduction for preschool and elementary teachers", Yachaywasi Language Immersion Program, Los Angeles, CA [in Spanish]
2016 - “OCDI Jr.: Reflections after one year", Massachusetts General Hospital, Pediatric Anxiety & OCD Program, Boston, MA
2015 - “Mentalization 2, Clinical applications in anxiety”, McLean Hospital, Anxiety Mastery Program, Cambridge, MA
2014 - “Mentalization 1”, McLean Hospital, Anxiety Mastery Program, Cambridge, MA
2014 - “RASH-BD: Risk-taking and Self Harm in Bipolar Disorder, a mentalization study”, UCLA Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Los Angeles, CA
2014 - “Cultural considerations in the practice of child and adolescent psychiatry”, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Los Angeles, CA
2013 - “Medications For Common Disorders In Kids”, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Los Angeles, CA
PUBLICATIONS
Fleisher CA. [Review of the book American Madness: The Rise and Fall of Dementia Praecox, by Richard Noll]. Am J Psychiatry 2013, 170(5): 564-565
MacMillan CM, Korndörfer SR, Rao S, Fleisher CA, Mezzacappa E, Gonzalez-Heydrich J. A comparison of divalproex and oxcarbazepine in aggressive youth with bipolar disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2006; 12(4): 214-22. PMID: 16883146
Gonzalez-Heydrich J, Pandina GJ, Fleisher CA, Hsin O, Raches D, Bourgeois BF, Biederman J. No seizure exacerbation from risperidone in youth with comorbid epilepsy and psychiatric disorders: a case series. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2004; 14(2): 295-310. PMID: 15319026
"Thank you for touching and changing our lives!"
Parent of a patient
"I feel like I have my life back."
A patient
"I would want you to treat my children"
A colleague
EDUCATION
B.A., Haverford College
M.D., Harvard Medical School
TRAINING
Residency, Adult Psychiatry
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles
Fellowship, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Assistant Clinical Professor, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
2016 - 2022
Instructor, Havard Medical School Department of Psychiatry
2014 - 2016
EXPERIENCE
-
University of California, Los Angeles Health System
-
McLean Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School
-
Boston Child Study Center - Los Angeles
-
Head of Clinical, reflect
BOARD CERTIFICATION
Diplomate in Adult Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Diplomate in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
LICENSURE
California
2009 - present
Massachusetts
2014 - 2018
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
2011 - present
American Psychiatric Association
2008 - present
North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders
2016 - present
OTHER CERTIFICATIONS & TRAINING
Certifications:
*Supervisor, Mentalization-Based Therapy for Adolescents: certified by the Anna Freud National Center for Children and Families
Trainer, Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder (adults and adolescents): certified by the Gunderson Personality Disorder Institute at McLean Hospital
Trainer, Family Connections(TM): certified by the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
*I am formally certified as a supervisor of mentalization by Dr. Trudie Rossouw and Professor Peter Fonagy at the Anna Freud Centre in London. Mentalization is the capacity to understand that people act (converse, create, explore, etc.) because of what is in their mind - feelings, goals, expectations, etc. Mentalization can be thought of as what encompasses both mindfulness (self-directed understanding) and empathy (other-directed understanding). This capacity is vital to mental health because when we feel understood, when we feel that people 'get it', we calm ourselves and we begin to heal. Enhancing this capacity serves as an evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder, and can strengthen any psychological treatment.
Additional Training:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Basic training (Association for Contextual Behavioral Science)
Transference-Focused Psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder
Reflective Parenting, Level 1 training (Center for Reflective Communities)
HONORS AND AWARDS
Super Doctors(R) Rising Stars, 2018 - present
Fellow, American Psychiatric Association, 2016
Partners in Excellence award for administrative leadership, 2015
Educational Outreach Program award, 2012
Anjelica Luz Chavez Memorial Fund grant, 2005
INVITED LECTURES (selected)
2019
“Good Psychiatric Management of Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescents.” Annual Meeting, International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders, Vancouver, Canada.
“Integrating Mentalizing and DBT for Borderline Personality Disorder.” The Royal Mental Health Center, Ottawa, Canada.
“Borderline Personality Disorder: State of the Art Treatments in 2019.” University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and McLean Hospital Gunderson Personality Disorder Institute, Miami, FL.
2018
"Introduction to Mentalizing-Based Therapy." UCLA Behavioral Health Associates (BHA) program, Los Angeles, CA.
“Fundamentals in Mentalization-Based Treatment for Suicidal and Self-injurious Youth ”, Annual Meeting, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington, DC.
2017
“(mis)understanding: personality disorder, resilience and trust ”, Grand Rounds, UCLA Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Los Angeles, CA
“Personality Disorders in Young People: A Primer for the Generalist”, Annual Meeting, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington, DC.
“Mentalizing and Recovery”, Rebos Outpatient Treatment Center, Los Angeles, CA
"A language for thoughts and feelings: mentalizing in child and adolescent psychiatry", Grands Rounds, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCSD, San Diego, CA
PUBLICATIONS
Fleisher CA. [Review of the book American Madness: The Rise and Fall of Dementia Praecox, by Richard Noll]. Am J Psychiatry 2013, 170(5): 564-565
MacMillan CM, Korndörfer SR, Rao S, Fleisher CA, Mezzacappa E, Gonzalez-Heydrich J. A comparison of divalproex and oxcarbazepine in aggressive youth with bipolar disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2006; 12(4): 214-22. PMID: 16883146
Gonzalez-Heydrich J, Pandina GJ, Fleisher CA, Hsin O, Raches D, Bourgeois BF, Biederman J. No seizure exacerbation from risperidone in youth with comorbid epilepsy and psychiatric disorders: a case series. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2004; 14(2): 295-310. PMID: 15319026
"Thank you for touching and changing our lives!"
Parent of a patient
"I feel like I have my life back."
A patient
"I would want you to treat my children"
A colleague