Eating Disorder Programs

Over the years working as a psychiatrist, I have developed extensive knowledge and expertise in managing challenging patients with variety of psychiatric diagnoses. I have focused my expertise on helping people struggling with complex psychiatric problems; patients who have not found relief from their symptoms despite multiple previous treatments. The approach I find the most effective for treatment resistant, seemingly hopeless problems in psychiatry is tailoring a unique treatment protocols for each patient. In formulating treatment approaches for patients struggling with treatment-resistant, severe depression, bipolar, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders, I often integrate Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) with medication treatment and psychotherapy to achieve best results for my patients. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has been shown to be a very effective tool for patients who have failed to get better with multiple antidepressants.

Hello! My name is Azhar and I am the Program Director for the LGTC Eating Disorder IOP.  I got my undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara and after a brief detour at Stanford, where I was exploring an option to become a researcher, I got my Masters in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University. Even though I love science, I realized that I love working with people directly so much more. During my first internship I worked at an Eating Disorder treatment center and I loved it so much, that I continued developing my specialty in treating Eating disorders ever since. My passion for treating EDs comes from personal experience of being a woman in a weight-focused society. I believe that it is a human right and a basic necessity to feel at peace with one’s body and food. I really enjoy helping my clients to break free from ED thoughts, stop the negative cycle of restricting-binging-purging and find their strength and authenticity.  In my work I utilize a variety of evidence-based approaches, including Family Based Treatment (FBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I am currently in training for Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT). I also work towards getting the CEDS (Certified Eating Disorder Specialist) designation from IAEDP (International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals).  Over the years being a therapist I continue to marvel at the resilience that people have. I am constantly inspired by how people have a capacity to go on despite many internal and external roadblocks. For me, the most important lesson has been to trust people’s process, their inner wisdom and empower them to take reigns into their own hands.

I received my PMHNP from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). I believe in providing each client with compassionate, evidence-based care to support them in becoming the best version of themselves. I am specialized in treating adults across the lifespan who are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, psychosis-spectrum conditions, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and substance-use disorders. I am also passionate about providing psychiatric care to people with co-occurring chronic medical conditions, including autoimmune disorders and chronic pain.

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from University of Padua (Italy), I moved to California to purse a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology. I obtained a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Sofia University (Palo Alto, CA) with a dissertation on the correlation between shame and self-compassion in a group of women at risk of developing an eating disorder. My academic training includes psychodynamic orientation, evidenced-based and mindfulness-based techniques. My experience includes general mental health, substance use, eating disorders and cancer diagnosis. I have worked in a residential setting providing therapy to adolescents with eating disorders and their families. I have worked with adults, couples and children both in individual and group settings. My approach is patient/client-centered, collaborative and eclectic. I strive to honor, respect and foster the clients’ unique journey and to provide empathetic care and presence to the clients’ experience.

Hello, I am Kellie Cheves, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist passionate about working with eating disorder patients. My passion for the field began with my own body acceptance journey and continued because of my drive to empower others to work to love themselves completely. After earning my degree in Foods and Nutrition at San Diego State University, I gained experience in clinical inpatient and outpatient settings. As a Registered Dietitian, I have years of experience counseling adolescents and adults with eating disorders and have worked to help them improve their relationship with food and their bodies, as well as break free of the negative influence of diet culture. I utilize intuitive eating principles and counsel through a weight-neutral approach in order to help individuals make peace with food, learn more about nutrition, and normalize eating patterns. I continue to learn and grow working with people from diverse backgrounds and am honored to be a part of their recovery journey.