Shahla Chehrazi, MD

I am a board certified psychiatrist licensed to practice medicine in the state of California and have been in clinical practice more than 35 years, specializing in treating young children and their families, adolescents and adults.  In combination with psychotherapy, I prescribe and manage medications as needed.

In addition to my clinical practice, I am an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF Medical School, teach child psychotherapy and child development at San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, and supervise psychiatric residents at California Pacific Medical Center. I also offer consultations to other mental health professionals.

I received my psychiatric training at the Menninger Clinic, where I completed my residency in child, adolescent and adult psychiatry.  Subsequently, I participated in an adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Stanford University. Simultaneously, I began training at San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis and became certified as an Adult and Child Psychoanalyst by the American Psychoanalytic Association. Thus, I am highly trained to conduct comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and consultations, analytical-oriented psychotherapy, and medication consultations.

I am passionate about working with children and families, particularly early intervention. In 1995, I was the recipient of a grant from the Miriam and Peter Haas Fund to develop and direct a therapeutic preschool in collaboration with the San Francisco Unified School District. For five years, I worked closely with early childhood educators, teachers, and high risk children and families in this innovative and exciting project at the Burnett Children’s Center, where I provided teacher training seminars, play group therapy and child development workshops.

Among other publications, I am the editor of “Psychosocial Issues in Day Care,” published by the American Psychiatric Association.[1]

Being a parent of a child on the spectrum coupled with more than 35 years of working as a child psychiatrist, give me an excellent understanding of the challenges involved in bringing up a child outside of the neurotypical continuum. Psychiatry and a medical degree enhance my understanding of my child and the children and adolescents I treat.
As a strong supporter of early intervention, it is my passion to help young children with developmental delays and pre-autism as well as later in the childhood and throughout the school years. When indicated I use the DIR (Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based) approach known as Floortime pioneered by Stanley Greenspan, M.D. I believe in an interdisciplinary approach and work tightly with a network of professionals.

Services include one-on-one therapy as well as parent/school consultation, family and professional workshops.