Cardiologist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Chiropractor providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Dentist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Dermatologist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Family Physician providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
OB-GYN providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Ophthalmologist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Orthopedic Surgeon providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Pediatrician providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Physical Therapist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Podiatrist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Psychiatrist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Elizabeth Casalegno, MD, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist at Adelpha Psychiatric Group in Pasadena, California.
Dr. Casalegno graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, San Diego, with a degree in biochemistry and cell biology. While at UCSD, she also studied abroad in the Bordeaux region of France, immersing herself in French culture and language. Later, she pursued her medical studies at the University of California, Davis. She ran a student-run clinic for low-income and minority patients and became an Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society member.
Her interest in human behavior led her to complete her psychiatry residency training at UCLA, where she served as the chief resident of the whole training program.
Dr. Casalegno specializes in treating various disorders with a careful selection of psychotropic medications in combination with individual psychotherapy and other interventional treatments such as TMS. She is also interested in reproductive psychiatry, psychotic disorders, and applying psychodynamically-informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to treat mood and anxiety disorders, including OCD, aggressively.
Dr. Casalegno is a former member of the Volunteer Clinical Faculty at UCLA, where she was an attending physician in the Psychosis Clinic and the Resident Psychotherapy Clinic. She is also a UCLA Psychiatric Clinical Faculty Association (PCFA) board member.
Rahael Gupta, MD, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist and board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist at Adelpha Psychiatric Group in Pasadena, California.
Dr. Gupta earned her BA in Human Biology from Stanford University and her MS in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University. She went on to earn her MD from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, where she was awarded the Raymond W. Waggoner Award for distinguished performance in psychiatry.
Dr. Gupta completed adult psychiatry residency training and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at UCLA, serving as Program Chief Fellow and pursuing the Parent and Infant Mental Health Area of Distinction. During her fellowship, she became a certified facilitator of the Circle of Security International Early Intervention Program for Parents and Children (an attachment-based, reflective parenting program), facilitating groups for new mothers at UCLA’s Perinatal Intensive Outpatient Program. She received the 2024 UCLA Gertrude Rogers Greenblatt Award in Child Psychiatry, given to one fellow annually noted for their “deeply humane commitment to children and families requiring psychiatric care.”
Dr. Gupta has specialized training in psychopharmacology and psychotherapy for anxiety disorders, mood disorders, ADHD, eating disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. She has experience with a wide variety of therapeutic techniques, including cognitive behavioral therapy, family-focused therapy, exposure and response prevention, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and executive function coaching. She is committed to a holistic and trauma-informed approach to care.
Maya Smolarek, MD, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist at Adelpha Psychiatric Group in Pasadena and Oakland, California.
Dr. Smolarek graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UC Berkeley with a degree in Religious Studies. Although she pursued medical training to enter end-of-life care, she could not escape the allure of focusing on internal experience, meaning, and personal narrative in the specialty of Psychiatry.
Dr. Smolarek graduated from UCLA medical school with a leadership award and induction into the Gold Humanism Honor Society for her merits in compassionate care. During Psychiatry Residency at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, she and a colleague co-founded the Women in Psychiatry group to further the education of trainees on issues related to women. She developed curricula for medical students and residents on sexual harassment during training and delivered talks on the subject at two national conventions. She served as Volunteer Clinical Faculty member at UCLA , teaching in the Interpersonal Therapy Clinic.
Dr. Smolarek is experienced in treating the gamut of mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. She has specialty training in reproductive psychiatry (pertaining to menstrual, menopausal, and peripartum issues), geriatric psychiatry, PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, and bipolar disorder. She brings a background study of mysticism and Buddhism to her psychodynamic psychotherapy. Her holistic approach to care also includes an interest in affect-oriented and somatic therapy. LGBTQ+ affirming.
Yvonne Lu, MD, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist at Adelpha Psychiatric Group in Pasadena, California. She offers comprehensive, compassionate care across a wide range of mental health concerns and strives to cultivate a warm, open space for growth, resilience, and self-discovery.
As a first-generation Los Angeles native, Dr. Lu developed an early interest in how cultural, societal, and systemic influences shape emotional well-being. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Duke University with a degree in Neuroscience and minors in Medical Sociology and Chemistry.
Dr. Lu earned her medical degree from the University of California, Irvine, where she was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. During this time, she served vulnerable populations through student-run free clinics and provided music therapy in hospice and nursing homes – experiences that solidified her appreciation for the mind-body connection.
She completed her psychiatry residency at USC / Los Angeles General Medical Center, one of the largest public safety-net hospitals on the West Coast. There, she served as Chief Resident of the Integrated Care Services, providing psychiatric care across several primary care clinics, including geriatrics, OBGYN, internal medicine, and pediatrics. She also received specialized training in student mental health on USC’s undergraduate campus.
Dr. Lu treats a broad spectrum of conditions, including mood, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, and psychosis, using a personalized combination of psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and lifestyle interventions. She has a special interest in trauma-informed care, particularly in relational trauma, attachment wounds, and inner child healing.
Her therapeutic approach is integrative and grounded in psychodynamic therapy, for which she pursued advanced training through an additional two-year Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program with the New Center for Psychoanalysis. She also incorporates Internal Family Systems, interpersonal psychotherapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy in her work. Dr. Lu enjoys drawing on mindfulness, spirituality (including Buddhist psychology), and cultural humility to support each person’s unique path to healing.
Esther Kim, MD, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist at Adelpha Psychiatric Group in Pasadena, California. She has a diverse background in both music and psychiatry.
Before entering medicine, Dr. Kim spent much of her life immersed in the classical music world. She studied violin performance at the Juilliard School in New York and later at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, ultimately completing her Artist Diploma at Indiana University. Her growing curiosity about the connection between music and the mind guided her toward a career in medicine. She went on to earn her MD at Wake Forest School of Medicine, where she conducted research on depression and anxiety in patients with epilepsy and founded the Wake Forest Musical Outreach Program.
Dr. Kim completed her psychiatry residency at the UCLA-Resnick Neuropsychiatric Institute, serving as chief resident for both the Consult-Liaison Service and the Psychiatric Emergency Room. Her career continues to bridge music and psychiatry; she has participated in UCLA’s Mindful Music series and contributed to musical storytelling research focused on promoting resilience and reducing stigma surrounding mental illness.
Clinically, Dr. Kim specializes in mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders, with additional interests in women’s mental health and reproductive psychiatry. She takes an integrative, collaborative approach to care, emphasizing mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle alongside evidence-based psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. She is also trained in neuromodulation, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Outside her clinical work, Dr. Kim remains active as a classical violinist. She is a certified yoga instructor, an enthusiastic cook and baker, and a devoted dog mom to Schumann (“Schumie”), her high-spirited Pomeranian–American Eskimo mix named after the composer Clara Schumann.
Joan Striebel, MD, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist at Adelpha Psychiatric Group in Pasadena, California.
Before deciding to pursue medicine, Dr. Striebel taught in elementary schools, and her love of teaching has been a theme throughout her career. She attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. After completing her residency at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Addiction Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, she spent ten years working in forensic settings, caring for patients with serious mental illness, providing psychopharmacology consultations, and teaching psychiatry residents and fellows.
Dr. Striebel is trained in EMDR and is interested in treating trauma. She also has specialized expertise in treating psychosis, implementing clozapine, and in treating substance use disorders, particularly opioid use disorder. She completed a visiting fellowship in ECT, has served as an expert witness on ECT, and has written several book chapters related to mental illness and addiction.
She is a voluntary Clinical Assistant Professor and a teaching attending at the UCLA Psychosis Clinic. The UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences honored her with the award for Outstanding Volunteer Clinical Faculty Teaching 2024-2025.
I provide a safe environment coupled with active listening to establish a trusting rapport with my clients. I use evidence based practice to treat the identified diagnosis and meet my client's specific needs. I attended school at California State University Long Beach. I have been practicing as a nurse practitioner, in several settings, for 5 years. I have 30 years of clinical experience and was first trained in healthcare at LAC/USC level 1 trauma center allowing me to develop efficient assessment skills, effective critical thinking and a compassionate bedside manor. I encourage patients and families to participate in their treatment plan.
Salisu Aikoye, MD, is a board-certified adult and addiction psychiatrist. At Sal Psychiatry Services, located in Norwalk, California, they adhere to strict controlled substance protocol.
Dr. Salisu attended medical school at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria and completed his psychiatry residency at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Nigeria. Dr. Salisu then completed a psychiatry residency at Central Michigan University, Saginaw, and completed his addiction psychiatry fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles/VA.
Dr. Salisu also obtained a master’s in public health at the University of Southern California with a special interest in global mental health.
He is a passionate and well-rounded psychiatrist known for his excellent listening skills, knowledge of psychiatry/dual diagnoses, and ability to work well with diverse patient populations.
Dr. Salisu promotes evidence-based biological treatments with an emphasis on the role of psychotherapy in mental health care.
“I have been working in residential care for 15 years and I have never met such a caring, knowledgeable and personable psychiatrist. Dr. Sal sees all the youth at our residential facility, the youth are 12-21 years old and it’s very difficult to build rapport with them, but Dr. Sal was able to feel the youth safe and cared for enough for them to trust him and share their needs. He never rushes appointments and he never pushes meds. The entire team is amazing! I am so grateful for their help!”
I provide a safe environment coupled with active listening to establish a trusting rapport with my clients. I use evidence based practice to treat the identified diagnosis and meet my client's specific needs. I attended school at California State University Long Beach. I have been practicing as a nurse practitioner, in several settings, for 5 years. I have 30 years of clinical experience and was first trained in healthcare at LAC/USC level 1 trauma center allowing me to develop efficient assessment skills, effective critical thinking and a compassionate bedside manor. I encourage patients and families to participate in their treatment plan.
