Vladimir Khalafian, MD

I completed my medical school training at the University of Oklahoma in 2011. I then trained at the University of California, San Diego, in a general adult psychiatry residency. I completed this in the summer of 2015 and then obtained my board certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in September 2015. I have been practicing psychiatry since that time in a general hospital setting. I have worked in various settings within the hospital: from acute inpatient care, to emergency department consultations, to intensive outpatient levels of care. I also have significant experience in psychotherapy; having practiced many different modalities during my years as a psychiatrist.I greatly enjoy my work. For me, the patient interaction is by far and away the best part of my work day. I believe that people begin to struggle with psychiatric symptoms when their life is devoid of fulfilling interactions with others. I certainly have appreciated a two-way relationship between severe symptoms and one's connection with their loved ones. It is always a goal of mine to approach every single human interaction with as much compassion and empathy as possible. I believe these are some of the greatest tools that we have in our field; and more importantly, as virtues in all of our lives. I strive to understand my patients' experiences , and the contexts of such, to the best of my ability. I openly invite them to do the same with me. This is one of the greatest agencies of change, in my opinion. My time with someone serves as a window into their life. I seek to help others look at themselves with more compassion at all times. I actively encourage feedback from patients so that our relationship can grow in our endeavor to alleviate their suffering.