Christopher Chin, MD
Dr. Christopher Chin is a board-certified adult psychiatrist in Los Angeles with a focus on diagnosing and treating individuals suffering from clinical depression. He has a significant interest in diagnosing and treating mood disorders, specifically bipolar spectrum disorders, unipolar depression, and treatment-resistant depression.
More about Christopher Chin, MD
Although his undergraduate learning primed his interest in the neuroscience of human experience, Dr. Chin initially entered the medical field with the aspiration to become a primary care physician, as he greatly idealized the doctor-patient relationship. Over time, through his medical studies and personal experiences, he developed an appreciation for the profound psychological and social consequences of psychiatric conditions. Caring for individuals living with these experiences as a psychiatrist became a natural fit for him, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Dr. Chin has a collaborative and holistic approach with his patients. Taking time to understand his patients’ personalities, situations, and preferences enhances his ability to modulate his approach and provide the most personalized care. He views clinical medicine as the art of understanding and responding to individual value judgments, and psychiatric practice is no different. He values his patients’ questions as it opens the door for dialogue and understanding of the best treatment for the individual.
For Dr. Chin, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy in Los Angeles is an effective, non-invasive therapeutic technology, and it provides an opportunity of robust improvement for many patients unresponsive to medications and psychotherapy. Having worked with patients with treatment-resistant depression and other conditions, he is excited to be able to offer this option to his patients. Moreover, the development of TMS therapy as a therapeutic has contributed to the fundamental understanding of clinical depression and the brain’s role in other psychiatric conditions.
Personal Interests
California is Dr. Chin’s home state, and he appreciates its natural beauty. He grew up in Northern California camping, hiking, and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and snowboarding in Tahoe. He was classically trained as a cellist, and over time developed an interest in playing guitar and mixing electronic music. His personal passions revolve around learning a new guitar tune, mixing music, attempting a new culinary recipe, and hiking/snowboarding. When not engaged in these activities, he is intrigued by learning about how technology interacts and shapes society and geopolitics. For Dr. Chin, new experiences keep the mind fresh.
Education & Experience
Dr. Chin received his Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior from the University of California, Davis. He attended the St. George’s University School of Medicine, Granada, West Indies, where he received his Doctorate of Medicine. He spent his first year at Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK, as a member of the Keith B. Taylor Global Scholars Program, Northumbria University.
He completed his psychiatric residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center which serves the residents of Brooklyn, NY, and is known for its diversity. Dr. Chin served as the outpatient department Chief Resident, where he served as the resident administrator for the SUNY Downstate Evening Training Service psychotherapy clinic and the Kings County Hospital Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Department. He worked closely with the administration to deliver patient-centered care and support resident education through facilitating case conferences and journal club.
During residency, Dr. Chin developed his enjoyment of teaching. As a clinical assistant instructor, he taught psychopharmacology to psychology interns with an emphasis on enhancing psychopharmacological knowledge of side-effects and the importance of collaboration between psychotherapists and psychiatrists. Additionally, he taught about the history and evolution of the neurobiological understanding underpinning the theories and findings of psychosis and schizophrenia to resident physicians. He also guided medical students in their understanding of depression, anxiety, health disparities, and child/adolescent psychiatry through clinical vignette discussions.
He most recently served as the attending psychiatrist for the Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. By providing medication management, psychotherapy, and coordinating social services, he supported his patients’ recovery from major mood, anxiety, and perceptual conditions. He also continued his enjoyment of teaching by supervising SUNY Downstate psychiatry resident physicians and delivering lectures on the historical evolution of the bipolar spectrum and mixed mood states to enhance recognition and proper treatment of individuals living with such conditions.
He joined Mindful Health Solutions in early 2021.
Certifications & Memberships
- As Seen on Psychology Today
- The Medical Board of California, License Number A169061
- Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology, License Number 75485
- Member, American Psychiatric Association
- Member, Neuroscience Education Institute