Our Mission & Goal
Psychiatry OC Team
Mission
Sina Safahieh, M.D.
Dr. Safahieh's mission is to provide personalized, high-quality care on an as-needed or preventative basis. We have created a practice that we believe in and would choose for our own family members.
Dr. Safahieh is the founder and director of psychiatryOC since first opening in 2014 and is a double board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in business management. Dr Safahieh graduated with a medical degree from University of Texas Medical Branch and completed his adult psychiatry residency and child and adolescent fellowship at UC Irvine.
Dr Safahieh has staff privileges at Hoag Hospitals and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). He has been the medical director of the ASPIRE and young adult intensive outpatient programs since their inceptions at Hoag Hospitals in Newport Beach and Irvine. Dr Safahieh is a team psychiatrist for the Los Angeles Chargers and an NFL and MLB certified clinician. He takes pride in being directly accessible to his patients and treats his patients as they were part of his own family.
2
Board Certifications
3
Medical Directorship
17+
Years Clinical Experience
28+
Press Articles
Team Member
Michael Hwang, M.D.
Dr. Hwang is a is a double board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist.
Dr. Hwang graduated San Diego with a bachelor of science in Biology. Additionally, Dr Hwang graduated with a medical degree from New York Univeristy (NYU) of completed his adult psychiatry residency at Tulane University. Furthermore, He completed a child & adolescent fellowship at UC Irvine.
Dr Hwang has been on staff at Kaiser Permanante, was medical director of SoCal Adolscent Wellness Intesnive outpatient program. He was also on staff at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) where he was an attending physician at the inpatient center, outpatient psychiatry clinic and BAN clinic (eating disorder clinic).
Team Member
Reinald “Rei” Revilla, PMHNP
Rei Revilla is a board certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with 11+ years of clinical experience
His professional 11+ years of experience are dedicated to excellent patient outcomes through a team-oriented approach, thorough assessment, judicious pharmacology, patient education, and development of individualized treatment plans. He graduated from California State Univeristy, Dominiquez Hills with a bachelor of science in nursing and graduated from Vanderbilt University with a master of science In nursing. He has been a clinician at College Hospital medical center and Del Amo Hospital.
Team Member
Prerna Rao, LMFT
Prerna Rao is a licensed marriage family therapist with 15+ years of clinical experience working with the adolescent and adult inpatient and outpatient populations.
Her experience has encompassed working in collaborative environments that have extended from supervising interns, facilitating treatment team meetings to leading and orchestrating quarterly psychiatric meetings and operations of large mental health and chemical dependency programs.
Prerna prefers working directly with patients and their families utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectal behavioral therapy and is trained in trauma therapy EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing). Prerna graduated from California State University Fullerton with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and graduated from National University with a Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology -MFT.
She is currently adjunct faculty at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology where she teaches graduate students. She was the clinical manager for outpatient mental health for the ASPIRE and young adult intensive outpatient programs at Hoag Hospitals in Newport Beach and Irvine. Prerna was clinical director of Laguna Treatment Hospital and clinical director of Solid Landing Behavioral Health, as well as Director of Social Services at Bayfront Youth and Family Services.
Team Member
Joey Estrella, LMFT
Conduct comprehensive individual, group, and family therapy for male youth and their families
With expertise in CBT, mindfulness, EMDR, and DBT, Joey makes therapy a space for healing, mental fitness and resilience. Embark on a transformative journey where you finally master anxious thoughts, break free from trauma, and find balance in your relationships. In our sessions, you will find a safe space to share, while also be challenged to embrace change. For personal and professional
development, I provide strategies for motivation and clarity to help you excel and achieve ambitious goals. Together, we will break free from barriers, unlocking your full potential for a happier, balanced and purposeful life.
The modalities I use are Trauma informed CBT, DBT, motivation and Mindfulness. I also offer EMDR Therapy. EMDR targets & reprocesses traumatic/ distressing memories, allowing the mind to heal and find new meaning- leaving the past in the past and giving you strength, insight and peace in the present.
Team Member
Eric Foti, LMFT
Over 20 years’ experience treating mental health and addiction issues.
Eric uses a solution focus that incorporates a wide variety of modalities tapered to your needs. He treats many issues including family of origin, addiction, primary mental health, couples, trauma, and more.
Eric is an EMDR trained therapist who help clients process painful experiences that disrupt their life and well-being. Everybody is different, therefore, he combines breathwork, meditation, ACT, CBT, as well existentialism and spirituality to help you on your path to wellness.
Team Member
Melissa Paramo, LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist who specializes in working with couples/marital relationships, individuals, and families since 2007
Melissa specializes in a broad spectrum of symptoms and disorders including depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. received my undergraduate degree in Child and Adolescent Studies from California State University, Fullerton in 2002 and went on to complete my Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University in 2006. I have been in private practice for nearly 10 years. In addition to being a psychotherapist, I am a mother to 4 children with my husband of over two decades.
Private practice is my passion because I get the opportunity to utilize my gifts of empathy, active listening, and desire to facilitate growth in my clients. I use an eclectic therapeutic approach, tailored to my clients’ personalities and specific therapeutic needs. I have a background in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Solution Focused, Psychodynamic, and Gestalt to name a few. Facilitating connection in couples, helping individuals manage their symptoms by tapping into their own strengths and helping guide an individual to identify his or her most authentic self is my passion and calling.
