Vidya Krishnan, MD

Chief Psychiatrist and Medical Director

Dr. Krishnan brings a wealth of clinical experience to her role at CHC. She believes in a comprehensive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues. She aims to facilitate a mutually collaborative approach to care with a strong emphasis on therapeutic interventions to complement the use of medications. Prior to joining Children’s Health Council, she worked for almost 10 years in a group psychiatry practice. She is passionate about reducing the stigma associated with mental health conditions and improving access to mental health services for our diverse communities in California.

Dr. Krishnan works with kids from a variety of backgrounds across the age and developmental spectrum, starting from grade school through young adulthood. She treats a wide range of mental health conditions that cause functional impairment. This includes but is not limited to anxiety, depression, and attention challenges, learning differences, autism, behavioral challenges and relationship difficulties with parents or peers. She is a specialist in the use of pharmacological interventions in complex presentations where there are multiple co-occurring conditions. She is also skilled in the use of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. She includes aspects of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in all her work with clients and families.

Dr. Krishnan is the supervising psychiatrist for the RISE-IOP at CHC. She is the site director overseeing the rotation of the child and adolescent psychiatry fellows from Stanford University who come to CHC as part of their training. She is also Clinical Adjunct Assistant Professor (Affiliated) at Stanford University School of Medicine. She co-directs the Developmental Psychopathology, Psychotherapy, Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience (DP3N) Course. She also teaches the Advanced Psychopharmacology Lecture Series to 2nd year fellows. She enjoys these opportunities to teach and supervise the next generation of child and adolescent psychiatrists.

Dr. Krishnan also serves on the board of Taarika Foundation, a Bay Area non-profit working to raise awareness about mental health issues in children and adolescents. When she is not working, Dr. Krishnan enjoys reading, hiking, and cooking. She is always on the lookout for new vegetarian recipes to experiment with.

Education

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine 2007-2009
  • General Psychiatry Residency, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine 2005-2007
  • Psychiatry Internship, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine 2004-2005
  • MD (General Psychiatry), LTMMC and LTMGH, University of Mumbai, India 1999-2002
  • MBBS Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India 1993-1999

Licenses

  • Medical Board of California
  • Board Certified in General Psychiatry
  • Board Certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Professional Affiliations

  • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
  • Northern California Regional Organization of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists

Awards

  • Dr. Bhagwat Award for Best Paper by a Member in Training “Sniffing Danger! – A study of Inhalant Dependence in Street Children”– Indian Psychiatric Society – 2001
  • Dr. J.C. Marfatia Gold Medal, University of Mumbai, India – 2002

Honors

  • Chief Resident – Department of Psychiatry, LTMMC & LTMGH, Mumbai, India – 2001 -2002
  • The Masked Man – Trans-generational Trauma – Grand Rounds Presentation, San Francisco General Hospital – 2006
  • Psychiatry in India – Grand Rounds, San Francisco General Hospital – 2006

Languages

  • Hindi
  • Tamil

Recent Presentations

  • Role of community support in surviving suicide loss – 2018 (CHC)
  • Teen Suicide: Understanding the warning signs (PAUSD) – 2019
  • Why the college admission news hits home: Stress, Anxiety, and How to help your Kids – 2019 (Community Town Hall, CHC)
  • LD, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, or all of the above? – 2020 (Common Ground Speaker Series, Menlo School)
  • Healing Together – The CHC Breakfast – 2021

Publications

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy is helping young people find purpose during the pandemic. California Health Report, 2021