California Licensed Physician & Board Certified Psychiatrist A85005
Education and Licensure: Dr. Zalewski-Zaragoza graduated from UCSD School of Medicine in 2002 and completed his residency in Psychiatry at the Naval Medical Center San Diego where he was Chief Resident. He deployed to Afghanistan as a psychiatrist in 2006. He has served as the head of psychiatry at the US Naval Hospital in Naples, Italy prior to going into private practice in 2011 where he provides a mix of inpatient and outpatient services. Prior to medical school he served as a nuclear submarine officer in US Navy for 5 years. He is certified by the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry.
Specialty: Dr. Zalewski-Zaragoza treats a wide range of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, PTSD, dementia bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in both adult and geriatric populations. He practices both psychopharmacological and individual psychotherapy.
Affiliations: Medical staff member at Tricity Medical Center. Contracting psychiatrist for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) San Diego. He makes rounds at various skilled nursing and assisted living facilities throughout San Diego.
Philosophy: I believe in an individualized approach to treatment. Although many patients may present with similar symptoms, the causes and context underlying those symptoms can be very different and thus the treatment plans are unique. Some patients may benefit from psychotropic medications either for a short period of time or for long maintenance treatment. Others would gain more benefit from psychotherapy or talk therapy, where some of the root causes underlying the symptoms can be addressed and healed. The choice to use medications, therapy or a combination of both depends on the context and severity of symptoms or behavior patterns and ultimately the patient’s wishes. By having ability to provide both psychotherapy and medication management, I feel that patients will have a more comprehensive treatment that can address all issues.