Teen depression in Los Angeles has reached crisis levels. Over the past decade, mental health emergency admissions for California’s children and adolescents have climbed more than 40 per cent. At the same time, the number of paediatric psychiatrists and inpatient beds dropped by 15 to 20 per cent. Across the United States, roughly one in four young people (17.1 million kids and teens) live with a behavioural or mental health condition. Suicide now ranks as the second leading cause of death amongst youth and young adults. Finding a psychiatrist who actually specialises in adolescent depression—not just adult care extended to younger patients—makes all the difference. Teens face unique diagnostic challenges, require age-appropriate therapies, and need family involvement in ways that adult treatment doesn’t address. If your teen is in crisis right now, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or head straight to the nearest emergency room. The five practices in this guide span UCLA-trained telehealth with same-week slots, a top-10 national children’s hospital, a West LA integrative group, a USC-founded outpatient clinic, and a triple board-certified integrative psychiatrist trained at Cedars-Sinai.
How to Select a Top LA Psychiatrist for Adolescent Depression Care
Choosing the right provider starts with asking the right questions. Here’s what to check:
- Board certification in child and adolescent psychiatry – Make sure the clinician holds a separate board certification in child and adolescent psychiatry, not just general adult psychiatry, because adolescent depression involves different diagnostic considerations, age-adapted treatment modalities, and family systems work that require specialist training beyond adult psychiatric care.
- Family involvement in the treatment plan – Confirm whether the practice integrates parents and guardians into the treatment plan through family therapy, parent coaching, or structured family sessions, because family dynamics, household environment, and caregiver education directly affect treatment outcomes in adolescent depression.
- Level of care if symptoms escalate – Ask whether the provider offers only outpatient sessions or can step a patient into more intensive programmes (IOP, PHP, or residential care) without requiring a complete change of provider, because continuity of care matters if a teen’s depression worsens.
- Insurance acceptance and out-of-pocket cost transparency – Verify which insurance plans are accepted or whether the practice can issue out-of-network superbills before the first appointment, because the real cost of extended adolescent depression treatment varies widely across LA providers.
- Speed of access to a first appointment – Check how quickly a new patient can be evaluated (days versus weeks or months), because delayed intervention increases the risk of academic decline, social withdrawal, and crisis escalation before treatment even begins.
Top LA Psychiatrist Services for Adolescent Depression
Five providers stand out across credentials, access, insurance, and treatment approach:
- Reimagine Psychiatry
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) – Psychiatry
- Mental Fitness Clinic
- BNI Clinics
- Melissa Quinn, MD
Best Los Angeles Psychiatrist Services for Adolescent Depression
1. Reimagine Psychiatry
- Founded and lead clinician – Founded 2024; led by Dr Sham Singh, MD, UCLA-trained board-certified psychiatrist; team includes psychiatric nurse practitioners and physician associates; bilingual English/Spanish providers available.
- Format and access – Telehealth-only via HIPAA-compliant Zoom throughout California; same-week appointments with new patients evaluated within three days.
- Conditions treated for adolescents – Depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, panic attacks, OCD, agoraphobia, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, PMDD, insomnia, long COVID, and social anxiety.
- Treatment approach – Medication management combined with lifestyle modifications, supplement recommendations, and whole-person care; genetic testing available to select the right medication and reduce trial-and-error in adolescents; coordinates with therapists for combined psychiatric and therapy care.
- Insurance – Accepts most major commercial insurance, including Aetna, Meritain Health, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, and ComPsych.
Founded in 2024 and led by UCLA-trained board-certified psychiatrist Dr Sham Singh, Reimagine Psychiatry delivers California-wide telehealth psychiatric care for adolescent depression with evaluations completed within three days, medication management, genetic testing to select medication intelligently, and coordination with therapists when combined care makes clinical sense.
Best For – California adolescents and their families who need fast, insurance-covered telehealth psychiatric access for depression, especially those in areas with limited local specialist availability, or whose schedules make in-person appointments hard to maintain.
Standout Feature – New patients are evaluated within 3 days via HIPAA-compliant Zoom, with genetic testing available to identify the most appropriate medication before the first prescription is issued, reducing the medication trial-and-error period that is especially disruptive during adolescent development.
2. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) – Psychiatry
- Institution and affiliation – Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA); top-ranked paediatric hospital affiliated with the USC Keck School of Medicine; ranked among the best in the country for Paediatric and Adolescent Behavioural Health by U.S. News & World Report; listed as one of the top 10 children’s hospitals in the nation.
- Psychiatry outpatient location – Outpatient Psychiatric Clinics located at 3250 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 201, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Monday through Thursday 9 AM to 7 PM, Friday 8 AM to 4 PM; Behavioural Health Institute at the main Sunset Campus.
- Clinician credentials – All psychiatrists are dual board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in both general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry; some hold further certifications in psychosomatic medicine or paediatrics; APA-accredited psychology training programme for doctoral interns and post-doctoral fellows.
- Conditions treated – Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other mood disorders, ADHD, disruptive behaviour disorders, OCD, autism spectrum disorders, eating disorders, trauma, suicidal ideation, disordered eating, school failure, and co-occurring disorders.
- Treatment approaches – CBT, trauma-focused CBT, interpersonal therapy, child-parent psychotherapy, psychiatric medication management; Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service for medically ill inpatients; community mental health programmes; specialised clinic programmes including Project HEAL for trauma psychology and the Boone Fetter Clinic for autism; virtual visits available via the MyChildren ‘sLA portal.
A top-10-ranked national children’s hospital affiliated with USC Keck School of Medicine, CHLA’s Behavioural Health Institute provides outpatient psychiatry and psychology for infants through age 21 with dual board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrists, an APA-accredited training programme, and integrated mental and medical care across specialised clinic programmes.
Best For – Adolescents in Los Angeles whose depression co-occurs with complex medical conditions, eating disorders, trauma, or developmental challenges, and whose families want nationally ranked paediatric psychiatric care with integrated medical and mental health oversight within a single hospital system.
Standout Feature – All CHLA psychiatrists hold dual board certification in both general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, one of the highest credential benchmarks available for paediatric psychiatric care in the United States.
3. Mental Fitness Clinic
- Founded and medical director – Established in 2015 by Dr Neevon Esmaili, MD, dual board-certified psychiatrist specialising in child, adolescent, and adult mental health; all providers are board-certified and California-licensed; Monday through Thursday 7 AM to 8 PM, Friday 9 AM to 5 PM.
- Location and format – Group practice at 11400 W Olympic Blvd, Suite 660, Los Angeles, CA 90064 (West Los Angeles); in-person and telehealth sessions available.
- Clients served – Children, adolescents, adults, and athletes; individual, family, and couple therapy.
- Conditions treated – Depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, mood disorders, trauma, behavioural issues, emotional dysregulation; life transitions, school stress, social challenges; neuropsychological testing services available.
- Treatment approach – Psychiatry (psychiatric evaluation, medication management), psychotherapy (CBT, EMDR, trauma-focused therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, solution-focused therapy, parent-child psychotherapy, play therapy), neuropsychological testing; integrative mind-body approach; telehealth sessions available throughout California; most major insurance accepted.
Established in 2015 by dual board-certified psychiatrist Dr Neevon Esmaili, Mental Fitness Clinic is a West Los Angeles group practice at 11400 W Olympic Blvd providing child and adolescent psychiatry, psychotherapy, and neuropsychological testing for depression and related conditions via an integrative approach that considers family dynamics, medical history, and lifestyle factors alongside clinical symptoms.
Best For – Adolescents in West Los Angeles whose depression requires a combined approach of psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and psychotherapy, with neuropsychological testing available when a more complete assessment of learning, attention, or cognitive function is needed.
Standout Feature – Neuropsychological testing services are available within the same practice, enabling a more thorough assessment of adolescent depression that can differentiate it from or identify its co-occurrence with learning disorders, ADHD, or other developmental factors that standard psychiatric evaluation alone may not fully capture.
4. BNI Clinics
- Founded and founders – Founded in 2008 by two University of Southern California (USC)-educated psychiatrists; psychiatrist-owned and psychiatrist-led; founding psychiatrists are on-site weekly to personally oversee individual treatment plans; clinics in Agoura Hills, Los Angeles, California.
- Credentials and institutional recognition – Trusted by the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine as a clinical rotation site for physician fellows learning best practices in adolescent psychiatry; team includes neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and certified therapists.
- Conditions treated – Depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma, mood disorders, PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder, substance use, and behavioural challenges in children, adolescents, and adults.
- Treatment approach – CBT, DBT, psychodynamic therapy, family therapy, psychiatric medication management, psychological evaluations, TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) therapy, ketamine therapy, outpatient detox; group therapy available; sister organisation BNI Treatment Centres offers residential, PHP, and IOP care for adolescents when outpatient is insufficient.
- Insurance – Accepts most PPO insurance plans; does not accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, Kaiser, or government-funded plans.
Founded in 2008 by two USC-educated psychiatrists and recognised as a UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine physician fellowship training site, BNI Clinics offers full-spectrum outpatient psychiatric care for adolescent depression with TMS and ketamine therapy available, and a direct escalation pathway to sister facility BNI Treatment Centres for residential or IOP care when needed.
Best For – Families of adolescents in the Los Angeles area who want a USC-founded, psychiatrist-owned outpatient clinic with advanced interventional options (TMS, ketamine) and an integrated referral pathway to a dedicated residential and intensive outpatient programme for teens when outpatient care is no longer sufficient.
Standout Feature – BNI Clinics functions as the outpatient arm of BNI Treatment Centres, a dedicated residential and PHP/IOP facility for adolescents, providing a single-network escalation pathway from standard outpatient psychiatry to residential care without the disruption of changing providers.
5. Melissa Quinn, MD
- Credentials – Triple board-certified physician: double board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in adult psychiatry and child/adolescent psychiatry; third board certification in Integrative and Holistic Medicine (Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, AIHM); IOCDF BTTI certified; TMS fellowship, Duke University.
- Training – Adult psychiatry residency and internship at the University of Southern California (USC); child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre; advanced training at UCLA’s Intensive Outpatient Programme for Anxiety Disorders.
- Location and format – 10850 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 850, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (Westwood); in-person and telehealth; Monday through Friday 9 AM to 5 PM.
- Adolescent depression services – OCD and anxiety-related depression in children and adolescents; medication management; ERP; ACT; Rumination-Focused ERP; SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions); TMS and ketamine infusion therapy for treatment-resistant presentations; integrative approach including nutraceuticals and lifestyle interventions.
- Clients served – Children, adolescents, and adults; personal experience managing OCD (disclosed publicly on the International OCD Foundation website).
Triple board-certified psychiatrist Dr Melissa Quinn (USC residency; Cedars-Sinai child/adolescent fellowship; UCLA OCD IOP training; IOCDF BTTI certified) practises at 10850 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 850, Westwood, offering medication management, ERP, ACT, Rumination-Focused ERP, SPACE for families, TMS, and ketamine infusion for adolescent depression, OCD, and related conditions within an integrative framework.
Best For – Children and adolescents in Los Angeles whose depression co-occurs with OCD, anxiety, or related conditions, and whose families want a triple board-certified integrative psychiatrist with dedicated child/adolescent fellowship training at Cedars-Sinai and access to advanced interventional options within a single practice.
Standout Feature – Triple board certification in adult psychiatry, child/adolescent psychiatry, and integrative medicine, combined with IOCDF BTTI certification and Cedars-Sinai child/adolescent fellowship training, making Dr Quinn one of the most multiply credentialled integrative child psychiatrists available in private practice in Los Angeles.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Los Angeles Psychiatrist for Adolescent Depression
Confirm the Clinician Holds Specific Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Credentials
Board certification in child and adolescent psychiatry is a separate, additional credential from general adult psychiatry. Confirming the clinician holds this specific certification, rather than treating adolescents as an extension of adult psychiatric care, is the most important credential check a parent can make before booking a first evaluation for adolescent depression.
Confirm Whether Family Involvement Is Built Into the Treatment Model
Adolescent depression does not occur in isolation from family systems. Confirming whether the practice includes structured family sessions, parent coaching, or formal family therapy as part of its standard treatment model for adolescents, rather than offering it as an optional add-on, makes sure the home environment is addressed as part of the clinical plan.
Check Whether the Provider Can Escalate Care Within the Same Network If Needed
Adolescent depression can escalate quickly. Confirming whether the outpatient provider has a direct, within-network pathway to more intensive care (IOP, PHP, or residential) if symptoms worsen avoids the disruption of transferring to an entirely new provider and treatment team at the most serious point in a teen’s care.
Verify Insurance Coverage and Confirm Out-of-Pocket Cost Before the First Visit
The cost of adolescent psychiatric care in Los Angeles varies widely depending on whether the provider is in-network, accepts PPO plans only, or operates as a private-pay practice. Confirming the exact insurance arrangements and anticipated out-of-pocket contribution before the first appointment prevents financial pressure from interrupting a course of treatment.
Ask How Quickly a New Patient Can Be Seen
For adolescent depression, the gap between symptom onset and first treatment is one of the strongest predictors of how complex care becomes. Confirming whether the provider can offer a first evaluation within days (rather than weeks or months) makes sure intervention begins before academic performance, social function, and family relationships deteriorate further.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for adolescent depression care in Los Angeles, start with three practical verification steps. First, confirm the clinician holds a specific child and adolescent psychiatry credential. Second, confirm family involvement is integrated into the treatment model rather than offered as optional. Third, confirm how quickly a new patient can actually be seen, because wait times in LA for paediatric psychiatric care can vary from days to months. If your teen is in immediate crisis, do not wait for a scheduled appointment. Go to the nearest emergency room or call 988. See more