Mood Disorders Dysthymia and Cyclothymia near Poway, CA

Biography: Dr. Alan Berkowitz uses a holistic, collaborative approach and provides medication management. Dr. Berkowitz is a clinical associate professor at the University of California, San Diego, and serves as the psychiatric consultant for ActivCare Living, a nationally- based memory care program. He has authored more than 20 articles in psychopharmacology. Dr. Berkowitz is an avid skier, astrophotographer, and vintner, producing about 600 bottles of old vine Zinfandel yearly.

Biography: Dr. Christopher Morache is an active listener. Dr. Morache finds joy in seeing patients master their struggles and find joy in life.

Biography: Dr. Stephen Signer focuses on neurobehavior and neuropsychiatry for adults. Dr. Signer provides transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and is fluent in French.

Biography: Ludmilla Ionescu, M.D., is a board-certified family medicine physician. She grew up in Moscow, Russia where she attended Moscow Medical Academy. Dr. Ionescu completed her internship at the State Scientific Center of Dermatovenerology (Dermatology) in Moscow, Russia before moving to the U.S. to start her Family Practice residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. Since she was a child, Dr. Ionescu wanted to become a doctor because of her idol, her father, a surgeon and Honored Physician of the Russian Federation. She grew up watching him work in the hospital and wanted to be just like him. Dr. Ionescu approaches her practice with the philosophy that you ``treat the root of the tree and not its leaves, and therefore listen to the patient so you can get to the root of the tree.`` She uses an individual approach to the diagnosis and treatment of each patient in order to get to the root of the problem. Dr. Ionescu treats her patients as if they are family and she enjoys seeing her patients go back to their normal lives, happy and healthy. In her spare time, Dr. Ionescu enjoys spending time with her daughter, traveling, sports, competitive ballroom dancing and Pilates. She is fluent in Russian and English.

Care Philosophy: Open and friendly communication is most important in helping me provide personalized health care to patients and families.