Meet Our Team
Get to know more about our experienced team including education and credentials
Christopher Fischer , M.D.
Board Certified Psychiatrist
Education
Undergraduate: University of California, Berkeley
Medical School: University of California, San Diego
Adult Psychiatry Residency: University of California, Los Angeles
Child and Adolescent Fellowship: University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship: University of California, Davis
Academic Affiliation
Clinical Assistant Professor, Volunteer Clinical Faculty, University of California, Davis
Dr. Christopher Fischer is a triple board-certified Child, Adult, and Forensic Psychiatrist. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor (VCF) in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Fischer has over 10 years of experience in treating treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as many other mental health conditions.
Dr. Fischer first became interested in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy when he realized the limitations that traditional oral anti-depressant medications can have in terms of effectiveness and side effects for some patients. After reviewing the evidenced-based research, it became clear to him that ketamine assisted-psychotherapy represented the most significant breakthrough in multiple decades for treatment-resistant mental health conditions.
Dr. Fischer understands that ketamine therapy is a powerful treatment that must only be recommended after carefully evaluating an individual’s mental health history, indications, and potential for treatment responses. Prior to any treatment, Dr. Fischer conducts a comprehensive psychiatric consultation to understand a patient’s current symptoms, goals of treatment, and diagnoses as he strongly believes that successful treatment outcomes start with an accurate diagnosis and a collaborative treatment plan.
Dr. Fischer looks forward to meeting you and helping you recover from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain.
Sofia Peeva, M.D.
Board Certified Anesthesiologist
Dr. Sofia Peeva is a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist. She has an expertise in airway management, anesthetic administration for a wide range of operations and medication infusion and titration.
Dr. Peeva became interested in ketamine while she was a resident in Anesthesia. She has used the medication thousands of times to provide anesthesia in many different settings. After years of experience with ketamine she has recently become interested in how it is being used in the mental health setting. While depression and anxiety rates skyrocket and first line medications are not as effective as intended; Dr. Peeva has emerged as a pioneer who is adapting ketamine therapy to target treatment resistant depression, PTSD and anxiety and chronic pain.
Dr. Peeva has been delighted by all the positive results from her patients receiving ketamine therapy infusions and integrative psychotherapy. The results she has experienced with ketamine therapy have been encouraging and have motivated her to continue to learn and research this field so she can fine-tune this important and novel treatment.
Education
Undergraduate: University of California, Berkeley
Medical School: Medical College of Virginia (MCV), Richmond
Anesthesia Residency: University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Katharine Marder, M.D.
Board Certified Psychiatrist
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Education
Undergraduate: University of Southern California
Medical School: University of California, Davis
Adult Psychiatry Residency: University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Katharine Marder is a board-certified Adult Psychiatrist with training in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy.
During her psychiatry residency training at UCLA, Dr. Marder developed expertise in medication management and psychotherapy. After completing residency training, she focused on interventional psychiatry, first practicing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a member of the faculty at UCLA and later utilizing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) while practicing at the Sutter Center for Psychiatry in Sacramento.
After several years in practice, Dr. Marder came to believe that traditional treatment approaches are largely focused on suppressing symptoms rather than promoting healing. Her search for alternative treatment options led her to the robust scientific literature supporting the efficacy of ketamine in treating mental health conditions. When she grasped the transformative healing potential of ketamine and other psychedelics, she dedicated herself to bringing these treatments to patients. Dr. Marder has completed Ketamine Medical Provider Training and a 10-month training program in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
Dr. Marder acknowledges the debt of gratitude owed to Indigenous people who have understood the healing properties of psychedelic substances for millennia, while approaching these powerful treatments from her own background in Western medicine. She provides ketamine in a medically safe and evidence-based manner after a thorough medical and psychiatric evaluation. She emphasizes the cultivation of an intentional mindset and the creation of a safe and therapeutic setting for each treatment session.
Dr. Marder believes that a healing journey with ketamine is a process of coming home to yourself. She aims to help each patient understand themselves more deeply and create meaningful change in their lives. She looks forward to meeting you and feels privileged to support you on your journey.
