Testimonials
These are the stories of neurodivergent patients who spent years—sometimes decades—misunderstood or misdiagnosed. These are their words on the moment the pieces finally aligned, and the life that became possible through being truly seen and expertly cared for.
"When I first met Dr. Choy, I was halfway through college. I thought I had come a long way in my mental health journey but I was still an unhappy person battling many issues--some of which I was not even aware I was dealing with. Dr. Choy sees with a clarity I have rarely encountered. He was able to identify and treat major components of amorphous issues that I have carried all my life. My deep and then-persistent self-loathing (which manifested itself in many ways, not least of which was an alcohol problem and an eating disorder), for instance, he quickly connected with the absence of a healthy family dynamic in my childhood, as well as my ADHD, which often presented an invisible obstacle in the way of many goals that I told myself I was simply not good enough to achieve. Not only is he incredibly smart, he is deeply empathetic and was in many ways the first interaction I have had with true unconditional support. One aspect of Dr. Choy’s treatment that I have always appreciated is his incorporation of science-based explanation in working with my disorders. I cannot count the number of times I have left his office deep in thought about the functions of the prefrontal cortex in my day-to-day life, or felt comforted knowing that with genuine and repeated effort I can retrain the connections in my brain to set the stage for a more positive and healthy outlook. He has also been extremely helpful in encouraging me to focus on mindfulness, which I admit I previously wrote off as a feel-good but ultimately unhelpful exercise. Learning to be aware of my emotions and thoughts without constantly feeling at their mercy has changed my life. Perhaps the easiest way to show you how Dr. Choy has helped me is to describe who I used to be and who I have become. Three or four years ago, I was: starving myself in an effort to be beautiful, laughing it off when I fell asleep at the wheel and drove off a highway nearly to my death, hating myself for not being able to just “get over” past traumas, sitting in my room staring at a corner of the ceiling wondering if the crushing pain of my depression could physically kill me. Today, I am: in a loving and stable relationship, speaking to myself with respect and care instead of disgust and hate, actively finding ways to improve my productivity and well-being, and feeling strong enough to help others find their way like Dr. Choy has helped me find mine. Like any human, Dr. Choy is not a miracle-worker. Working with him is not a magical solution that will fix all your life problems--however, I think he offers something better than a panacea. He has been a true partner on the battlefield that is mental health, a support in tough times and a clear-sighted professional when I needed structure and direction. For that, I will be forever thankful."
-J.J.
"I sought Dr. Choy's help after I had begun to feel nearly incapacitated by depression. I recall our initial meeting - in a mental fog of pain and anxiety, I stumbled through a shattered and disorganized account of self loathing. I was so sure Dr. Choy had to be sitting across from me thinking what a pitiful failure I was, but he never showed a hint of judgment and just asked questions to better understand, acknowledged what I was saying as he put together the pieces and encouraged me to continue. At the time, I was skeptical of therapy and eager to find an excuse to abandon it before I even got started. Dr. Choy's kindness connected with the part of me that was desperate for help, though, and we scheduled our next appointment. That was over four and half years ago. I'll admit my initial progress was slow. Very slow. I can be incredibly stubborn, especially when challenged to accept difficult truths about myself. Still, each week, Dr. Choy met me with the same patience, persistence and kindness and, although at first imperceptible to me, I began to change. Dr. Choy's proactive coaching and mentorship have taught me a new emotional language, boosted my EQ and provided a secure foundation to build an acceptance of ADHD and confront deep issues such as shame. Dr. Choy has given me new knowledge and tools that have enabled me to create a more fulfilling personal and professional life and richer, more loving relationships with family and friends in a way that I had never before experienced. I feel incredibly lucky to be his patient and am grateful for how he has transformed my life."
-C.C.
"I don’t know if it’s common to brag about your psychiatrist to your friends and family, but I do. I have been to multiple therapists and psychiatrists over the past 10 years, but it wasn’t until I started seeing Dr. Choy three years ago that my life began to drastically turn around. His unique approach of incorporating the education of up-to- date psychology and neuroscience research into our sessions has given me greater understanding and control over my psychological struggles. It is also his attention to care and attunement to my emotional needs that has helped provide a great source of security and stability in my life as well as giving me the tools to achieve personal growth independently. I look forward to each session with Dr. Choy, for it can be rare to find a place of such emotional safety and healing in what would be my otherwise turbulent life."
- K.E.
I always wanted to share my journey but did not know how to start and here I am writing about my life few paragraphs. I am a woman who instills power, freedom, strength and determination. I will fall get hurt but have the courage and determination to rise and fight back. I may not be there yet but I am closer then where I was yesterday. I have struggled my whole life trying to combat mental illness, having had different diagnosis by many professional on what my real issue has been over many year. In 2000 after few years of marriage while visiting my parent I felt being engulfed by this overwhelming stimulus over my mind and body, I felt trapped in my own body. It came as a surprise that my speech pattern started altering after a stressful event, I felt dry in my throat and feeling that I have lost my voice. I was unable to make any sense to people around me and felt paralyzed, confused and fearful. Thus the pattern of anxiety, depression started which further was confirmed that I was under extreme stress and severely depressed. I was kept in hospital for two weeks and sent home with pills, but still not enough information about what my core underline issues were and why I am sinking day by day. I searched for therapist but never really trusted them or would quit going to them after a few sessions. I felt I was not being understood and words were not enough to describe my feelings and struggle. I woke up one morning and found myself curled up at the bottom of a deep dark hole where I could barely breathe, wondering what happened. Wondering how I got here. And not really caring if I ever saw light again. I didn’t even realize it at the time, but so many things had happened over the years that pushed me here. Little by little, until I hit the bottom. I came to this country as a student leaving a non supportive family, during the course I met my ex and got married at a very early age. I was not happy with my marriage and like most Indian family tried to adjust myself with dominating partners and in laws. Having no family in this country i totally relied on my husband for support and slowly became very dependent that the very thought of him not being there around me would be terrifying With struggle I completed my masters and got myself a decent job trying to be mentally and physically drain to get over the feeling of emptiness. My marriage had become complicated and my emotional problem became an excruciating factor in my life and others around me. I met several professionals to help me head in the right direction but nothing seemed to work. I knew I had some personal things I had to be conscious of, but I didn’t realize the extent of my problems. Much later in the year 2009 that happened to be a turning point in my life I fell very ill and was admitted in ICU to get treated for Steven Johnson. Steven Johnson is a rare reaction to some drugs which effects the skin like a burnt victim. My chances of survival was remote however with the good work of some able doctor I recovered though it took almost a year to heal to a certain degree. During the time I quit my job and started focusing on recovery and caring for my 5 year old daughter. My emotional problem become so severe that there were moments when I wanted to end my life. I was put on several drugs struggling to manage a life and my day to day activities. In pursuit of finding the right treatment the following year I met Dr Lawrence Choy and he become my psychiatrist and my therapist as well. I was a non believer of therapy and had never really benefited in the past from any therapy. My physical health was also in jeopardy and my visit to ER were so frequent almost close to one visit per month. Every session where I discussed my problems I felt myself extremely resistant to letting down my guard and getting exposed. Up to this point I had not allowed myself to trust the therapist I met and I couldn’t establish the safety that is crucial to healing and moving forward. Dr Choy taught me a lot about trust; about my own self-awareness and emotions. The beginning months with Dr Choy was spent to just get a little stability to my daily life. He helped me feel validated in my experience and instead of protecting my story and ultimately self-sabotaging (which is something I didn’t even realize I was doing!), I was actually able to set my pain free and started to develop my own life without the plaguing pain from the past. He revisited my medication and put me on drugs that I really needed and taper off and eventually eliminate some medication that was absolutely not required. Until then I strongly believed i needed all the medications and without them I will not function. I also stressed on what is it that I really have and medical terminology for my problems. At that time Dr Choy made a statement “it does not matter what the terminology or definition for my issues are, the emphasis is recognizing and treating it. I finally found the strength to get help. It was a long tough climb for me out of that dark hole. I kept slipping back down time and again. Dr Choy recommended mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques to be practiced on a regular basis which significantly decreased my stress, negative feeling, rumination, and anxiety, and increased the positive affect and self-compassion. After months and years of raw excruciating work in therapy, I was feeling better, but still vulnerable at times. One of the moist interesting and fascinating subject that I came across during my sessions with Dr Choy was understand what’s going on in our brain and the factors that build up our experiences and functioning. He helped me understand how our brain got wired from your individual past experiences, and the neurochemical patterns for every person are different. How as a child our brain is very changeable or neuroplastic and neurons build new connections easily but as an adult, it’s not as easy to build new circuits to turn on in new ways and requires a lot of repetition and focus. But it can be done. He put emphasis on picking new habit and start implementing it with repetition and consistency and over time new happy habits will be formed. The gray veil of confusion that had clouded my vision for so many years was lifting. One of the main causes of my illness has been fear: fear of not being loved, fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of abandonment, fear of discovering that every negative prediction about my worthiness as a human being was indeed true. I am slowly developing the basic ability to embrace each day, each moment without being judged or reassurance from another human. I am able to make a mental shift to accept and love myself and my ordinary life. That is the essence of my ongoing recovery. This is for my most amazing doctor - At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."
-A.C.
"Started a new job, new insurance = new psychiatrist. I chose Dr. Choy because he was closest to my workplace and I could see him during my lunchtime. To my surprise and after a couple sessions of testing, Dr. Choy diagnosed me. His diagnosis changed my life. I stopped taking anti-depressants, that I had been on for 15 years, and started taking new medication that Dr. Choy prescribed. The clouds lifted and it felt as though I could see clearly for the first time in my life. It wasn't easy, I worked very hard and Dr. Choy helped me through the transition to a life with less confusion and heartache to a life with more Love and Acceptance."
-C.M.
"As a doctoral student in clinical psychology, I can only assume to be a challenging and picky client. When I sought out Dr. Choy, I was new to the bay area and seeking medication management for ADHD; five years later, the experience I walked away with was ineffable. Throughout the course of our work together I gained a better understanding of ADHD and as a result a better understanding of who I am. Dr. Choy supported me through 5 of the hardest years of my life with no judgements, and endless positive regard. He met me where I was at emotionally, and through him I developed a healthier relationship with my emotions. Dr. Choy helped me work through and grieve tremendous loss, encouraged me through great successes, and helped me to understand my strengths and deficits. He is incredibly intelligent and thoughtful in his approach with clients. I not only utilize the skills I have learned in my own life everyday but also use our experience together as a constant check point for improving my abilities as a therapist. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had such a skilled mentor and would recommend him to anyone seeking therapeutic services."
-K.R.
"I had disappeared from my life. I barely existed. Dr. Choy could have placed me in numerous boxes: burned out helping professional, adult child of an aging parent, mom of teenagers. If I had written my own chart it would have said, “Patient with a history of persistent depression and limited treatment results.” My hope in seeking treatment was “limited results” would be better than nothing and that my family deserved better. Dr. Choy did not, however, settle for any neat little pigeonholes or my very low bar of “limited results” or bypassing the person before him for the sole benefit of my family. Instead, he listened, asked me unfathomable questions and did not dismiss my feelings or my past experiences. He helped me look at my abuse history with gave me unconditional support and encouragement. I learned how to trust. I learned I do not have to struggle alone. I learned that my past traumas impacted my present day experience of reticence, fear, shame and overwhelm. I learned effective treatment changes everything from my brain circuitry to how I think, feel and experience my everyday life. I have begun to accept difficult things that happened, rather than ignore them and push myself to the breaking point. I can talk about my struggles rather than hunker down and isolate. Instead of powering through for the sake of everyone else’s needs and wants, I tolerate (almost) the question of what I want or need. My depression has improved with medication and psychotherapy. Perhaps more importantly, underneath that dense layer of depression were unaddressed, neglected and ignored problems that flew below the radar. My past had both obfuscated attention deficit and created patterns of post-traumatic stress. Medications and psychotherapy, mindfulness meditation, and a supportive, safe space have been essential to my growth. Dr. Choy created a place where I can work on my issues, and grieve complicated losses. I would like to say I got my life back or learned how to live again. In truth, I’m learning how to step into my own life for the first time. It had never occurred to me to look beyond survival towards growth and hope for the future."
-S.M.
Sarah Jenkins
"Reading through Dr. Choy’s testimonials, I am reminded how fortunate I am to have found him and glad others have benefitted as wondrously from the association as I have. I have always been a high functioning individual, but perseverance alone failed me when I had to face some of life’s bigger conflicts. I pursued a lifestyle full of escape seeking behavior and decisions based on instant gratification — and accepted the concomitant peril, which didn’t always serve me well to say the least. With other prior psychiatrists, I had tried anti-anxiety and even bi-polar interventions for years, but to no avail. After three or four sessions, Dr. Choy suggested I might be ADHD and we started a moderate pharmacotherapy regimen. It was transformative almost immediately. Conflict continued to exist and all my bad coping and conflict avoidance crutches didn’t immediately fall away, but gradually I felt more integrated and assured and operating from the front (courageous) part of my brain, rather than the back of my brain (the fearful, fight or flight command post). Dr. Choy explained the changes my brain was going through as I built new, stronger cognition and decision-making pathways. It made sense. And continues to work. Every day is not perfect, but every day is surely better. I am hopeful, content and happy. As for temperament, Dr. Choy is smart, kind, direct and compassionate. And without judgement. I am truly grateful for him and his desire for me to have a better life. I thank God for all His blessing in my life. I also thank God for putting me in front of Dr. Choy.
-E.P.
"I started seeing Dr. Choy a few years ago after 10 years with other therapists and psychiatrists. Even with the years of help from the other professionals I was not thriving in life, just surviving. My moods were up and down, and even with medication, I was struggling with excelling at life. My behavior was self destructive and more reflective of a middle school child, than an adult. When I started seeing Dr. Choy he questioned my previous diagnosis. We soon discovered through sessions that my previous diagnosis was wrong, and Dr. Choy started treating me for ADHD. It was like a light bulb went off in my head and my life. My childhood and previous behavior made so much more sense. Once I started taking medication and using tools that Dr. Choy recommended (like meditation and exercise) I started truly thriving for the first time in my life. I have a much better handle on my emotions and behavior, and am doing great at my job. I no longer feel stunted emotionally or with my behavior. Thank you to Dr. Choy for spending the time and really understanding what I was dealing with. It really is life-changing to have a correct medical diagnosis and treatment plan. Thank you for taking me from just surviving to thriving."
-C.A.
"In a relatively short time period through working with Dr. Choy, my life has quite literally transformed. My marriage and career were failing, I was suffering from depression, and was caught in the cycle of self-destructive addiction. I'd been suffering from the same negative patterns for many years, the majority of my adult life. Even with the help of previous therapists, I was unable to make a change. Dr. Choy was able to quickly make the right diagnosis, provide me with the right tools, and help me set transformational plans in place that turned every major area of my life around. I was able to not only salvage my marriage, but have since taken relationships my spouse and family to unprecedented levels of happiness and intimacy. I have, for the first time, been able to truly overcome the grips of my addiction. Lastly I began to perform at work in ways I could only wish for before, resulting in a promotion, a new job, with a new company, all of which better aligned with my true self, and have driven much greater fulfillment in my daily work life. I'm becoming the person I've always wanted to be, and living the life I've always wanted. My belief is that God is at the foundation our life plans and blessings, but he brought Dr. Choy and his unique approach into mine. For that I am extremely thankful."
-J.M.
"Having gone through cycles of depression while juggling a career, kids and ailing family members, I was lucky to find Dr. Choy. He worked with compassion to help me understand myself and manage my darkness. With his brilliant coaching and immense support, I gained knowledge as well as valuable insight to grow, so I am now ready to welcome a fuller life. When I first started meeting Dr. Choy, I was lost, exhausted and helpless. The medication previously prescribed by my family doctor offered little improvement. Tirelessly, Dr. Choy examined my past with care and took me through alternative treatments. As the healing process continued, I learned from Dr. Choy how the brain functions and how ADHD has affected me for decades. For over three years, he accompanied me through a self-discovering journey and encouraged me to face the feelings I repeatedly tried to avoid. Combining medication and therapy with mental training techniques, Dr. Choy equipped me with tools to accept myself as I navigated around my condition. I am grateful to Dr. Choy for his kindness and skills in guiding my transformation. Like an inspiring teacher, he helps me figure out my own path instead of handing out a prepared plan. Under his care in a safe and open environment, I feel comfortable to address my delinquencies. I finally know how to love myself and cultivate better relationships with my loved ones. Despite the long and challenging course, Dr. Choy stood by my side to make this a wonderful learning experience. I am truly thankful for his dedication."
-V.C.
"I met Dr. Choy during a very challenging life period. I had recently moved to an unfamiliar part of the country, had started a new job, and didn’t know many people. His guidance has been life changing, and I will be forever grateful. Before starting regular meetings with Dr. Choy, I would describe myself as scattered. I regularly felt I was on the brink of a meltdown – whether it was due to stress from my new job or relationship challenges with my parents or spouse. Dr. Choy encouraged me to incorporate medication into my daily schedule, which has helped me regain control over my emotional wellbeing. He has taught me the importance of identifying emotions as they come, whether it be fear, anxiety, anger, or sadness, and how the simple act of identifying that emotion roots you back into the present and takes you out of a downward spiral. After knowing Dr. Choy for just over a year, I feel happier, more confident, and more successful. I think everyone I know would benefit from Dr. Choy's treatment – he helps you work toward becoming the best version of yourself. Thank you, Dr. Choy!"
-M.S.
“I sought out Dr. Choy for medication management after moving to the Bay Area a few years ago. After seeing a number of therapists over the years it wasn’t my intention to undergo therapy again, nor did I believe I would benefit much if I did. I was wrong. After meeting Dr. Choy and discussing my therapeutic history, it became clear that there was still work to be done. We began meeting on a regular schedule and he also adjusted my medication type and amount. During our meetings I always found Dr. Choy to be incredibly attentive and present, which was important since I’d experienced other therapists who would answer texts or be otherwise disengaged during a session. Dr. Choy is also committed to continuously evolving as a professional, of which I am particularly appreciative. He shares new research findings and insights from the field and uses this information to improve his practice with patients. I cannot express the importance of spending the time and energy to find the best therapist to help you along your path. With Dr. Choy I know I have found that individual.”
-V.P.
I came to Dr. Choy as a 21-year- old after graduating from college and moving out to Silicon Valley for my first full-time job. Throughout college, I’d had a very hard time paying attention in lectures, and I would often zone out during important conversations with classmates and teachers. I had made it through classes alright, however, because I picked up concepts quickly on my own and I was a good test taker. Once I got to work, things started to change. It was a lot harder for me to get by like I had in college, learning material on my own time rather than when it was presented to me. I needed to be attentive at all times of the day, and because of my ADHD, I was unable to do that. When I met Dr. Choy, I knew that I’d found the right doctor for me. As a science guy myself, I have an obsession with asking what, why and how. Dr. Choy explained the neurophysiological bases of the difficulties that I’d been experiencing in great detail. I was spending too much time in my default mode network, and not enough time in the task positive network. Medications could help by stimulating my brain’s under active reward and decision centers. Before speaking with Dr. Choy, I was under the assumption—as I believe many are—that an individual only takes ADHD medications for their immediate effect; that is, to improve their mental focus while on the drug. Dr. Choy clarified to me that this was not the case. Because of my young age, he explained, my brain was still in a phase of heightened neuroplasticity. This meant that the wiring of my brain was still changing very rapidly. When the correct neural pathways are activated, the connections between neurons in those pathways are altered permanently. I still had time to develop important, permanent connections, and medication could help. With Dr. Choy’s guidance, I began doing everything in my power to get over my impairment and to improve the wiring of my brain while there was still time. I stopped using marijuana, after he explained to me how it affects the brain’s reward pathways. I began practicing mindfulness meditation, which is known to help keep the pre-frontal cortex healthy and active. I began cognitive behavioral therapy, which helped me sort out issues with day-to- day scheduling and distractions. I kept myself to a rigid exercise schedule, after hearing about the benefits of cardiovascular training for brain health. My daily attention was improving significantly, and I had a very successful two years at my job. I’m now beginning a PhD in neuroscience, and I feel much more prepared for the ride thanks to my experience with Dr. Choy. I can’t thank him enough."
-R.F.
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