Sara Heron, MD

I have always had an interest in how humans think and why we behave the way we do. During my medical training, I sought opportunities to connect with patients on a deeper level, looking beyond their physical symptoms to fully understand how their illness impacted their daily life and the lives of those closest to them. I ultimately chose to practice psychiatry because it allows me to relate to the patient as a whole person. I appreciate the complexity of the mind and recognize that the task is not as simple as prescribing a medication to eradicate a problem.

I consider myself first and foremost a therapist. It is a privilege to listen to patients' stories, work with them through life’s challenges, and acknowledge and celebrate their joys and successes. I have received training in and feel comfortable with a variety of therapeutic modalities as I believe having many tools in my toolkit allows me to adapt to an individual patient’s needs. Having said that, my therapeutic approach is most informed by mentalization-based therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy, where the goal is to join the patient in coming to an understanding about what is getting in their way and to collaboratively find a way through. 

I have a particular interest in working with adolescents and young adults with depression and anxiety, but have experience working with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses - ADHD, trauma, personality disorders, autism, OCD, and mild substance use - and with young children, parents, couples, and families. I am committed to working with socially, culturally, and economically diverse populations, with special attention to patients who have historically been underserved or disadvantaged. I firmly believe that everyone deserves access to excellent, ethical mental health services.

Tom tarshis, MD, MPH

I am a Bay Area native thrilled to be living in Berkeley (where I attended college) after being in the South Bay for years. I am passionate about fixing broken systems of care, in using technology as a resource for mental health treatment, and keeping a positive attitude for my patients and their families.

Since completing my medical training at Stanford in 2006 I have been devoted to providing the best care for youth while also addressing systemic failures in mental health treatment.

I live my life via a strict code of ethics and believe that the most vulnerable individuals (youth) deserve the highest level of care. Many mental health care systems are failing in this regard. The best treatment for almost all mental health disorders in youth is therapy, yet often families are directed towards medication treatments. I would not want this to happen for my own children, and do not recommend medication treatment for the families I work with when therapy is the right choice.

I am thrilled to be working for Bay Children’s Services. I enjoy running groups, working with parents and young children, and utilizing technology to make our work together enjoyable.