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Michelle To, Psychiatrist at Comprehensive Psychiatric Services - Pasadena

Michelle To, M.D.

Adult Psychiatrist, Board Certified

Pasadena

✅   Accepting New Patients

💼   12 Years Experience

⭐   Highly Recommended

🕰️.  Excellent Wait Time

5.00

My time meeting with this service has been excellent. They are very attentive to emails response and make quick appointments. The care from my Dr is personal and has greatly helped me. The medication prescribed to me has been very effective.

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Getting to know Michelle To 


Michelle To, MD is double board certified in General Psychiatry and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (Psychosomatic Medicine). She graduated with honors from the University of Southern California before completing her medical training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She has additional fellowship training in Integrative & Functional Psychiatry. Her therapeutic approach emphasizes the importance of authenticity, warmth, compassion, flexibility, and the healing power of being witnessed and understood. With each patient, she gathers a comprehensive history and uses lab testing to create a holistic treatment plan that recognizes each person’s biochemical individuality. Treatment may include medication, if necessary, but centers around addressing the root causes of mental illness such as poor nutrition, metabolic disease, environmental toxins, relationships, trauma, sleep, stress, and lifestyle. In her free time, she enjoys restoration gardening with California native plants.

Focus Areas
  • Depression

  • Mood Swings

  • Chronic Illness Adjustment

  • Childhood Trauma

  • Life Transitions

  • Panic Attacks

  • Bipolar Disorder

  • PTSD

  • Anxiety


Clientele
  • Young Adults

  • Immigrants/

    Refugees

  • LGBTQ+

  • People with chronic illness

  • Adults


Treatment Approaches

  • Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry: Provides psychiatric services to patients in other medical specialties, Integrative & Functional Psychiatry

Identity

Gender


Female

Languages


English


Insurance Providers
  • UMR

  • PHCS MultiPlan

  • Medicare

  • Carelon Health

  • VHP


  • ComPsych

  • Kaiser Permanente

  • Aetna

  • Cigna


  • BlueCross BlueShield

  • Magellan Health

  • TriWest

  • MHN


FAQs


1. What is your approach to working with patients?


I believe in meeting patients where they are with genuine curiosity and respect. My approach combines clinical expertise with cultural sensitivity and authentic connection. I view treatment as a collaborative process grounded in science, where your unique insights and lived experience matter. Rather than just treating symptoms in isolation, I'm interested in understanding the whole person behind the story and creating a judgment-free space where all aspects of your experience are valued.


2. How do you integrate medication management?


I take an evidence-based, individualized approach to medication management as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. When appropriate, I combine pharmacological interventions with psychotherapy and, when indicated, advanced treatments like TMS, ketamine therapy, or other interventional modalities. My multidisciplinary training allows me to consider the whole person—including mind-body interactions, lifestyle factors, and psychosomatic considerations—when determining the best path forward.


3. What types of concerns do you specialize in treating?


I work with a wide range of conditions including depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma, and burnout. My specialized areas include psychosomatic medicine and performance psychiatry, where I help individuals navigate complex mind-body interactions and optimize their mental health. I'm also experienced with treatment-resistant conditions and integrate multiple therapeutic modalities—including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, existential, and somatic approaches—to address each person's unique needs.


4. What's something you want your patients to know about you?


I want you to know that I'm genuinely committed to understanding you as a whole person, not just your diagnosis. My background spans medicine, psychology, public health, and ongoing training in integrative medicine, which informs how I approach care. I'm here to create a space where your experience is validated and where we can explore what's happening beneath the surface together. You'll find me accessible and invested in your success.


5. What do you believe is the most important part of the healing process?


The most important part is establishing genuine connection and trust, then collaboratively exploring what's really driving your struggles. Real transformation comes not just from reducing symptoms, but from integrating insights, understanding yourself more deeply, and building lasting change that leads to greater balance, fulfillment, and quality of life.


6. What kinds of clients do you work with best?


I work best with people who are ready to engage in the process thoughtfully and are willing to explore what's beneath the surface. I serve both adolescents and adults across California, and I'm particularly well-suited for those dealing with complex presentations, performance-related concerns, mind-body connections, and individuals who appreciate an integrative approach that honors both the science and the human experience. I also work well with people from diverse cultural backgrounds who value sensitivity to their unique perspectives.


7. Do you have experience with trauma or PTSD?


Yes, I have significant experience working with trauma and PTSD across the lifespan. My training and clinical practice include evidence-based trauma-focused interventions, and I integrate psychodynamic, somatic, and cognitive-behavioral approaches to address trauma's effects on the body and mind.


8. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?


Outside of the clinic, I prioritize spending quality time with my family—it's grounding and reminds me what matters most. I'm also a dog person and genuinely enjoy the unconditional companionship my dogs provide. Beyond that, I'm passionate about continuing to learn and grow, which is why I'm pursuing my Fellowship in Integrative & Functional Medicine. I find that staying connected to my personal life, my loved ones, and simple joys keeps me present and grounded, and I think that translates into the care I'm able to provide to my patients.

CPS

Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, a medical group was incorporated in 1979 to provide behavioral medicine services for individuals, and families

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