Tejal Jakatdar, PhD
Founder and Director/Psychologist
Approach To Care
Tejal’s clinical philosophy is to approach you as a whole person and not just your target symptoms. Dealing with anxiety, sadness, OCD symptoms, reproductive issues, or post partum depression can create guilt, shame, and isolation, making it more difficult to live a full and healthy life. Tejal will teach you how to change your ways of thinking and behaviors that are keeping you stuck.
Empathetic and thoughtful, she tailors a personalized, cutting edge treatment plan specifically for your needs and level of readiness. Although typically described as gentle and warm, Tejal offers tough love too as she holds you accountable as you work to confront your fears. She uncovers what is stopping you from living according to your values and helps you to remove those barriers. Ultimately she helps you to achieve measurable progress toward your goals as she encourages you to live the best life you can.
Methods Of Treatment
Tejal has a reputation for excellence in treating OCD and anxiety. She practices under the umbrella of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT has been widely researched for decades and is the gold standard for treating many types of anxiety and mood disorders. CBT is collaborative, structured, problem focused, and hands-on.
Based on her expertise and history of effective treatment outcomes, Tejal is often sought out to treat complex cases of OCD and anxiety. She combines the optimal mix of elements from CBT, exposure therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness so you gain the ability to manage your issues effectively and live a meaningful life.
Cultural Sensitivity
As an immigrant from India, Tejal is keenly aware of how culture and family values shape a person. Having lived in 2 very different cultures, she has learned to understand cases from both the complexity of the diagnosis and the cultural implications. She is well aware of the impact that family pressures, high expectations, challenges with independence, and language and cultural adaptations can have on mood and anxiety. As such, she is sensitive to cultural issues when devising treatment interventions with clients of different ethnicities.
Education and Experience
Tejal received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia, one of the top 10 clinical psychology programs in the country. Tejal was trained by Dr. Richard Heimberg, an eminent clinical researcher and mentor. She completed her internship at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. In 2010, she was a full partner of the Anxiety and OCD Treatment Center of Philadelphia, one of the preeminent national programs for OCD treatment. Tejal was mentored by Dr. Jonathan Grayson, a highly sought after OCD expert who eventually became her business partner. She has been practicing in Silicon Valley since 2016.
A passionate and respected educator, Tejal serves as a faculty member for IOCDF's BTTI program, the premier training program for OCD and OC spectrum disorders. Currently, she is also teaching a course on CBT to 3rd year psychiatry residents at CPMC where she received "Teacher of the Year" award for 2020-21. Tejal served as adjunct faculty for the clinical psychology program at Temple University and has supervised numerous practicum and postdoctoral students. Tejal serves as Chair of Master Clinician Seminars, a prestigious 3-year position for ABCT. She also serves as a reviewer for submissions for conferences for ADAA. Both organizations are leading national and international entities for practice and research of OCD, anxiety, and mood disorders. Tejal's research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and she has written a book chapter on treating social anxiety disorder. In addition, she frequently presents at national conferences for mental health professionals as well as in community settings to educate the public on anxiety, perfectionism, and OCD.
In her free time, Tejal enjoys spending time with her son and husband, traveling and experiencing new cuisines, being on the ocean, decorating home and office spaces, reading thrillers, and connecting with her team at Willow.
