About Us

Stratus Mental Health Center (SMHC) is led by Dr. Carl Fleisher, a board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist and former faculty member at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and before that, at Harvard Medical School. As Medical Director, he oversees the clinical direction of SMHC and works closely with a multidisciplinary team committed to thoughtful, evidence-based care.

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SMHC clinicians are trained at leading academic institutions and bring expertise in psychiatry, psychotherapy, neuropsychological assessment and guidance for parents. We emphasize formulation-driven, measurement-informed care rather than undefined or one-size-fits-all approaches.

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Our philosophy is straightforward: combine scientific rigor with careful listening. We aim to understand the full context of each person’s experience and to tailor treatment accordingly into clear, shared, measureable goals. Care is collaborative, data-informed, and grounded in empathy for the complexity of human development.

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Stratus Mental Health Center originally opened in 2018 as the Los Angeles outpost of the Boston Child Study Center (BCSC), founded by psychologist Dr. Ryan Madigan. In early 2020, Dr. Carl Fleisher joined BCSC part-time as the Medical Director. This grew into a full-time role when he left UCLA in 2022. Then, in 2026, as Dr. Madigan stepped back from managing the practice from across the country, Dr. Fleisher stepped in and Stratus was born.

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First as BCSC and now as Stratus, our core values remain the same. We believe that everyone deserves exceptional mental health care. Thus, our mission is simple:  to provide the best mental health care there is, for all to access.

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Our initial premise was to bring the excellence of academic medical centers to private practice. At the top universities and mental health institutions in the world, we saw access to cutting-edge treatment clogged by bureaucracy and jumbled priorities. We also saw no reason for excellence to remain in the ivory tower. In other words, private clinics could also be places where training and research attract and nurture the brightest minds. And, by maintaining clinical care as our top priority, we avoid the fragmentation of universities, whose efforts to provide care are often derailed by other institutional needs.

 

In doing so, we established a unique and powerful model of excellence in private practice. This model starts with clinicians trained at leading academic medical centers who share a commitment to rigorous, attuned care. Second, we hold ourselves accountable by measuring outcomes systematically and adjusting treatment based on objective feedback. Third, our model is enhanced by a culture of humility, high standards and innovation. On top of that, we maintain a singular focus:  caring for you and your family.​