California-licensed clinical psychologist PSY25641 and co-founder of the UC San Diego CARE Early Psychosis Specialty Clinic, Heline Mirzakhanian PhD practices from the Bachman Building on Arbor Drive in Hillcrest. As clinical director of the CARE program, she conducts structured prodromal assessments and ongoing care for adolescents and young adults showing first-episode symptoms, coordinating with attending psychiatrists like Kristin Cadenhead, MD on the same research team. Sessions blend cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and psychodynamic work tailored to each patient's stage of illness. Her dual appointment as Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry pulls neuroimaging research on the brain's glutamate system directly into clinical decisions. Inpatient escalations and acute medication adjustments route through the psychiatric units at Hillcrest Medical Center at UC San Diego Health a few blocks south. Armenian-language sessions are available alongside English. The most complex caseload involves longitudinal tracking of clinical-high-risk youth across multiple year-long follow-up windows to determine whether full psychotic conversion can be delayed or prevented.