Dr. Larry Ozowara
I am a board certified psychiatrist in the San Francisco East Bay, and specialize in psychopharmacology and short-term evidence-based psychotherapy. I attended Stanford University where I earned a Doctor of Medicine, Master’s in Psychology and Bachelor's in Psychology.
After completing residency training in psychiatry at Columbia University, I spent the earlier part of my professional career in academia as an assistant professor at NYU and UCLA. In recent years, I have become a leading expert in digital behavioral health, serving in consulting and executive roles at tech enabled healthcare startup companies, while continuing to see patients in various treatment settings. My professional interests include teaching and psychotherapy, particularly for managers and executives. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and reading historical fiction.
Dr. Larry Ozowara
I am a board certified psychiatrist in the San Francisco East Bay and specialize in psychopharmacology and short-term evidence-based psychotherapy. I attended Stanford University where I earned a Doctor of Medicine, Master’s in Psychology and Bachelor's in Psychology.
After completing residency training in psychiatry at Columbia University, I spent the earlier part of my professional career in academic psychiatry as an assistant professor at NYU and UCLA. In recent years, I have become a leading expert in digital behavioral health, serving in consulting and senior leadership roles at tech enabled healthcare startup companies, while continuing to see patients in various treatment settings. My professional interests include teaching and psychotherapy. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and reading historical fiction.
Because Why?
Out of nowhere, and shortly before her third birthday, ‘Because why?’ became my daughter’s go-to question for all things ambiguous. At times this question was reflexive, but at others it was profoundly important to her in ways that she could not yet articulate. In attempting to explain to her why, for example, a Disney character behaved in a particular way, it reminded me that human beings are curious by nature, and that even at a very early age we struggle to make sense of the world around us.
This struggle doesn’t go away as we get older, and in many instances, quite the opposite may be true. When we feel ‘stuck’ it is often in trying to make sense, not only of the world around us, but of our own selves. ‘Why did this have to happen to me?’ ‘Why do I always end up doing this?’ ‘Why can’t I seem to move past this?’ The ‘this’ in each instance is the event, the behavior, the emotion, that creates the confusion we are trying to make sense of by asking ourselves, ‘Because why?’
Because Why?
Out of nowhere, and shortly before her third birthday, ‘Because why?’ became my daughter’s go-to question for all things ambiguous. At times this question was reflexive, but at others it was profoundly important to her in ways that she could not yet articulate. In attempting to explain to her why, for example, a Disney character behaved in a particular way, it reminded me that human beings are curious by nature, and that even at a very early age we struggle to make sense of the world around us.
This struggle doesn’t go away as we get older, and in many instances, quite the opposite may be true. When we feel ‘stuck’ it is often in trying to make sense not only of the world around us, but of our own selves. ‘Why did this have to happen to me?’ ‘Why do I always end up doing this?’ ‘Why can’t I seem to move past this?’ The ‘this’ in each instance is the event, the behavior, the emotion, that creates the confusion we are trying to make sense of by asking ourselves, ‘Because why?’
My role as a psychiatrist is one of an educator, guide, and reflective listener in the quest to ask and answer the ‘Because why?’ My practice goes beyond traditional medication management and encourages those I work with to reflect on the reasons motivating their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. My process is straightforward, practical, and transparent. By asking ‘Because why?’ repeatedly, consistently, and methodically, together we will embark on a journey of self exploration in the first step toward meaningful change.
And speaking of journeys, the word ‘uzoma’ is an Igbo phrase that means ‘the good path’ in English, and is a tribute to my Nigerian heritage.
My role as a psychiatrist is one of an educator, guide, and reflective listener in the quest to ask and answer the ‘Because why?’ My practice goes beyond traditional medication management and encourages those I work with to reflect on the reasons motivating their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. My process is straightforward, practical, and transparent. By asking ‘Because why?’ repeatedly, consistently, and methodically, together we will embark on a journey of self exploration in the first step toward meaningful change.
And speaking of journeys, the word ‘uzoma’ is an Igbo phrase that means ‘the good path’ in English, and is a tribute to my Nigerian heritage.
