Working together to understand and treat the complexities of the mind.

About Us

PREMIER MIND INSTITUTE

Premier Psychiatrist in Newport Beach

Welcome to the Premier Mind Institute, an integrative mental health center specializing in child, adolescent, adult and forensic psychiatry and individual, couples, and family psychotherapy in Newport Beach. Founded by Dr. Shivani Chopra, MD, who formerly served as the Medical Director for the Adolescent Partial Hospitalization program at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), we use evidence-based treatments to address a variety of complex mental health concerns. Our priority is the well being of our patients and their families. The Premier Mind Institute adheres to an exceptional standard of care, and we believe in working as a team with our patients, other treatment providers, and therapists to provide thorough assessments and patient-centered individualized treatment plans.

Our Team

Shivani Chopra, M.D.

Dr. Shivani Chopra is a psychiatrist in Newport Beach who specializes in child, adolescent, adult, and forensic psychiatry. She is triple board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in general adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry.

Full Bio

Michole Deesing, M.D.

Dr. Michole Deesing is a psychiatrist who specializes in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. She is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Adult Psychiatry and is board eligible in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Full Bio

Jessica Hines, M.A., M.F.T.

Jessica Hines is a Marriage and Family Therapist in Newport Beach who practices psychotherapy with children, adolescents, adults, and families with a wide range of mental health concerns, including addiction.

Full Bio

Everardo Cabral, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

Everardo Cabral is Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Newport Beach (LCSW), who practices different modalities of psychotherapy with children, adolescents, adults, and families.

Full Bio

Chintana Shah-Gandhi, M.A., L.E.P.

Chintana Shah-Gandh psychiatrist-newport-beach-ca

Chintana Shah-Gandhi is a Licensed Educational Psychologist in Newport Beach and a School Psychologist who provides psycho-educational assessments for children, adolescents, and adults.

Full Bio

Areas of Practice

Clinical Practice:

Adjustment Disorders
Anxiety Disorders (ie. Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, etc)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Delay
Child and Adolescent Delinquency (ie. Oppositional Defiant Disorder)
Eating Disorders
Grief and Loss
Learning Disorders
Mood Disorders (ie. Depression, Bipolar disorder)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Parent Training
Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders
Sleep Disorders (Insomnia)
Tics and Tourette Disorder
Chronic suicidality and self-harm

Forensic Evaluations:

Child Custody
Child Dependency
Competency to Stand Trial
Juvenile Fitness
Malpractice
Sanity
Testamentary Capacity

Services

Psychiatric Evaluation
Medication Management
Medication Management and Psychotherapy
Psychoeducational testing
Psychotherapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Individual Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Couples Therapy
- Supportive Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Group Therapy

Frequently Asked Questions

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THE PREMIER MIND INSTITUTE?

The mental health providers at the Premier Mind Institute, Inc. (PMI) strive to provide the highest quality of care, using evidence-based treatments. We use a “whole person” treatment approach, discussing not only medications (when indicated) and psychotherapy in Newport Beach as part of a treatment plan, but also, we address lifestyle changes, diet, exercise, and other alternative modalities of treatment. We also understand the importance of collaborative care, and our providers work with each other, other mental health professionals, physicians, and colleagues to corroborate care in an effort to improve treatment outcomes. At the end of the day, we believe that the overall goal is improved functionality and better quality of life. Our providers work with each patient to come up with a personalized treatment plan with these goals in mind.

HOW CAN I SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT?

To schedule an initial appointment, please call (949) 482-1600, email office@premiermindinstitute.com, or fill out the form under the “Appointment” section of this website. Our goal is to be readily accessible to answer any questions and/or to schedule the first available appointment time during our business hours of 9AM-5PM, Monday through Friday. However, should you get our voicemail during this time, please leave a message with a callback phone number, and our staff at PMI will return your call as soon as possible, but no later than one business day.

DO I NEED TO FILL OUT FORMS BEFORE MY INITIAL APPOINTMENT?

Once you have scheduled an initial appointment, you will receive an email with seven attached documents that constitute our “New Patient Forms.” Please print these forms, fill them out, and bring them to your initial appointment. Along with these forms, our detailed email provides our contact information, directions to our practice, and information about where to park. Please read through the email, and should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us.

HOW DOES THE INTIAL APPOINTMENT WORK AND HOW LONG ARE FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS?

At the Premier Mind Institute, Inc., the initial appointment is typically one hour in length. As our providers attempt to be as comprehensive as possible, we ask you please to have information about your past mental health history (i.e. previous providers, medication trials, treatment modalities used, hospitalizations, etc.) readily available. While our providers attempt to complete their evaluation during the initial appointment, sometimes more than one session is required to complete a thorough assessment. As part of our initial assessment, we may also need to obtain collateral information (i.e. from schools, family, other providers, etc.). If this is the case, we will be sure to obtain written authorization from you to allow for communication with collateral sources. Our goal is to provide the best-personalized treatment plan for each of our patients. Thus, it is imperative that the entire evaluation is complete before treatment recommendations are discussed.

Follow up sessions are either 30-minutes or 60-minutes in length for our psychiatrists and 60-minutes in length for our therapists in Newport Beach, CA. Typically, 30-minute appointments are used for medication management, and 60-minute appointments are used to provide psychotherapy and/or manage medications. Please be aware that a 60-minute appointment consists of approximately 10-15 minutes of documentation time, and a 30-minute appointment consists of approximately 5-10 minutes of documentation time.

WHAT TYPES OF TREATMENT ARE MOST COMMONLY RECOMMENDED?

Once our providers have discussed their clinical impressions with you, they will work with you to determine the most optimal personalized treatment plan. Treatment may consist of psychiatric medications, psychotherapy, both medications/psychotherapy, or a referral to other providers (speech therapy, neuropsychological testing, etc). In addition to this, our providers will discuss lifestyle modifications, diet, exercise, and alternative modalities of treatment as they apply to your situation.

DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE?

The providers at PMI are not part of any insurance panels, and as such do not accept insurance as a form of payment for services rendered. Rather, patients are expected to pay for each visit out of pocket before or at the time mental health services are provided. Our professionals are considered to be “out of network” providers for most PPO insurance plans. While many insurance plans may have mental health coverage, it is up to our patients to determine the amount that their insurance company will reimburse for their visits. We are happy to provide a Superbill that our patients can directly submit to their insurance company. Please be aware that we do not bill any insurance companies, as this is the responsibility of our patients, should they elect to use their insurance coverage.

WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL FEES?

Our professional fees are as follows:

PSYCHIATRISTS: Newport Beach, CA
Initial 60 minute evaluation: $500

60-minute session for psychotherapy and/or medication management: $500

30-minute session for medication management: $250

Forensic evaluations: $800/hour

THERAPISTS: Newport Beach, CA:
60-minute sessions for psychotherapy: $225-$250

LICENSED EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Newport Beach, CA:60-minute sessions for evaluation, testing, and/or report writing: $200

HOW DO I CONTACT THE STAFF AT PMI?

Our staff is available at (949) 482-1600. While we do our best to be accessible to all of our patients during our business hours of 9AM-5PM, Monday through Friday, we may not be readily available when we receive a phone call. We ask you please to leave a message with a call back phone number, and our staff at PMI will return the call as soon as possible, but no later than one business day. If there is an urgent clinical issue, please follow the prompts on our voicemail to have our covering psychiatrist paged. If there is a true medical or psychiatric emergency, we ask that you dial 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room. During times of extended absence, you will be provided with contact information for a covering psychiatrist in Newport Beach who will be available by phone and/or in person for any clinical or urgent issues.

WHAT IS YOUR MEDICATION POLICY?

Psychotropic medications can be helpful in combination with psychotherapy. Upon completion of the initial assessment, if medication is warranted, our board certified psychiatrists will work with you to decide an optimal medication regimen. At PMI, we believe in the power of education. Our psychiatrists will provide psychoeducation regarding medication use, discussing the class of medications being recommended, risks, benefits, side effects, alternatives, and no treatment. We understand the importance of having a discussion about medication, and our psychiatrists always welcome any questions or concerns that you may have regarding medication use.

Please be aware that our psychiatrists in Newport Beach, CA will provide enough medication to last until your following appointment. We ask that you do not ask a pharmacy to fax refill requests, as this is rarely necessary. As our providers strive to provide the highest quality of care, it is important that they evaluate patients regularly to ensure that they are adequately meeting therapeutic goals. As such, our providers are unable to authorize refills without evaluating their patients.

WHAT ARE YOUR CANCELLATION AND NO-SHOW POLICIES?

Once an appointment is scheduled, patients are responsible for paying the full session fee unless they provide at least 48 business hours (2 business days) advance notice of cancellation. Business days are considered weekdays from Monday through Friday, and exclude all standard holidays. For example if a patient has an appointment at 6 pm on Monday, s/he will need to cancel the appointment by 6 pm on the Thursday prior to their appointment. All appointments not cancelled at least 48 business hours prior to the scheduled appointment, and no show appointments (when a patient fails to show for a scheduled appointment), will be charged the full session fee.

What is FAQ?

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IS WHAT I SAY CONFIDENTIAL?

The providers at PMI understand how important confidentiality is to treatment. A patient’s confidentiality is protected by the law. While we are able to obtain information from individuals, we are only able to share our patient’s information with those whom s/he authorizes in writing. If our patients elect to seek reimbursement from their insurance companies, we may be required to release basic information about diagnosis and treatment to facilitate the reimbursement process. While the following situations are rare, please be aware of the following exceptions to confidentiality, where our providers are required by law to disclose information:

⚈ If there is the threat of serious bodily harm to oneself or others, we are required to take protective actions, which may include notifying the police, notifying potential victim, or seeking appropriate hospitalization.

⚈ If there is an indication of abuse to a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person, even if it is about a party other than the one providing the information, we must file a report with the appropriate state agency.

⚈ If due to mental illness, one is unable to meet his/her basic needs, such as clothing, food, and shelter, we may have to disclose information in order to access services to provide for his/her basic needs.

⚈ If a judge may require our staff’s testimony through a subpoena.

WHAT IS YOUR ELECTRONIC MAIL POLICY?

Please be aware that email is not a confidential means of communication. We are unable to guarantee the receipt of emails, and the frequency with which our staff will check email. While we attempt to respond to emails in a timely fashion, we cannot guarantee that email will be checked daily. In addition, there may be a delay in response to emails on holidays and weekends. As such, we ask that our patients do not use email to communicate any confidential information or urgent/emergent issues. Please be aware that content in emails may be a part of your medical record.

Resources

Read the PMI Blog Here

Appointments

In order to schedule an appointment, please call (949) 482-1600,
email office@premiermindinstitute.com, or fill out the form below.

Contact Us

Newport Beach office:

Premier Mind Institute

4695 MacArthur Court, Suite 1100, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Ph: (949) 482-1600 Fax: (866) 620-MIND

Working together to understand and treat the complexities of the mind.

About Us

PREMIER MIND INSTITUTE

Premier Psychiatrist in Newport Beach

Our Team

Shivani Chopra, M.D.

Michole Deesing, M.D.

Jessica Hines, M.A., M.F.T.

Everardo Cabral, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

Chintana Shah-Gandhi, M.A., L.E.P.

Areas of Practice

Clinical Practice:

Forensic Evaluations:

Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources

Appointments

In order to schedule an appointment, please call (949) 482-1600,email office@premiermindinstitute.com, or fill out the form below.

Contact Us

Newport Beach office:

In order to schedule an appointment, please call (949) 482-1600,
email office@premiermindinstitute.com, or fill out the form below.