I am a bilingual (Spanish and English) and bicultural, double board-certified Child & Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatrist with over a decade of experience helping preschoolers to older adults navigate life’s challenges. Psychiatry is often more than well-designed psychopharmacologic interventions. Medications may or may not be a part of an individual’s care and, as appropriate, I use other modalities in addition to or in lieu of medication management such as:

• Individual, Child and Family Psychotherapy, Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavior and Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Developmental perspectives rooted in early attachment
• A holistic approach to mental health with emphasis on social and/or divine connectedness, exercise, nutrition, and the cultivation of the body’s own endogenous system of healing.
• Lab/nutrient testing and nutrient protocols developed by Dr. William Walsh to help heal biochemical imbalances

Maria Carolina Court, M.D.

For years, I’ve embraced a generalist style of practice helping individuals with a range of challenges including Depression, ADHD, Autism, Eating Disorders and PTSD/Trauma. However, personal tragedy brought into focus other clinical interests.

In 2023, my beloved 16-year-old son, Kaylen ‘Rey’ unexpectedly died. To say that Kaylen was the love of my life would be an understatement. He was a sensitive, loving soul blessed with a quick wit and lowkey swag and charisma. Whatever ideas I had about life, illness, good and bad luck, motherhood, God, marriage, meaning, and death itself have had to be regrown and restored. It is a continual lifelong process. Fortunately, my profession allows me to channel hope and healing to others facing similar cataclysmic events.

So, I am still a general Child, Adolescent, and Adult psychiatrist who treats a range of clinical issues but who has become keen in:

• Grief and bereavement
• Mental health and suicide stigma
• Suicide loss survival, resilience, hope
• Spiritual and healing practices (such as meditation, prayer, psychedelic therapies)

“Never give up hope, no matter how dark things seem.”

— The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Season Five, The Wrong Jedi

• Early Development, Attachment, Parenting, Epigenetics
• Mood and Anxiety – Depression, Bipolar, Panic Disorder
• Neurodiversity: Child and Adult ADHD, Autism, Gifted/Twice Exceptionality
• Women’s Health
• Post Traumatic Stress
• Helping kids and parents through high conflict divorce
• Sexuality, gender

• Traveling, cooking/food, hiking amongst Redwoods
• All animals – especially sloths
• Star Wars, geodes, street art

• B. A. in Molecular Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley with Department Honors
• Howard Hughes Biology Fellow Neuroscience research in the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Koshland. Honors thesis focused on developing an in-vitro model looking at Brain-Derived-Neurotrophic-Factor protection against Excitotoxic Neuronal cell death
• M.D. degree with Honors from the University of California, San Francisco
• Completion of UCSF Biomedical Research Curriculum with Thesis in the UCSF Department of Memory and Aging. Focused on brain lesion models in Fronto-Temporal Dementia patients looking at biological correlates of empathy, limbic/subcortical emotional processing, top down appraisal of motivation and intention, and self-other awareness. Conducted clinical evaluations of patients with Dementia, neuropsychological testing, post-mortem neuropathology and neurohistochemistry.
• Adult Psychiatry and Neurology Residency, University of California, San Diego with a special interest in Reproductive Psychiatry.
• Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego
• Member of the American Psychiatric Association
• Member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
• Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Board Certified)
• Diplomate of the American Board of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Board Certified)

When I got the call from my sister that I was going to be able to adopt her 3rd-born child, I was overjoyed. I flew to OKC the day after he was born and flew back to SD the following day with him strapped to my chest. I’ve been telling him since he was born that “God picked you out for me. Auntie Seiko carried you inside her tummy and brought you into the world so we could be together, but God picked you out for me.”

I named him Chianu, which means “God hears” in Igbo, a southern Nigerian tribe. One day, I decided to write a love story to my son and I entitled it God Picked You Out for Me. He and I actually collaborated on it and now it’s our first published book. I hope this book helps all the other adoptive families out there. It’s a great way to start a conversation about adoption.

Alliant International University
Psy.D., Psychology

Alliant International University
Master’s Degree, Psychology

Langston University
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Bipolar
• Anger management
• Coping skills
• Domestic violence
• Sexual abuse
• Parenting
• Divorce/custody
• Self-esteem
• Substance abuse
• Trauma
• Psychosis
• PTSD
• Adolescents and children
• Couples and families
• LGBQIT