Dr. Ed S. Jesalva has been a psychiatrist since 1989. Born in the Philippines, he and his family emigrated to the US when he was a child, and he was raised in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He began his education in the medical field with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Illinois. Dr. Jesalva completed his medical degree at the University of Health Sciences Chicago Medical School. With his sights set on becoming a psychiatrist, Dr. Jesalva then moved to California to complete his internship and residency in Psychiatry at Harbor General Hospital/UCLA Medical Center in Torrance,Thousand Oaks, California.
Today, Dr. Jesalva maintains an active outpatient practice, treating adolescents, adults and the elderly who suffer from problems like mood disorders, ADD/ADHD, substance abuse, and dementia. Dr. Jesalva is active in community education and frequently lectures on subjects like bipolar disorder, depression, and psychopharmacology (managing mental health disorders with medications) In addition, he is an adjunct faculty member at Pepperdine University, teaching therapists and counselors about psychopharmacology. He also acts as a consultant to various local counseling centers, including Conejo Counseling Center, Community Counseling Group, New Beginning Counseling Center, and Conejo Valley Mental Health Professionals Association.
Dr. Jesalva believes that his role is to educate and support patients through a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach. His treatment framework addresses four dimensions: biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual. Dr. Jesalva sees mental disease as a chameleon; that can disable people's ability to function effectively, destroy relationships, or simply be something very subtle but insidious, preventing people from achieving happiness and fulfillment. Mental disease (and it truly is a disease) is often stigmatized, but just as people with diabetes or heart disease need treatment and support, so does someone with an illness of the mind. In his own words: “I have witnessed thousands of people begin that journey since I've started practicing psychiatry. I have seen the many pitfalls that people run into which propagate their illness. But I've also experienced the wonderful feeling of being part of providing the proper care to help people experience happier and more fulfilling lives through the treatment of their mental disorder.”