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SMHART Clinic
Our Mission
SMHART Clinic is a person-centered program that works with Asian individuals aged 18 years and over and their families to provide interdisciplinary, culturally-informed applications of evidence-based mental health care.
We also work to improve mental health care for Asian individuals who seek specialized care in this multidisciplinary program by:
- Training a new generation of professionals including medical students, residents, psychiatry fellows, and psychology postdoctoral fellows
- Providing community education and support with initiatives such as Stanford CHIPAO
- Advancing knowledge through research
We treat conditions related to or exacerbated by cultural issues such as intergenerational trauma, racism and discrimination, mental health stigma, familial expectations and family conflict, intergenerational differences in acculturation, and acculturation stress. Symptoms addressed may include those of depression, trauma, anxiety, and eating/body image concerns. We may additionally provide support for managing existing psychiatric diagnoses, addressing stress and burnout, addressing perfectionism, exploring issues of identity, and improving communication in interpersonal relationships.
Referral to this clinic is appropriate if a patient would prefer a provider with a culture-oriented expertise or if a patient’s provider believes their concerns have a significant cultural component.
Our Clinic Provides
- Medication management
- Individual psychotherapy
- Consultation with patients’ health care providers
- Psychoeducation and process group
For information about accessing care, please call our intake department to self-refer at (650) 498-9111, option 2.
Patients, family, and doctors may speak directly to a psychiatric intake coordinator who will route each patient to the most appropriate specialty area. The coordinator will also assist in obtaining insurance verification.
If you are in crisis:
- Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room if you need help immediately.
- Crisis Text Line: Text “START” TO 741-741. Free, confidential, 24/7
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1‑800‑273‑TALK (8255), 24/7
Referring Physician Services
By Fax: Send the referral form with supporting documentation to 650-320-9443
By Phone: 1-866-742-4811
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For help with all referral needs and questions, visit Referring Physicians.
Research Projects
Racial discrimination in medicine: understanding individual and institutional factors that affect perceived discrimination
Study Team: Amy Alexander, M.D. (PI), Yasmin Owusu, M.D.; Seanna Leath, Ph.D.; Eyuel Terefe, PGY-4
Impacts of Discrimination and Racism Experienced by Asian American Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows Subsequent to Covid-19
Study Team: Huiqiong Deng, M.D., Ph.D. (PI), Amy Alexander, M.D. (co-PI), Aaron Winkler, M.D., Katherine Fu, M.D., Rishab Gupta, M.D., Hira Ayub Silat, M.D., Donna Tran B.S., B.A.
Media & Latest News
Stanford Medicine Office of Faculty Diversity and Development's Community Support Initiative 2022 Awardees Announced
Congratulations to Dr. Deng, selected as a 2022 awardee for the project: Network of Faculty at the SMHART Clinic
Stanford Medicine Center for Asian Health Research and Education's 2022 Seed Grant Awards Announced
Congratulations to Dr. Deng, selected as a 2022 awardee for the project: A survey study of Asian college student mental health during COVID in the U.S.
2025 Palo Alto Lunar New Year Fair
Stacy Lin, PhD, Rona Hu, MD and Huiqiong Deng, MD, PhD
Kai Huang presenting “A Survey Study Investigating Impact of Racism During COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Asian Undergraduates in the U.S.”
Winner of the Medical Student Poster Competition, 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association
2024 Palo Alto Lunar New Year Fair
Danny Diep, MD and Huiqiong Deng, MD, PhD
Zariah Mekile and Donna Tran presenting “Impact of Discrimination and Racism Experienced by Asian American Medical Students, Residents, Fellows, and Undergraduates Subsequent to COVID-19” at the 2023 National Conference of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association
Resources
For local mental health resources, please visit this list provided by Project Safety Net, or click here to download this list in Chinese.
To find a local therapist, go to https://www.psychologytoday.com/us and enter your zip code in the "Find a Therapist" search box.
To search for a therapist in the Asian Mental Health Collective directory, go to https://www.asianmhc.org/therapists-us/ and search based on your address.
This list of resources is provided for informational purposes only and should not be substituted for professional care.
We include these resources for your information, but did not create and do not specifically endorse the content or resources therein.
SMHART Clinic Faculty
Dr. Hu is the Founder and Director of the SMHART clinic. Dr. Hu speaks Mandarin proficiently, French at a professional level and intermediate Italian.
Dr. Lin is the Director of Psychotherapy for the SMHART clinic. Dr. Lin is a licensed psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences who provides culturally-informed psychotherapy for the treatment of emotion dysregulation, trauma, and eating disorders through the SMHART, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Eating Disorders clinics. Dr. Lin has specialized training in comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as well as clinical emphases on intersectional work with individuals with marginalized identities (such as people of color and LGBTQ+-identifying people) and Asian individuals and Asian American individuals. She is broadly interested in issues of diversity and inclusion in clinical, training, and professional settings. Her research has examined cultural factors affecting disordered eating and body image in racial/ethnic minorities. Dr. Lin speaks conversational Mandarin and very basic Japanese.
Dr. Hom provides culturally-informed psychotherapy for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, emotion dysregulation, and interpersonal conflict. She utilizes evidence-based treatments, including acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. Dr. Hom also has a background in suicide prevention research and an interest in working with Asian individuals and Asian American individuals who are navigating the intersection between spirituality and mental health.
Dr. Huiqiong Deng is Co-Director of the SMHART clinic. In addition to a medical degree, she earned a PhD, with a major in rehabilitation science and a minor in neuroscience. Specializing in the area of cultural and interventional psychiatry and the treatment of alcohol/substance addiction, her goal is to help each patient along the journey to achieve optimal health and quality of life. As the co-author of more than a dozen scholarly articles, Dr. Deng’s work has appeared in Psychiatry Research, American Journal on Addictions, Brain Stimulation, and other publications. Since she joined faculty at Stanford, Dr. Deng has received research grant support by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Innovator Grant Program. Dr. Deng is fully bilingual in Mandarin and English.
Dr. Zhang provides culturally-informed psychotherapy for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, emotion dysregulation, trauma, interpersonal stressors, and perfectionism through the SMHART and Dialectical Behavior Therapy clinics. Dr. Zhang has specialized training in comprehensive Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy, and the treatment of perfectionism. She is interested in approaching her clinical work through an intersectional lens and has a special interest in working with Asian individuals and Asian American individuals working on issues related to identity, intergenerational conflict, and racism.
Dr. Bora Kim is a board-certified psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. With dual training in South Korea and the United States, she brings a culturally informed approach to the treatment of mood disorders and suicidality, particularly in Asian American and immigrant populations. Bilingual in English and Korean, Dr. Kim is dedicated to bridging cultural gaps in mental health care, integrating evidence-based treatments with an understanding of cultural identity, stigma, and help-seeking behaviors. She also specializes in neuromodulation therapies, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and conducts research on precision psychiatry to improve mental health outcomes.