Dr. John Allen has spent more than three decades doing some of psychiatry’s hardest work – helping people navigate addiction, severe mental illness, and psychotic disorders right here in San Diego.

After training at Baylor College of Medicine and completing his psychiatry residency at UCSD, Dr. Allen built a career defined by commitment to this community. He’s board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, has led both the San Diego County Mental Health Board and the San Diego Psychiatric Society, and currently serves as Medical Director of the Mental Health Center of San Diego.

When it comes to medication, he’s deliberate: he prioritizes the newest non-addictive options to manage serious symptoms – an approach that matters especially to patients in recovery, for whom dependency-free care isn’t optional, it’s essential.