Meet Our Team

Dr. Yoonas grew up in the great Intermountain state of Idaho, at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. He attended college at U.C. Berkeley, graduating Cum Laude with a degree in Economics. After teaching 6th grade in East San Jose, Dr. Yoonas studied Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and was inducted into the National Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Society. He then returned to West to specialize in Psychiatry at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, where he excelled and was selected as Chief Resident in 2010.

He has trained extensively in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with David Burns, M.D.), Mindfulness-Based approaches, and pharmacology to create highly individualized treatment plans. His extensive training in medication management has equipped him with the most up-to-date treatment strategies to help his clients achieve their goals. He has a particular passion for adult ADHD and has pursued further expertise in adult ADHD at the Mass. General Hospital’s Psychiatry Academy. He has successfully treated professional athletes, media personalities, startup founders, engineers, physicians, lawyers, and many others.

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A San Francisco native, Dr. Choy attended UC Berkeley, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, earning a bachelor’s degree with Honors in Molecular & Cell Biology. Desiring to explore life outside Northern California, he left for the Northeast to study Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. After receiving his medical degree, he returned home to the SF Bay Area to complete his medical and psychiatry training at Stanford. Following residency, he completed additional psychotherapy training to better his skills as a psychotherapist at the Palo Alto Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis.

After finishing his schooling and training as a psychiatrist, he learned he had ADHD himself. Since discovering his own diagnosis after struggling through years of living with a disorder unbeknown to him, it has become his personal and professional mission to help others learn to recognize and manage the lifelong condition. His unique treatment approach incorporates innovative medication strategies while combining his expertise in clinical neuroscience, psychotherapy, and wellness practices.

As medical director of EFC, he enjoys teaching, training, and supervising other clinicians. He is a contributing writer for Thrive Global and a physician contributor author for Healthgrades. He is regularly asked and invited to give educational talks about adult ADHD to the community and other doctors, clinicians, and medical practices, including the healthcare teams that provide care to the big tech companies in Silicon Valley.

Dr. Choy is a recognized thought leader in his field. He was selected to attend the Lake Nona Impact Forum, where leaders and visionaries from business, academia, government and industry sectors convene to drive innovative health and wellness solutions nationally and globally. He is a delegate of TEDMED, whose purpose is to influence progress in health, medicine, and technology. He is a member of the Mental Wellness Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute, whose mission is to empower wellness worldwide by educating the public and private sectors about preventative health and wellness. He shares his expertise in Neuroplasticity & Mental Wellness in a published peer-reviewed article and White Paper, where his aim is to educate others in gaining a better understanding of brain plasticity throughout their lifespan.

Dr. Choy lives in Silicon Valley with his lovely wife and wonderful son. He is diligent in incorporating wellness into his everyday life, practicing yoga and daily mindfulness meditation. He loves to golf, CrossFit, and trains year-round for half marathons and Spartan obstacle course races. He enjoys traveling the world to immerse himself in different cultures and has visited various countries and regions in Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America. Lastly, he is passionate about lifelong learning and dedicates himself to cultivating the well-being of others to make our world a better place. It is especially gratifying for him to see the direct positive impact of treatment in improving the quality of life of his patients.

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Khaled Zaki, PMHNP-BC grew up just north of Seattle, Washington near the lush banks of Puget Sound. His parents immigrated from Egypt with the hope of building a future full of opportunities for their children. In 2011, he graduated from the University of Washington with a double major in Environmental Health and in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations with a focus on Arabic prose.

After college, he quickly realized his passions lied elsewhere and decided then to seek out a more stimulating field.  He was accepted into a rigorous EMT training program and graduated top 10 in the cohort. It was only after working in emergency rooms and specifically with homeless populations that Khaled witnessed first-hand the harsh realities of mental health and the challenges of accessing therapeutic care.

While working as an EMT for a local non-profit organization, Khaled found himself time and again sitting with patients and listening to their stories. He understood that in order to listen effectively, he needed to create a secure space for people to vent safely and without judgment. Despite not receiving formal training as a therapist, he was awarded ‘Best Counselor of the Year’, the first time a “non-mental health professional” received this recognition. Spurred by this formal acknowledgment, he applied and was accepted at UCSF Masters Entry Program of Nursing (MEPN) in 2016.

Despite successfully graduating with a Master’s in Advanced Psychiatric Nursing, Khaled noticed quickly how he needed to study twice as hard to keep up with his peers. At the encouragement of a preceptor, Khaled connected with a provider and was diagnosed with ADHD. This changed Khaled’s life for the better and decided then he wanted to share his experience with others so that they, too, can find respite. Khaled joined EFC in late 2019 and is excited to be part of the team.

In addition to studying Adult ADHD, Khaled is working on projects using digital media to combat the stigma and shame of mental health treatment in socially conservative/religious communities. Khaled lives in San Jose with his family and enjoys acrylic painting, discovering fun hiking routes, and baking middle eastern sweets.”

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Carolain Peregrino, PMHNP-BC is a  California Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with specialty education in Psychiatry.  She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nurse Leadership from the University of San Francisco and received her Post-Graduate Degree from the University of South Alabama as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She received the prestigious Caring Nurse Award in 2013 in recognition of her exceptional care and advocacy of patients.

Carolain is passionate about teaching and has provided clinical instruction at San Jose State University and Mission College.  Carolain has chaired Suicide Risk Prevention for many years and was the primary investigator in a research study aimed to improve patient safety and staff satisfaction at El Camino Hospital’s acute care psychiatric department. She is a strong advocate for the treatment of maternal mental health disorders and has provided education to clinicians nationwide.

Carolain is often described by her patients as kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable. She supports and collaborates with her patients in optimizing their treatment regimens. Because the path to mental wellness is a journey, she is committed to her patients at every step of the way.

Carolain is married and a loving mother of 2 young boys and a little teacup poodle named Coco.  She loves fishing, spending time with her family, going on trips, crocheting, baking, gardening, and reading non-fiction books.

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Amy Archer RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified LEAP Therapist (CLT), and Certified Health and Wellness Coach (CHWC) through Wellcoaches®.

Her childhood in San Francisco as a gymnast and aerobic instructor kept her involved in health. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, she became a Registered Dietitian.  Her clinical training was at San Francisco General Hospital, St. Francis Bothin Burn Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center, and Levi Strauss (fitness center). Her first clinical job was at Seton Medical Center in Daly City, CA where her specialty was Cardiac and Critical Care Nutrition. In 2014,  she became a Certified LEAP Therapist (nutrition plan for food sensitivities- Mediator Release Testing®).

Understanding that it is challenging to change health habits, she became interested in the Wellcoaches® program which is endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine. Her certification was completed in 2014. Love of learning is a passion and her latest adventure was being a participant in the first certification class at the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA) in 2016. Utilizing Spectracell’s Micronutrient test to measure functional nutritional deficiencies, Amy also provides individualized nutritional and supplement recommendations based on a client’s Micronutrient results.

Amy participates in all kinds of fitness including going to the gym, hiking, and skiing. She and her husband enjoy cooking healthy meals together and they love to dine at many of the great restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also loves helping in her son’s classroom, including teaching nutrition to the children.

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Rachael is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) specializing in the treatment of adult ADHD and executive dysfunction. ​

She is a native Californian, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice at CSU Bakersfield, and obtained her Master’s degree in Social Work from San Jose State University.​

She is passionate about walking with people on their personal journeys and believes in celebrating every success, whether big or small.

She utilizes a variety of therapeutic techniques and coaching strategies based on clinical neuroscience to help patients improve cognition and executive functioning skills, emotional awareness and intelligence, and overall functioning in school, work, relationships, and daily life.

Her treatment approach incorporates creative problem solving, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and solution-focused strategies that are effective, practical, and personalized to help patients achieve their goals as quickly as possible.

Throughout her career, she has worked in a variety of roles including case manager, clinician, and program manager where she has been able to work on program redesign, professional staff development, and improving processes and program efficiency. Additionally, Rachael provides clinical supervision to individuals working toward licensure.

When not working, Rachael enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, crafts, action movies, and sleeping.

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