Hi, I’m Dr. Siegel, MD

Before I became a psychiatrist, I was an artist (and still am!).

I grew up immersed in the arts & creating in a variety of settings- drawing classes on the weekends, interning as a mural artist, dabbling in glassblowing, and even designing colorful installations for a national clothing store. As I entered college, I originally thought I might become a medical illustrator, combining my love of drawing with my fascination for the human body. But I found myself more interested in why I was drawing certain things. I wanted to understand more about the psychology behind creativity and the patterns of the mind.

That curiosity led me into medicine - and eventually to psychiatry - where I found a way to merge my artistic roots with mental health. In medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, I founded the Arts & Medicine student group and developed courses that helped other medical students use art to process their experiences in medical training. Since then, I’ve continued to give lectures to medical students on the role of the humanities in mental health education and have presented this work at multiple national conferences, including Academic Psychiatry & Innovations in Medical Education.

But I don’t just approach mental health as a professional. I’ve lived it. I've struggled with anxiety and health-related obsessions & compulsions, and I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed by your own thoughts. As an artist, I found myself at times repeating and reworking the same sketch again and again, mimicking getting caught in loops of thought. That personal journey fuels my humanistic, compassionate approach to care. I believe mental health treatment isn’t about fixing people. It’s about empowering you to become designers of your own lives.

Outside of work, you'll probably find me hiking a local trail, checking out a new restaurant (major foodie!), or catching up on (probably too much) reality TV.

A woman with long, reddish hair and freckles, smiling, wearing a yellow jacket and matching pants, sunglasses resting on her head, standing in front of a bush with pink and purple flowers.

My Credentials

Education & Training

  • Medical School: University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, MD

  • Medical Residency: University of Southern California, Psychiatry

    • Chief Resident, Outpatient Psychiatry

  • Undergraduate Degree: Washington University in St. Louis, BA in Psychology with Minors in Studio Art & Communication Design

  • Additional Art Education: SRISA, International School of Art, Florence, Italy

Expertise in Treating OCD

  • PCH Treatment Center, Exposure & Response Prevention Coach (2016-2017)

  • Los Angeles General Medical Center/USC, Several lectures related to OCD for medical trainees (2022-Present)

  • Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Annual Meeting, Presenter: Siegel, J., Lifland, B., Bryant, C., Fu, B. Hiding in Plain Sight: A Case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Camouflaged as Psychosis Following Liver Transplant. 2023. Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Annual Meeting. Austin, Texas (2023)

  • Los Angeles General Medical Center, Bi-weekly OCD Group Therapy Co-Leader (2023-2024)

  • University of Southern California, medication management and/or weekly individual ERP therapy for those with OCD (2023-Present)

  • Community West Treatment Center (Intensive Outpatient Program/Partial Hospitalization Program, OCD Track), Psychiatrist (2024-Present)

  • International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), Presenter: Siegel, J., Pentagulio, C. (Co-Presenter), Guillery, N. (Co-Presenter), Wang, J. (Co-Presenter), Nanton, B., Varghese, S., Van Noppen, B. Increasing Accuracy in Diagnosing OCD in an Adult Psychiatry Outpatient County Clinic. 2024. 29th Annual International OCD Conference, Orlando, Fl (2024)

  • Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Annual Meeting, Presenter:     Adler, S., Siegel, J. (Presenter), Pentagulio, Cl., Fu, B., Holschneider, D., Picking the right diagnosis and treatment: A case of life-threatening blood loss in an older patient with excoriation disorder. Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Annual Meeting. 2024. Miami, Fl (2024).

  • Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder training (2025)

  • OCD SoCal, Invited Conference speaker, medication management in OCD (2025)

  • University of Southern California, Invited grand rounds speaker, OCD in college mental health (2025)

  • International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), Presenter: Guiller, N., Siegel, J., Wang, J., Dexter, M., Frank, A., Van Noppen, B. Improving Physician Competency in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment through an Educational Module for Third-Year Psychiatry Residents​. 2025. 30th Annual International OCD Conference, Chicago, IL (2025)

Faculty Appointments

  • Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & the Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine of USC: Undergraduate & graduate student mental health

Awards

  • Outstanding Resident of the Year: Keck School of Medicine of USC (2025)

  • Excellence in Psychiatric Education Award: Southern California Psychiatric Society + The Psychiatric & Education Research Foundation (2025)

  • Gold Heart Award (Inaugural Winner): “This new initiative recognizes outstanding colleagues who exemplify the mission, vision, and values of the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences,” Keck School of Medicine of USC (2025)

  • Achievement Award for Excellence: “Given to one resident per year for      exceptional performance and competency in patient care, medical knowledge, professionalism, practice-based learning, interpersonal and communication skills, and systems-based practice,” Keck School of Medicine of USC (2024)

  • Kenneth E. Appel Award: “Given to the student who has shown highest devotion to care and treatment of patients, and constructive originality in thinking about human behavior,” University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (2021)

  • Honors in core clinical medical rotations: Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Neurology, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, & Family Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (2019)

  • Summa Cum Laude: Washington University in St. Louis (2014)

Additional Certifications

  • Community Health: Bridging the Gaps Community Scholar, University of Pennsylvania

  • Master Psychopharmacology Program, Neuroscience Education Institute

  • Healing through Art Certification, Train the Trainer, California State University Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care

Professional Society Memberships

  • IOCDF (International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation)

  • SCPS (Southern California Psychiatric Society)

  • APA (American Psychiatric Association)

  • Sigma Xi (The Scientific Research Society)

  • Psi Chi (The National Honorary in Psychology)