Dr. Eric C. Li, a Brentwood-based psychiatrist, has been named a 2025 Castle Connolly Top Doctor, marking his 12th consecutive year receiving this prestigious recognition. The honor places him among approximately 7 percent of the nation's licensed physicians selected annually as Castle Connolly Top Doctors in their regions and specialties. The Castle Connolly selection process involves peer physician nominations and rigorous evaluation by a physician-led research team that assesses medical education, training, hospital appointments, and disciplinary histories.
Since establishing his private practice in West Los Angeles in 2004, Dr. Li has specialized in treating patients of all ages suffering from anxiety disorders, depression, addiction, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and eating disorders. Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, he provides both outpatient and inpatient care using cognitive behavioral therapy and, when necessary, medication management. Dr. Li emphasizes a conservative approach to psychotropic medications, explaining that the cognitive component of CBT helps patients recognize faulty thinking patterns while the behavioral aspect focuses on practical problem-solving.
The psychiatrist's patient care philosophy is deeply personal, drawing from his experience as a father of two. He consistently asks himself whether he would make the same clinical decisions if the patient were one of his own children, using this principle as his guiding standard. This approach has shaped his two decades of practice and his collaborations with local schools and community organizations to provide urgent mental health services to youth. Dr. Li maintains affiliations with UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, where he served for 15 years as a child and adolescent psychiatry attending physician and clinical instructor.
His medical background includes a degree from Keck School of Medicine of USC, followed by a three-year general psychiatry residency and two-year child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at UCLA. Prior to medical school, Dr. Li completed Columbia University's post-baccalaureate premedical program and earned a BA in quantitative economics from Stanford University. The recognition matters because it underscores the importance of consistent, high-quality mental health care that prioritizes conservative treatment approaches and personal patient relationships, particularly in an era of increasing mental health challenges across all age groups.
The implications of this sustained recognition extend beyond individual achievement, highlighting a model of psychiatric care that balances evidence-based treatments with deeply personal clinical judgment. As mental health services face growing demand and scrutiny, Dr. Li's approach demonstrates how long-term consistency in patient care philosophy can yield professional recognition while addressing complex conditions like anxiety, depression, and addiction. His work with youth through school and community partnerships further illustrates how psychiatric expertise can extend beyond clinical settings to serve vulnerable populations where urgent needs exist.
