Dr. Birkhofer's Vision and Roadmap for Personal Growth and Better Mental Health
Across more than four decades of clinical practice, Dr. Celeste Birkhofer has guided countless individuals through personal growth and healing—witnessing both the best of personal transformation as well as the more devastating impacts of serious mental illness. She combines vast knowledge, research, and empathy to offer deeply personalized psychological care. Known for her warm, grounded approach, she is motivated by an unwavering conviction that your mental health impacts everything—it matters, you matter. Her career reflects a rare fusion of clinical expertise, academic teaching, and personal courage, particularly in her advocacy for mental health awareness and reducing stigma.
Dr. Celeste Birkhofer is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Adjunct Clinical Faculty member of Stanford’s Medical School’s, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is also a Clinical Advisory Board member for the JED Foundation, a non-profit working to improve the mental health of young adults and prevent suicides. Her mission is to inspire and empower people of all ages to take their mental health seriously—improving and protecting it to the best of their ability.
Article Highlights
Quote of the week
"When leaders learn how to get out of their own way - greatness shows through"
Brainz Expert Panel
Techniques to Better Understand Your Emotions
Expert Panelists are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within the areas of Business, Mindset, Leadership, Lifestyle, and Sustainability. Members of The Brainz Magazine community of experts will share their best tips, advice, ideas, and hacks within different topics.
1. Let it be felt, not fixed
Emotions aren’t flaws to fix. They’re the proof that we are alive. Sometimes we don’t even know what we feel, only that there’s a heaviness in the chest or a restlessness in the body. The small shift is to stop saying “I shouldn’t feel this” and instead allow whatever is here. Naming an emotion when you can helps, but even before words, the body tells the story. Every emotion carries a need, sometimes to be alone and cry, sometimes to be witnessed, to be celebrated. We don’t always have to be joyful. Sometimes life exists in crying, in solitude, in anger, or whatever feeling is present. A simple practice: place your hand on your chest, breathe, and silently say, “This feeling is welcome here.” The more you allow, the more meaningful and alive life becomes, and the more you begin to truly understand your emotions, noticing how they make everything richer.
Brainz podcast
How Loss Inspired a Lifelong Mission to Help Others Heal & Grow - Exclusive Brainz Interview with Dr. Celeste Birkhofer
In this powerful episode of the Brainz Magazine Podcast, Dr. Celeste Birkhofer joins Mark Sephton to share her 40 years of psychological wisdom, to explore why taking good care of your mental health should be as crucial as taking care of your physical health, how to develop inner strength and “wise self,” and the importance of compassion and authenticity for healing and personal growth in both ourselves and others.
