About Dr. Dunckley
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Biography
Victoria L. Dunckley, M.D., is an integrative child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist with twelve years’ clinical experience in both the public and private sectors. An active blogger for Psychology Today and speaker to both parents’ groups and clinicians, she emphasizes the impact of lifestyle factors on mental health, particularly the effects of overstimuling electronic screen media on mood, cognition, and behavior. Dr. Dunckley has been interviewed on various television and radio programs regarding her integrative approach, and has contributed as a mental health expert for the Today Show and NBC News. In 2011, Dr. Dunckley was named one of America’s Top Psychiatrists by the Consumer Research Council and won several patient care awards, including Vitals.com’s Patient’s Choice and Compassionate Doctor awards.
Boarded by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine, she consults frequently with schools, interdisciplinary treatment teams, and the courts, and specializes in working with children and families who have failed previous treatments. By working closely over extended time periods with difficult cases, she uncovers issues that have previously been missed, and uses an approach that integrates traditional psychopharmacology with complementary strategies.
A California native, Dr. Dunckley graduated cum laude with a biology degree at the University of California San Diego, then migrated to the east coast to receive her Medical Doctorate at Albany Medical College. She returned to southern California in 1996, where she completed her adult psychiatry residency followed by her child/adolescent psychiatry fellowship at UC Irvine Medical Center. A member of the American Holistic Medical Association, her practice became more holistic over time, addressing nutrition, utilizing natural supplements and herbs, and assisting patients with weight management.
Areas of specialization include tics/Tourette Syndrome, reactive attachment disorder, weight issues related to medication, ADHD, sensory integration issues, trauma/abuse, and mood disorders including bipolar disorder. Her practice is split 50-50 between children/adolescents and adults.
In the public sector, she’s consulted with numerous community mental health organizations, working with the severely emotionally disturbed (SED) population in group homes, foster/adoptive placements, and residential treatment settings. Currently she contracts with Westside Regional Center in Los Angeles, treating developmentally disabled (including autistic spectrum disordered) adults and children.
Dr. Dunckley has a forthcoming book exploring the effects of interactive screen-time on mental health, and advocates use of an “electronic fast” to improve mood, raise grades, and boost social skills regardless of diagnosis. You can read her blog on Psychology Today at www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mental-wealth.