Meet Mansoor Zuberi

We were lucky to catch up with Mansoor Zuberi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mansoor, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Since the beginning of my journey in medical school, and throughout my residency and fellowship training, my driving purpose has always been to provide compassionate, high-quality care to my patients. Over the years, as I transitioned into independent practice, I developed a deep understanding of the critical issues that persist within our mental health care system. What I’ve observed is a system that is often fragmented, under-resourced, and difficult for patients to navigate and leading to significant disparities in access and continuity of care.
Mental health is a foundational aspect of overall well-being, yet the infrastructure to support it remains disjointed and incomplete. This reality has motivated me to step beyond the clinical setting and focus on leading systemic change. I am committed to identifying and addressing the gaps in mental health services by fostering collaboration across disciplines, integrating care models, and advocating for policies that prioritize patient-centered mental health care.
Through leadership, innovation, and a continued commitment to excellence in clinical care, my goal is to help build a more cohesive and equitable mental health system, one that truly meets the needs of every individual it serves.”

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My Journey: From Psychiatry Training to Building One of California’s Largest Independent Mental Health Practices:
My story has two defining chapters. The first is why I chose to become a psychiatrist. The second is how that decision ultimately led to the founding and growth of one of the largest independently owned psychiatric group practices in California.
During medical school, I began to notice a pattern. Many of my professors were brilliant clinicians and experts in their respective specialties but there was often little emphasis on the human being behind the diagnosis. I realized early on that I didn’t want to simply treat symptoms or illnesses; I wanted to treat the whole person. I wanted to listen to patients’ stories and understand who they were beyond their diagnoses. That realization is what drew me to psychiatry. It was the only field that allowed me to treat both the mind and the body, and to truly connect with the person behind the illness.
I began my psychiatry residency at King/Drew University in Los Angeles. During that time, I developed a deeper understanding of how many psychiatric conditions originate in childhood. This insight led me to pursue a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Southern California. That training not only shaped me into a child psychiatrist but also made me a more insightful adult psychiatrist by helping me understand the early roots of emotional and behavioral issues.
The second chapter of my journey began at the end of my fellowship. As I prepared to enter full-time practice, I became increasingly disillusioned with the realities of the healthcare system. I saw how patients were squeezed into rigid time slots, treated quickly, diagnosed, prescribed medications and then moved along like items on a conveyor belt. Physicians were under pressure to meet quotas, and treatment decisions were often dictated by administrators, insurance companies, or non-medical professionals rather than doctors themselves. I knew I couldn’t provide the kind of patient-centered care I believed in under that system.
This realization sparked the idea for my own private practice, one built on the core belief that every patient is unique and deserves individualized, thoughtful care. In psychiatry especially, no two patients are alike. Doctors, not insurance companies or corporate managers, should determine what’s best for their patients.
I started Comprehensive Psychiatric Services (CPS) with this mission at its heart. What started as a small practice with three psychiatrists in the Walnut Creek suburb of Northern California has since grown into one of the largest independently owned psychiatric groups in the state. Today, CPS operates 22 clinics across Northern, and Southern California, with a team of over 130 psychiatrists.
The foundation of our success is simple: a patient-first, doctor-led approach. In our model, doctors have full clinical autonomy. They are not pressured by insurance companies or private equity firms to reduce visit times or follow one-size-fits-all protocols. Our practice is owned and operated by physicians, and that independence allows us to prioritize quality care above all else. As a result, our doctors are more fulfilled, and our patients experience better outcomes and higher satisfaction.
Now, as CPS continues to grow, my focus is on the broader mental health landscape. There are still significant gaps in care from the emergency room to the hospital to outpatient services. The system remains fragmented and difficult to navigate for many patients. My goal today is to work collaboratively with other healthcare leaders to bridge these gaps, build more integrated systems of care, and ensure that every patient receives timely, coordinated, and compassionate treatment.
Psychiatry has always been more than a career to me, it’s a calling. And I remain deeply committed to improving the way mental health care is delivered, not just for today’s patients, but for generations to come.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

If You Asked Me My Three Core Strengths…
If you asked me to name the three qualities that define who I am both personally and professionally. I would start with this:
First and foremost, I am a physician. At my core, I am a psychiatrist. That identity is in my DNA. My passion for understanding and caring for people is what led me into medicine, and it remains the foundation of everything I do. No matter what role I take on whether clinician, leader, or entrepreneur. I always come back to my calling as a physician.
Second, I am a healthcare leader and entrepreneur. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to have a vision for expanding access to high-quality mental health care and even more fortunate to build that vision alongside talented teams of leaders, clinicians, and managers. I deeply value collaboration, and I believe that good leadership is about bringing the right people together to make a lasting impact. Much of our success has come from the shared belief in a patient-first model of care.
Third, I strive to be a good human being. This may not sound like a “skill” in the traditional sense, but I believe it’s the most important one. Being grounded, honest, and guided by integrity has shaped every area of my life. I’ve been blessed with an incredibly supportive life partner, my wife, Maria—who has helped shape the person I am today. We have two college-age daughters who continue to inspire me and keep me grounded. Their presence in my life reminds me daily of the importance of humility, accountability, and staying true to my values. whether at home, in my private life, or in the work I do with my practice.
I consider myself incredibly fortunate, not just for what I’ve accomplished professionally, but for the people who have walked alongside me, both personally and professionally. Their support has allowed me to grow, lead, and serve with purpose.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

Running a large, multi-site psychiatric practice comes with its share of daily challenges. While there are many operational complexities, when I reflect on the most significant and consistent obstacles we face, two key issues stand out.
1. Navigating the Healthcare System and Insurance Landscape
One of the most persistent challenges is working within the constraints of our current healthcare system, particularly when it comes to insurance companies. There is often a tension between delivering high-quality, individualized care and navigating the administrative requirements set by insurers. Balancing the needs of patients with the demands of payers can be difficult and, at times, frustrating. It requires constant vigilance, creative problem-solving, and a deep commitment to advocating for what’s best for the patient, especially when the system doesn’t always make that easy.
2. Addressing Stigma and Access in Mental Health Care
The second major challenge is the ongoing stigma surrounding mental health, coupled with how disjointed and fragmented psychiatric services remain. Mental health care is often hard to access, even for those actively seeking help. Many of our patients struggle with low motivation, anxiety, depression, and a lack of energy, symptoms that make it even more difficult to navigate a complex and bureaucratic system.
To begin addressing this, we’ve implemented a 24/7 live support team. Whether a doctor or social worker is in the emergency room at midnight or Patient simply feels the urge to reach out on a weekend, they can speak with a live person who can book an appointment for them. This may seem like a small step, but in mental health care, timing and access can make all the difference.
While we’ve made progress, I recognize that there is still much work to be done. We need continued innovation, advocacy, and system-level reform to make mental health care more accessible, coordinated, and stigma-free. At Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, we remain committed to doing our part to lead that change.

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Marina Gee

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