Caroline Cribari, MD, PhD

Dr. Caroline Little Cribari, M.D., Ph.D. is a psychiatrist, consultant, instructor, and inspirational speaker based in Davis, California. With a career spanning more than two decades, her work bridges basic and clinical research, leadership, and hands-on psychiatric care. She currently serves as an attending psychiatrist with the California Department of State Hospitals, where she provides highly specialized care to complex adult forensic inpatient populations. Dr. Cribari is known for her thoughtful, ethical approach to psychiatry and her commitment to restoring stability, dignity, and autonomy for patients with severe mental illness.

Beyond general adult psychiatry, Dr. Cribari has deep expertise in women’s mental health, including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, bipolar affective disorders, eating disorders, and wellness-based treatment models. She is also a certified provider and educator in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), an FDA-approved, non-medication treatment for treatment-resistant depression, and frequently speaks on innovative approaches to brain health and healing. Her clinical style emphasizes collaboration, systems development, and the ability to manage patients with medication sensitivities and complex presentations.

Dr. Cribari earned her MD and PhD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed her psychiatry residency at Stanford University School of Medicine, including specialized training in cognitive behavioral therapy. In addition to her hospital-based work, she serves as a clinical advisor and board member for telepsychiatry services and maintains a longstanding presence as a lecturer, consultant, and educator. Driven to meet unmet needs and promote whole-person healing, Dr. Cribari continues to advance psychiatric care through clinical excellence, innovation, and compassionate leadership.

• Stanford University School of Medicine - Residency, Psychiatry Residency Program
• University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry - MD, PhD, Medical School & Neurobiology and Anatomy
• BSN, Towson University, 2010

• ONS (Oncology Network)
• CUSP (Comprehensive Unit-based Program)
• Stroke committee (St. Agnes Hospital)