Clinical psychologist Dr. Ali Mattu spent a decade treating anxiety disorders at New York City's top hospitals.

He became frustrated by the mental health care system’s inability to meet the increasing needs of the public related to anxiety, depression, and suicide. He shifted his focus to public education to create more scalable forms of mental health support.

Dr. Mattu believes social support — our ability to turn towards friends, family, and strangers for help — is our greatest strength and the essential skill to navigate our global mental health crises. At a time when many are feeling isolated and anxious about the future, Dr. Mattu shows us how to help each other overcome the challenges we face.

He’s created over 200 videos for his YouTube channel, which have over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers. Dr. Mattu was the co-host of PBS’s Emmy Nominated Self-Evident, an expert on Netflix + Vox’s The Mind Explained: Anxiety, HBO’s Doctor Commentaries, and A&E’s The Employables. He has been interviewed by the New York Times, appeared on Buzzfeed, MTV, CBS, NBC, and has the honor of being referenced, and not made fun of, on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

Dr. Mattu became an expert at treating anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and body-focused repetitive behavior disorders using cognitive behavioral therapy. He was trained as a child clinical psychologist and specialized in adolescent and young adult mental health. In 2020, Dr. Mattu shifted his focus to creating media for those who cannot access or afford effective mental health care.

He received his B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles where he majored in psychology and minored in Asian American studies. Dr. Mattu received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He completed a doctoral internship at the Bellevue Hospital Center and a post-doctoral fellowship at the NYU Langone Medical Center's Child Study Center. He was formerly an assistant professor at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the director of mental health at Loop, a startup dedicated to social anxiety. Dr. Mattu has a license in clinical psychology from California (PSY34269) and New York (020357).

Dr. Mattu has served in a variety of leadership roles within the American Psychological Association including the Board of Directors, Council of Representatives, Council Leadership Team, Policy and Planning Board, Good Governance Project, and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students. He also served on the Board of Directors of The Story Collider.

Dr. Mattu has been called a “forward thinker” in psychology. He was named one of The Mighty’s mental health heroes of 2015. His work has been described as “simple, thoughtful, and actionable.”

Dr. Mattu lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, daughter, and son.