Mental health care
that keeps up with you
- 60-minute evaluations with psychiatry and therapy in one practice
- Appointments available within 3–5 days
- In-network: Aetna, Cigna, UHC/Optum, Carelon, Medicare + more
What care at Defina actually includes
| Standard outpatient | ||
|---|---|---|
|
First appointment within 3 to 5 days
No months-long waitlists
|
Yes | Rarely |
|
60-minute initial evaluation
Your clinician reviews your history before you arrive
|
Yes | Rarely |
|
Psychiatry and therapy coordinated in one practice
Providers share notes and align on one treatment plan
|
Yes | No |
|
Validated clinical measures tracked at every visit
Progress is measured, not just impressions
|
Yes | No |
|
Full acuity range accepted
From first-time anxiety to serious mental illness and substance use
|
Yes | Rarely |
|
Spravato (esketamine) for treatment-resistant depression
Certified in-office clinic, insurance covered
|
Yes | No |
|
In-network insurance including Medicare
Most patients pay $0 to $40 per visit
|
Yes | Varies |
|
In-person in San Francisco and telehealth throughout California
Same team, same approach, same clinical record either way
|
Yes | Rarely |
The care you've been looking for
Psychiatry, therapy, and in-clinic Spravato. Coordinated in one practice, adjusting as your needs change.
In-person in San Francisco (999 Sutter St) + telehealth throughout California.Therapy
Practical, evidence-based therapy for real life.
Psychiatry
Thoughtful medication care, with close follow-up.
Spravato
FDA-approved. In-clinic. For treatment-resistant depression.
Built to a higher bar,
by design
Every decision about how this practice operates — from scheduling to clinical documentation to the treatments we offer — was made deliberately. Here's what that looks like in practice.
Availability
- First appointment within 3 to 5 days The national average wait for an outpatient psychiatry appointment is 25 days. We built our scheduling model around the recognition that delays in care worsen outcomes — particularly for mood disorders and substance use.
- 60-minute initial evaluation, not 20 Most outpatient psychiatry intakes run 20 to 30 minutes. Ours run 60, with your clinician reviewing your history before you arrive. A rushed first visit leads to misdiagnosis and failed treatment trials — often years of them.
- In-network with major insurers, including Medicare Accepted: Aetna, Cigna, UHC/Optum, Carelon, Medicare, and more. Most patients pay $0 to $40 per visit after copay. We don't operate as a cash-only practice. Accessible care means financially accessible care.
Model
- Psychiatry and therapy coordinated under one roof When your prescriber and your therapist operate separately, they rarely share notes, can't align on a single treatment plan, and often work at cross-purposes. At Defina, both disciplines share a clinical record and meet on your case — your treatment isn't split between two siloed providers.
- Validated outcome measures tracked at every visit We use the PHQ-9, GAD-7, PC-PTSD-5, and other validated tools at every visit — not just intake. Progress is measured, not estimated. If something isn't working, we can see it in the data and adjust before months pass.
- Full acuity range — mild anxiety through serious mental illness Many outpatient practices quietly turn away complex cases: treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, active substance use, serious mental illness. We built the staffing model and clinical protocols to accept and retain patients that other practices refer out.
Training
- Genesis Javaherian, PMHNP-BC — UCSF-trained, board-certified Genesis completed her graduate training at UCSF, one of the country's top psychiatric training programs, and has maintained board certification in psychiatric nursing since. She previously served on the San Francisco Behavioral Health Commission and has published peer-reviewed research on psychiatric outcomes.
- Kavon Javaherian, MD MBA — UCSF faculty, Associate Chief of Staff SF VA Kavon trained in internal medicine and holds a joint appointment as UCSF faculty and Associate Chief of Staff at the San Francisco VA. His background spans population health, clinical outcomes, and health systems leadership — which shapes how Defina measures and improves its own care.
- A practice built by clinicians who still see patients Defina was not built by investors or platform companies. The founders designed the model, see patients themselves, and remain responsible for clinical standards — which means the practice improves through direct clinical experience, not quarterly reviews.
Treatments
- Certified Spravato (esketamine) REMS clinic — covered by insurance Spravato is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with active suicidal ideation. Defina is one of a limited number of outpatient practices in San Francisco certified to administer it under the REMS protocol. In-network coverage available — most patients pay their standard copay.
- Treatment-resistant cases accepted — not referred out If you've tried two or more antidepressants without meaningful improvement, the standard response from most outpatient practices is a referral to a specialist with a 3-month wait. We built the clinical capacity to evaluate, treat, and monitor treatment-resistant presentations in-house, including Spravato, augmentation strategies, and combination approaches.
- Telehealth throughout California — same clinical record, same team Whether you're seen in person at 999 Sutter Street or via telehealth anywhere in California, you're working with the same providers, the same shared chart, and the same clinical standards. There's no separate telehealth tier or reduced-care model.
About Defina Health
Meet the clinicians behind
Defina Health
Defina Health was built by clinicians who have worked across psychiatry, medicine, research, and health system leadership. Our goal is simple: create mental health care that is more coordinated, more thoughtful, and better matched to each person’s needs. We believe patients deserve care that sees the whole you.
PMHNP-BC · Co-Founder & CEO
Genesis Javaherian
Psychiatric nurse practitioner and clinical leader focused on adaptive, evidence-based mental health care.
Genesis Javaherian is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who founded Defina Health to build a more responsive model of care—one that combines clinical rigor with the flexibility patients often struggle to find in traditional outpatient mental health settings.
Her background spans direct psychiatric care, quality leadership, and telehealth innovation. She has helped build and scale psychiatric services, provider quality systems, documentation standards, and clinician training programs across multi-state behavioral health organizations. That experience now shapes Defina’s approach to care: structured when it needs to be, deeply personalized when it matters most, and always grounded in measurable progress.
Clinically, Genesis has worked with patients across a wide range of needs, including mood disorders, trauma, substance use, psychotic disorders, and complex presentations that require closer coordination over time. She believes mental health care should not become more fragmented as needs become more serious. At Defina, she focuses on making care feel clear, connected, and human—so patients can receive thoughtful diagnosis, evidence-based treatment, and the right level of support as their needs evolve.
About Defina Health
Meet the clinicians behind
Defina Health
MD, MBA · Co-Founder
Kavon Javaherian
Internal Medicine physician and healthcare leader focused on integrated, high-quality systems of care.
Kavon Javaherian is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician and healthcare executive whose work has centered on improving quality, coordination, and patient outcomes across complex care environments. At Defina Health, he helps shape the systems behind care delivery so patients receive support that is not only compassionate, but also clinically organized and sustainable.
His leadership experience includes academic, hospital, and health system roles across UCSF and VA-affiliated settings, where he has led multidisciplinary quality initiatives, discharge optimization programs, patient safety work, and innovations designed to reduce fragmentation in care. That operational background informs Defina’s belief that better outcomes do not come from asking patients to navigate disconnected systems on their own—they come from building a smarter, more integrated model around them.
Kavon brings a whole-person perspective to Defina’s mission, with a strong focus on the connection between mental and physical health, care transitions, and long-term functional improvement. His work supports Defina’s commitment to delivering mental health care that is more coordinated, more measurable, and better equipped to serve patients whose needs may change over time.
Our Founders
The people behind
the practice
Defina was built by two clinicians who saw what thoughtful care could look like and decided to create it.
PMHNP-BC · Co-Founder
Genesis Javaherian
Psychiatric nurse practitioner specializing in mood disorders, PTSD, and substance use. Genesis brings a direct, whole-person approach to every patient, combining evidence-based treatment with the attentiveness that's rare in mental health systems.
Full bio →
MD MBA · Co-Founder
Kavon Javaherian
Internal Medicine Physician with clinical and operational expertise in coordinated and integrated care. Kavon built Defina around a simple belief: that patients with the most complex needs deserve the most thoughtful systems, not the most fragmented ones.
Full bio →Our story
Why Defina exists
Too many people navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD — or conditions that have never quite had a name — are forced to choose between convenience and continuity. That means quick visits, little context, and too much trial and error with medications or therapists who barely know your name.
We built Defina to be the kind of practice we'd want for our own friends and family. Our board-certified psychiatric providers bring clinical rigor to every appointment. Our therapists coordinate directly with psychiatry so your care never exists in silos.
We see patients in person at 999 Sutter Street in San Francisco, and offer telehealth visits for anyone in California who can't come in or simply prefers it.
If you've had care that felt rushed or disconnected, we built this specifically for that. You deserve a clinician who knows your history, and a practice that makes it easy to keep going.
Defina /deh-FEE-nuh/
From the Spanish word for "define." It reflects what we set out to do: establish a standard for mental health care that feels personal, consistent, and grounded in real progress.
Our office at 999 Sutter Street, San Francisco.