Flora Ma, PhD

Dr. Flora Ma is a licensed clinical psychologist and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she practices with Stanford Health Care.

Her work sits at the intersection of telemental health and gerontology: how thoughtfully designed technology can make high-quality, integrated mental health care available to more people — and especially to older adults, who remain among the most underserved populations in mental health.

Before psychology, Dr. Ma studied Cognition and Brain Systems at the University of British Columbia, an integrative program spanning artificial intelligence, engineering, mathematics, and neurology. That foundation gives her an unusual vantage point on the future of care: she approaches clinical questions as both a psychologist and a systems thinker.

She earned her PhD in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University’s Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, with specializations in telemental health and gerontology. At the San Francisco VA Medical Center she delivered care over secure video to community clinics and co-led a pilot connecting psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and peer specialists across sites. At the Palo Alto VA she cared for older Veterans in a community living center equipped with assistive technology, and at Asian Americans for Community Involvement in San Jose she provided bilingual treatment and assessment. She completed her doctoral internship in Oregon and a postdoctoral fellowship at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York.

In the consulting room

In private practice Dr. Ma works with adults across the lifespan — professionals carrying heavy responsibility, people facing the transitions of later life, and families caring for someone they love. Her work rests on a careful assessment and on evidence-based therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, reminiscence-based approaches, and mindfulness. She sees clients in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Beyond the clinic

Dr. Ma’s research on geropsychology, digital mental health, and the workforce needed to care for an aging population appears in journals including Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Clinical Gerontologist, and JMIR Formative Research. She created Mood Magnet, a national award-winning mental health app, and was a finalist in the 2017 Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition.

Today she also works with a dedicated team of engineers and AI specialists on technology for mental health care and clinical education. At Palo Alto University she was founding president of both the Student Association of Gerontological Enrichment and the International Student Union.

Research & publicationsPrivate practice