Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Broukhim.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Newport Beach, CA, in a Persian Jewish family. My childhood was happy and largely free of adversity. About a month before I left for college in 2006, my parents revealed to me that my father had been living with cancer for the previous eight years, and that he might not have much longer to live.
On Christmas Day of 2007, two months after my father passed away, I had a profound experience. While volunteering at a hospital to explore my interest in medical school, I met a patient who told me he had received a message from my father’s spirit while undergoing X-rays. The message was simple but powerful: “Obtain the knowledge.” The patient could not elaborate further, but the experience left a deep impression on me. Just two weeks later, I was invited to join a research project at my college studying healers who could influence the health of cells in a petri dish from thousands of miles away. I later learned that aspects of this healing modality were connected to Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism. These experiences opened me to spirituality, alternative medicine, and the mysteries of the unseen world.
Since then, I have pursued a path that integrates science and spirituality. I graduated from medical school, earned master’s degrees in alternative medicine and public health, and have been practicing psychiatry since 2016. After completing residency, I moved to Los Angeles in 2020. Within eight months, I became co-owner of the clinic where I worked, and this year I transitioned into the role of Medical Director at a larger clinic. My clinical expertise lies in helping people taper off psychiatric medications and discover non-medication approaches to mental health. I love this work, and I have learned tremendously from my patients. Over time, my practice has become increasingly spiritual and existential in focus, which led me to begin rabbinical studies at the Academy of Jewish Religion in Los Angeles in August. This program, which I expect to continue for 5–10 years, is giving me more tools to guide people from a spiritual perspective.
In August 2025, I also founded Rituality, a platform designed to help people across the world access, learn, and participate in rituals. The platform will offer events, coaching, and educational resources rooted both in individuals’ religious and cultural backgrounds, as well as in universal practices that support their intentions and personal growth. Rituality was inspired by my own experiences and by my recognition that rituals have, for millennia, helped people stay connected to themselves, to their communities, and to the universe. In today’s world—where loneliness and the “meaning crisis” are widespread, where mental health systems struggle despite massive investment, and where rapid technological change fragments individuals and communities—I see a vital need to reintegrate ritual into everyday life. Rituality seeks to meet that need and help people reclaim their sense of being fully human.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say smooth road in the sense of purpose and fulfillment, but there were definitely challenges with the difficulties of medical school, residency, being a business owner, helping patients improve in a world where mental health suffering continues to worsen. Challenges with balancing the many aspects of life while trying to pursue so many different academic and work goals and accomplishments with the intent for making this world a better place but not feeling like a martyr in the process. Thankfully with whatever challenges or struggles that came, my vision and love for this world has powered me through it all, and it will continue to do so.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
HOPE Therapy & Psychiatry Center
HOPE Therapy & Psychiatry Center is a holistic mental health clinic dedicated to helping patients achieve lasting recovery—so that they no longer need to rely on the mental health system. I serve as the Lead Psychiatrist and Medical Director for all branches of the clinic.
I specialize in working with patients who have struggled despite trying many different treatments, those who wish to avoid medications, and those seeking to taper off psychiatric medications entirely. What sets me apart is my extensive training in Integrative Psychiatry, my strong psychotherapy background, and the collaborative network of therapists and outside practitioners I partner with.
I am most proud of our clinic’s effectiveness, particularly with complex cases. We strive to provide patients with genuine hope—showing them that healing and recovery are possible, often in ways that many other clinics in California find difficult to match. Our ultimate goal is to help people reach a place where they no longer need a psychiatrist or therapist at all.
Rituality
Rituality makes rituals accessible worldwide across traditions, cultures, and life stages. The platform empowers people to live with intention, cultivate belonging, and reconnect with what matters most.
It will be the first app to offer a comprehensive platform for engaging in rituals from diverse backgrounds—whether religious, cultural, or intention-based. I am deeply proud of the mission Rituality will serve: helping people discover more meaning, connection, and community in their lives.
The app is set to launch later this year, in November/December 2025.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson Ive learned is that in life, we should and can lead our brain, and we will likely struggle as humans if we allow our brain to lead us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.michael-broukhim.com
- Instagram: mikebroukhim
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-broukhim-24a51335
- Other: https://hope-therapy-center.com/
Image Credits
Sean Stanley
