Mark McDonald, M.D.

Mark McDonald, M.D. Dr. Mark McDonald provides therapy and medication treatment to patients of all ages in a private, co

Dr. Mark McDonald holds board certifications in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of young people with mental illness. Dr. McDonald’s psychoanalytically-oriented therapy includes a combination of several modalities, such as family systems therapy, play therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Dr. McDonald’s medication management services acco

mmodate complex treatment regimens requiring multiple medications, consultation with a patient’s primary care physician, and clinical lab monitoring. Dr. McDonald studied classical cello and Japanese literature at UC Berkeley before beginning medical training at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed his adult psychiatry residency at the University of Cincinnati, and child psychiatry fellowship at Harbor-UCLA in Los Angeles. He recently completed a two-year program in adult psychoanalytic psychotherapy at the Psychoanalytic Center of California (PCC) and is now a PCC candidate in adult psychoanalysis. He has lived, worked, and studied extensively in Europe and Japan, and speaks Spanish, French, and Japanese. Over the past nine years of post-graduate training, he has also supervised and taught medical students, residents, and fellows in multiple disciplines of medicine, psychiatry, and therapy.

I drove up the Central California coast expecting a quiet, affordable escape, only to find a landscape transformed by so...
06/26/2026

I drove up the Central California coast expecting a quiet, affordable escape, only to find a landscape transformed by soaring motel prices and sky-high meal costs.
The basic family trip I once knew has become a luxury experience reserved for wealthy international tourists.
I encountered three-hundred-dollar motel rooms, seven-dollar gas, and restaurant prices that make a weekend outing unaffordable for locals.
I’ve seen firsthand how decades of misguided governance and burdensome regulations have priced out the residents and eroded the very soul of our coastal towns.
After a lifetime in California, I can no longer ignore the painful reality that the beauty of our coast has been co-opted by those who can afford it, forcing me to question whether it’s still worth staying.

Only the rich and foreign may use it now

I recently drove from San Diego to Los Angeles and found myself confronting the overwhelming reality of nature crowded o...
06/19/2026

I recently drove from San Diego to Los Angeles and found myself confronting the overwhelming reality of nature crowded out by convenience.
I witnessed firsthand how priceless natural beauty is reduced to a commodity—with parking lots, overflowing streets, and makeshift parking vendors making access a costly battle.
I couldn’t help but see a parallel in Europe, where limited seasons and global economic pressures force locals out of their cherished spaces as outsiders flood in.
I’ve realized that the true essence of a landscape only shines when you work for it, when it remains a private sanctuary free from the spoilage of mass accessibility.

Beauty that is accessible to all becomes unavailable to most

I arrived in Los Angeles after a month in Poland and was immediately struck by the jarring contrast in civic reality.  I...
06/11/2026

I arrived in Los Angeles after a month in Poland and was immediately struck by the jarring contrast in civic reality.
I witnessed the election process unfold like a staged spectacle, where a disheveled, mask-wearing poll worker epitomized a system in decay.
I saw firsthand how mail-in ballots systematically reversed initial results, erasing any hope for genuine opposition and transforming our vote into predetermined theater.
Comparing this to the professionalism and rapid, clear outcomes of Polish elections only deepened my dismay.
I now see Los Angeles not merely declining but crumbling under an incompetent, ideologically driven political machine that leaves its citizens abandoned.

The death spiral is nearly complete

06/08/2026
I recently spoke with a Polish politician who identified as left-wing, and his ideas focused on nuclear energy, workers'...
05/21/2026

I recently spoke with a Polish politician who identified as left-wing, and his ideas focused on nuclear energy, workers' rights, public investment, and government transparency rather than the radical, Marxist-inspired proposals we see in America.
In Poland, the left carries the traditional liberal meaning, supporting sensible reforms without straying into extreme ideologies.
In contrast, the American left now champions causes that blur the line between normality and delusion—from redefining gender in ways that disrupt longstanding norms to undermining established institutions like law enforcement and healthcare.
I find it alarming that what was once tolerated as individual eccentricity has been normalized and codified into law, demonstrating a disconnect from the values that once unified society.
Ultimately, these differences reveal a stark divergence in governance, where rational policy in Poland stands in sharp opposition to the dangerous, all-encompassing ideology promoted by America’s current left.

Outside the United States, political definitions mean something quite different

I've been reflecting on how the legacy of the Polish matka archetype continues to shape mother-daughter relationships in...
05/15/2026

I've been reflecting on how the legacy of the Polish matka archetype continues to shape mother-daughter relationships in ways that intertwine love with control.
I’ve heard stories of daughters burdened with relentless guilt—a subtle, yet piercing reminder that independence is a crime in their mothers’ eyes.
I recognize that these patterns, forged in the crucible of communist-era hardship and strict gender roles, leave women torn between filial duty and their own desires.
I’m deeply concerned that this dynamic may soon find its parallel here in the United States, where roles are shifting and the balance of power in household relationships is beginning to tilt.
I see in both cultures a troubling transformation of strengths built for survival, evolving into a compulsion to control that stifles personal freedom and fosters silent resentment.

There is inter-generational cost to being a strong woman

I've been reflecting on the significance of a small plaque in Wrocław that serves as a reminder of our past approach tow...
05/07/2026

I've been reflecting on the significance of a small plaque in Wrocław that serves as a reminder of our past approach toward mental health and the separation of dangerous individuals from society.
I see this as a stance that, unlike modern America, posits safety comes from isolating those who can’t operate within civilized standards rather than bending compassion towards destructive behavior.
I believe that when the U.S. dismantled its state psychiatric systems in favor of a flawed community care model, the result was a society where law-abiding citizens end up paying for the chaos left in the wake of unchecked criminality.
I find it striking that while countries like Poland, Hungary, and Japan continue to uphold the rule that those who cannot adhere to societal norms must be managed for the greater good, America’s neglect of this principle now leaves us bearing the costs.

Protecting communities means excluding those who cannot participate in them

I've been reflecting on how Budapest’s natural hot springs and Japan’s onsen traditions show us the deep bond between na...
05/01/2026

I've been reflecting on how Budapest’s natural hot springs and Japan’s onsen traditions show us the deep bond between nature, the body, and community.
I find it remarkable that centuries-old practices in Hungary and Japan honor the natural healing power of water as a daily ritual and social equalizer.
I see how these communal baths offer genuine wellness through affordability, physical proximity, and routine care—reminding me that true healing arises from shared experience rather than isolated luxury.
I believe that while American spas often prioritize individual pampering and consumption, Hungary and Japan teach a timeless lesson: our bodies and our communities heal best when they come together in natural, unhurried spaces.

Where are they in America?

I've been reflecting on how the ancient mandate of lead, provide, protect has lost its balance in today’s dating culture...
04/17/2026

I've been reflecting on how the ancient mandate of lead, provide, protect has lost its balance in today’s dating culture.
I see that while many men embrace the call to lead, the reciprocal duties of follow, nurture, and respect are being ignored, turning what should be a partnership into an unfair demand.
I've observed that in America, unlike in Central Europe, this imbalance leaves men feeling dismissed and unvalued as they are pushed to act against their true nature.
I believe that returning to a model of mutual responsibility—where masculine and feminine virtues support one another—is essential for restoring genuine, fulfilling relationships.

The dating recession isn't caused by men who refuse to lead. It's caused by women who refuse to follow.

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Los Angeles, CA
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