Dr. Pooja Lakshmin MD is a psychiatrist, a best-selling author and a contributor to The New York Times. Pooja graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Women's Studies and the Biological Basis of Behavior. She received her MD from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and did her psychiatry residency training at Stanford University and George Washington University. She has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at George Washington University School of Medicine since 2016. Pooja has spent thousands of hours taking care of individuals struggling with burnout, despair, depression, and anxiety in her clinical practice. Her bestselling new book, REAL SELF-CARE: Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble-Baths Not Included, was named as an NPR Best Book of 2023, and has been featured on Good Morning America, NPR’s Code Switch and 1A, Talks at Google, The Ezra Klein Show, The New York Times, Vox, The Guardian, and more. Having gone down the rabbit hole of extreme wellness herself, Real Self-Care is Pooja's solution to the gratitude lists and essential oils.