Dr. Mariusz Wirga, MD

Dr. MARIUSZ WIRGA, MD is a BOARD CERTIFIED PSYCHIATRISTHe specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Medicine and Psycho Oncology. Prior to moving to California, he was the Chief of Psychiatry at the Las Vegas Medical Center in New Mexico. Dr. Wirga is on the Board of Advisors of the National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists. He is also the Medical Director of Health Programs and Director of Quality Control at the Simonton Cancer Center. He has experience working with patients that have life-threatening diseases and their families in coping with their problems since 1988 and does ongoing research at the Simonton Cancer Center.Wellness Psychiatry & Psychosocial OncologyWellness psychiatry is a new approach that brings clients into contact with their own innate wellness and our natural tendency for healing. The focus is on what is right with us and on building on our strengths rather than only being absorbed with what is wrong.Aleksandra Wirga, MD and Mariusz Wirga, MD are married physicians who are highly-skilled and compassionate. As residents in pathology, studying the biology and immunology of cancer, they realized that while all medical diagnoses and treatments were focused on addressing physical aspects of the disease, patients and families were also experiencing significant emotional distress. In 1988, they decided to apply their earlier study of mind-body medicine and psychoneuroimmunology to the establishment of a psycho-oncology intervention program in their native Poland, eventually delivering help to over 600 patients and their family members. Inspired by the work of Dr. O. Carl Simonton, a radiation oncologist and the pioneer of psycho-oncology, the Wirgas soon achieved impressive results with their patients and quickly became recognized experts in the field.After coming to the United States in 1993, they trained with some of the world leaders in cognitive-behavior therapy and honed their skills and practice. Both are Board Certified Psychiatrists.They both trained extensively with the leaders and pioneers in the fields of cognitive-behavior therapy, psycho-oncology, mindfulness, stress management, and cultivating wellbeing. His mentors and teachers include Albert Ellis, Maxie C. Maultsby, Jr, O. Carl Simonton, Marsha Linehan, David Burns, and Peter Fenner. They are both Master Trainers and Supervisors in Rational Behavior Therapy. Mariusz is is a Level 3 Advanced TEAM CBT Therapist certified by the Feeling Good Institute.In 2003 they moved to Long Beach, California and a few years later Aleksandra established a private psychiatric practice that Mariusz later joined.Mariusz serves as the Medical Director of Psychosocial Oncology at the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute, and as a Chair of the Psychiatry Department at the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. He is also on the Board of Advisors for the National Association of Cognitive-Behavior Therapists and served as the Medical Director of the Simonton Cancer Center after Dr. Simonton’s death. In 2004, Mariusz and Aleksandra introduced Beat the Odds® – A Cancer Survivorship Program in Long Beach, a course consisting of 10 classes teaching how to effectively deal with different aspects of cancer and its treatment.We would love to make a difference for you. Chat Now with us Today!