Dr. Jessi Gold, MD, MS, is a nationally recognized psychiatrist, writer, and speaker specializing in mental health care for students, faculty, and healthcare professionals. As the inaugural Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee (UT) System and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), she brings a unique blend of clinical insight and leadership to her work.
Nationally Recognized Psychiatrist, Writer, and Speaker
In her clinical practice, Dr. Gold focuses on outpatient care with an emphasis on supporting those in high-stress professions—particularly healthcare workers and academics. Her perspective was recently profiled in the Daily Beacon feature, The woman in wellness: Jessi Gold holds bird’s-eye view as chief wellness officer.
A sought-after mental health speaker, Dr. Gold has presented at national and international conferences across academic institutions, healthcare systems, and even within the entertainment industry. Her academic and research publications have appeared in respected journals such as JAMA and the American Journal of Psychiatry. In 2024, Becker’s Hospital Review named her one of the “Top 14 Chief Wellness Officers to Get to Know.“
Beyond academia, Dr. Gold is widely known for her original writing that helps educate the public and reduce mental health stigma. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, New York Times, Forbes, SELF, InStyle, and other national outlets. She is a frequent expert guest in the media—across television, radio, podcasts, and print—and has cultivated a large, engaged following on social media.
Her debut book, HOW DO YOU FEEL?: One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine, became a national bestseller and is published by Simon Element. In it, Dr. Gold explores the emotional landscape of modern medicine and the shared humanity between doctors and patients.
Dr. Gold earned both her B.A. and M.S. in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She received her medical degree from Yale School of Medicine and completed her residency in Adult Psychiatry at Stanford University, serving as chief resident in 2017–2018. For her leadership and contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was honored with the Dean’s Impact Award at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine.
Expertise in Workplace Mental Health, Wellness, and Advocacy
Dr. Jessi Gold is an internationally recognized authority on a wide range of mental health topics and frequently speaks or consults on the following areas:
- Workplace mental health, wellness, and burnout, particularly among healthcare workers, journalists, and people in the entertainment industry
- College mental health
- Mental health advocacy using writing for the popular press and other forms of media, including social media
- The overlap between pop culture and mental health, including celebrity mental health and self-disclosure
- Using vulnerability and storytelling (including her own) to change culture and normalize help seeking
- Telling your own mental health story, especially for popular figures and celebrities
- Taking care of ourselves while taking care of others and moral injury
- Coping strategies for stress, burnout, and other mental health conditions
- Social media and mental health
- Reporting on mental health in journalism, including suicide safety guidelines
Dr. Gold is available as a keynote speaker, media contributor, or mental health consultant for publishers, production companies, journalists, and organizations seeking expert insight.
To contact Dr. Gold for an interview, media appearances, or for a speaking engagement, click here to get in touch.
