Administration & Board

Dr. Manuel Fernandez, CEO of La Concordia Wellness Center, has dedicated his work to the Contra Costa community since 2009 and has been a resident of Contra Costa County since 1997. Born and raised in Peru, he came to the United States at seventeen and quickly became involved in supporting the Latino community in San Francisco. Early in his career, he provided recreational and counseling services to Latino immigrants while working in the city’s Mission District.

With a doctorate in psychology and training in clinical psychopharmacology, Dr. Fernandez was recognized for his accomplishments and awarded scholarships that allowed him to continue expanding his knowledge, which he has used to serve those in need. He has volunteered his time to provide free clinical services to undocumented students who would otherwise be unable to access this kind of care. He has also spent years giving talks on race, diversity, cultural competency, clinical mental health, children with disabilities, medications, and medical issues affecting Latino families, presenting at conferences and community events throughout the Bay Area and across the state.

Dr. Fernandez has been recognized as a beacon of change by several organizations, most recently NAMI, and was honored by the Concord City Council during Hispanic Heritage Month for his contributions to the community. He has been acknowledged for his distinctive approaches to clinical practice, which he continues to share with colleagues and students.

Dr. Fernandez received his Doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, with an emphasis in neuropsychology, and completed his post-doctoral training in Clinical Psychopharmacology at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. He completed his internship at Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek in the Department of Psychiatry and Chemical Dependency, and his residency at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez.

In 2020, Dr. Fernandez founded La Concordia Psychotherapy and Wellness Clinic, followed in 2022 by the nonprofit La Concordia Wellness Center, created to provide culturally competent mental health services to communities facing systemic barriers and limited access to care. Since then, he has carried forward his vision of expanding access to wellness for underrepresented communities, a mission that remains central to La Concordia Wellness Center today.

As Clinical Director of La Concordia Wellness Center, I lead and support the clinical team. This side of my work is about the clinicians themselves: the training, supervision, and mentorship that shape the next wave of therapists coming into the field.

I have a particular investment in supporting my fellow clinicians, not just overseeing them. That includes the parts of the job that rarely make it into a bio — risk management, clinical oversight, and the administrative structure that lets a practice run well without burning out the people inside it. I see good administration as part of good clinical care, not separate from it.

My approach to leadership pairs a clinician’s judgment with the discipline of a director: building systems that protect both clients and clinicians, and creating a training environment where new therapists are set up to do this work well and sustainably.