Alison Wong, PhD, LMFT, the new director of integrative services at the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, has firsthand knowledge about the importance of collaborative care when faced with life-changing health issues.
“My mother had a stroke when I was 16 and she was 47,” said Dr. Wong, “which was a formative time in both of our lives, developmentally.”
The experience was transformative for Dr. Wong, who described it as “an overwhelming time filled with uncertainty and fear.”
“As my family and I navigated the long-term physical, emotional, and relational impacts of the stroke, we found tremendous support in my mother’s care team, which included physicians, a psychotherapist, physical and occupational therapists, speech therapists, an acupuncturist, and a case manager,” she said. “It was my first exposure to a multidisciplinary team, and each person was critical in helping my mom relearn how to perform daily tasks and adapt to new ways of navigating the world.”
Dr. Wong went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees in human development and family studies, specializing in medical family therapy, an integrative practice that takes a holistic approach to addressing medical issues.
“I wanted to work with and empower families coping with illness and their long-lasting effects,” she said. Dr. Wong focused her efforts on what’s known as psycho-oncology, an interdisciplinary approach to addressing the emotional and psychological needs of people with cancer.
After spending several years as the program and clinical director at Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley, Dr. Wong joined UCLA Health in March 2025.
Expanding to meet patient needs
Dr. Wong oversees the psychiatry, nutrition, spiritual care and support group services the Simms/Mann Center offers for patients and their families.
“The services Simms/Mann provides have grown exponentially in the last few years,” Dr. Wong said. “I look forward to continuing to build out that support system to continue the great work we’re doing and think creatively about additional opportunities.”
The specialized team of clinical psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, registered dieticians, and chaplains provides personalized care that addresses the bio-psycho-social-spiritual needs of patients. With the Simms/Mann Center offering services at all 20 UCLA Health cancer care clinics in Southern California, it is already ideally positioned to provide integrative services to patients undergoing treatment, Dr. Wong noted.
Dr. Wong sees an opportunity to expand the number of support groups the Simms/Mann Center offers and further assess patient needs to develop services and additional best practices in integrative oncology.
Current offerings, such as art therapy and mindfulness, are provided in both group and workshop settings, Dr. Wong noted.
“These methods have been shown to reduce anxiety and also increase treatment compliance,” she said. “They have great benefits for the individual, but there’s also a community component when these services are offered in a group setting.”
Tapping into similar programs
Dr. Wong said she looks forward to being part of the UCLA Health Integrative Medicine Collaborative, a group focused on whole-health care and integrative medicine that provides an opportunity to partner with other UCLA Health providers offering similar approaches.
In addition to what the Simms/Mann Center offers, it benefits from collaborations to develop new programs such as sound baths, movement classes and other integrative programs, she said.
In her short time at the Simms/Mann Center, Dr. Wong said, she already has seen the dedication and commitment its clinicians bring to their work.
“Across all 20 clinics, there is a strong team identity and pride in the support that Simms/Mann has provided patients for over 30 years,” she said. “It is clear that each clinician is passionate about what they do and values the work of their colleagues. They regularly encourage patients to seek all of the services that the Center has to offer.”
As Dr. Wong summed up, “Cancer is one of the hardest times in a person’s life. Our clinicians are here to walk alongside them in community and in support.”
