Alok Kanojia

Alok Kanojia, also known as Dr. K, was born on October 7, 1982. During his time at the University of Texas at Austin, where he pursued a Bachelor of Science degree, Kanojia developed an addiction to video games, which affected his academic performance. At the age of 21 in 2003, he sought guidance at an ashram in India, on the advice of his father, ultimately spending a month there and returning annually until 2010. This experience exposed him to yoga and meditation, which he credited with developing self-awareness and self-control, helping him manage his addiction and redirect his career path. He completed his biology degree in 2007 and then enrolled at Tufts University School of Medicine in 2010, where he earned both an MD and an MPH in 2014. Following this, he began a medical residency in adult psychiatry at Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Program.

After recognizing that many of his friends also struggled with video game addiction, Alok Kanojia co-founded Healthy Gamer with his wife, Kruti, to provide a structured resource for addressing mental health challenges within the gaming community. Healthy Gamer offers non-medical advice and support through trained coaches who facilitate individual and group sessions focusing on goals, motivations, and meditation practices. The company received early support through an incubator at Boston University. In 2019, Kanojia began streaming on Twitch, where he holds live conversations with other streamers and viewers about mental health topics. These streams have garnered a significant following, featuring high-profile guests such as Reckful, xQc, and Pokimane, making his channel one of the most popular mental health resources on the platform.

Alok Kanojia has emphasized that his livestreams are not psychotherapy sessions, a disclaimer he includes at the start of each broadcast. However, some mental health professionals and journalists have raised concerns that these interactions appear to be therapeutic in nature, potentially conflicting with ethical guidelines. In June 2024, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine issued a formal reprimand to Kanojia, stating that his conduct, specifically concerning his interviews with the streamer Reckful (Byron Bernstein), “undermine[d] the public confidence in the integrity of the medical profession.” He also authored “How to Raise a Healthy Gamer: End Power Struggles, Break Bad Screen Habits, and Transform Your Relationship with Your Kids,” published in March 2024. He was nominated for Best Philanthropic Streamer at The Streamer Awards in 2021.