Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Allen earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology- San Diego in 2010. Training included work with adults with severe, chronic mental illness and addiction, at-risk youth, and court-mandated domestic violence perpetrators. Dr. Allen is a clinical psychologist licensed to practice in California.
Dr. Allen is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience providing mental health and chemical dependency care across treatment settings, including inpatient hospital, residential, partial hospital, intensive outpatient, and outpatient. Dr. Allen has worked with military populations and all ages, from children to geriatrics. Dr. Allen utilizes a mix of therapeutic modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Gestalt, and other evidenced based therapeutic concepts to support and challenge you. She is trained in several trauma-specific interventions, including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprogramming (EMDR), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).
Dr. Allen approaches life with curiosity and wonder. Family/friends, including the furry ones, travel, coffee, exercise/fitness/body dynamics, learning--always learning to keep her growing, grounded, present, and open for the next adventure.
Dr. Allen strives to create space for realness in the therapeutic process. A space to find trust enough to feel safe and safe enough to be vulnerable. A place to learn to wrap your arms around all that is this human experience. When we block out what is painful, we block out what is joyful. Dr. Allen will help you learn psychological flexibility, to identify your values, and to lean into a value driven life. We, humans, develop defenses and ways of being that, during times in our lives, served to protect us but are no longer helpful and now only serve to increase symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, negatively affecting our overall well-being and health. Dr. Allen will help you find new perspectives, build hope, and develop effective, accessible coping skills and strategies. Dr. Allen strives to create a therapeutic space where patients can feel safe to reflect, process, and heal.
