About Me

Welcome! I’m Dr. Helen Valenstein, a licensed clinical psychologist in California.

I believe that both insight—gaining a deeper understanding of yourself, others, and the world around you—and action—creating a clear plan for change—are essential to navigating life’s challenges and moving toward a more meaningful, fulfilling life. It’s important to me that your goals guide our work together, and that we build a strong, nonjudgmental, and supportive therapeutic relationship to help you feel comfortable in pursuing those goals.

My areas of focus include depression, anxiety, trauma and PTSD, substance use, relationships, and life transitions. My approach is flexible and person-centered, firmly grounded in evidence-based therapy approaches that have been shown to be effective through rigorous scientific research, to ensure you get the most out of our time together. Specifically, I have extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Behavioral Activation, Exposure Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. Additionally, I specialize in the treatment of trauma and PTSD, and am a certified Cognitive Processing Therapy provider and a certified consultant for Prolonged Exposure therapy through Emory University.

I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Washington. Currently, I am a therapist supervisor and consultant for a national mental health technology company, and maintain a private telehealth therapy practice. Previously, I practiced in a number of different settings, including academic medical centers and the Department of Veterans Affairs. My past research, published in peer-reviewed journals, focuses on therapy effectiveness and therapist training (you can find my Google Scholar profile here).

On a personal note, I enjoy spending time outdoors, singing (formally in choir, now in the car), and seeing live theater and comedy.

I look forward to getting to know you and supporting you on your path.