I am a licensed bicultural clinical psychologist with a specialization in the neuroscience of serious mental illness. I provide psychosocial rehabilitation services at the West LA VA Medical Center and maintain a part-time private (telehealth) practice.

 

I have gained experience in the assessment and treatment of a wide spectrum of mental health problems during my doctoral training at UCSD and my clinical internship at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. In addition to my extensive work in VA outpatient clinics in both LA and San Diego, I have provided psychological services to students at the SDSU Psychology Clinic and worked with a multidisciplinary team to treat young people with early risk signs of psychosis at the UCSD Cognitive Assessment and Risk Evaluation program. I have been trained to administer time-limited, evidenced-based treatments to individuals who are experiencing depression or trying to cope with trauma and other anxiety-related problems. My expertise is in the adjunctive treatment of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and those experiencing changes in their thoughts, behavior, or emotions that might be associated with serious mental health issues. I have been licensed in the state of California since 2011 (PSY 24632).

In addition to my clinical practice, my research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms and functional implications of the cognitive abnormalities in schizophrenia, with the goal of improving the lives of affected individuals. I have spent a decade working in the renowned Green Laboratory at the VA Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) and the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. I have received funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs (Career Development Award) as well as the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD Young Investigator Award) to conduct randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of a variety of cognitive remediation interventions and neurostimulation techniques on cognition in schizophrenia. My work has been published in peer-reviewed journals including Psychological Medicine, Brain and Behavior, Schizophrenia Research, Neuropsychology, Bipolar Disorders, and Journal of Psychiatric Research.

 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING               PROFESSIONAL Experience

  • 1998-2002: B.A. in Psychology – Lebanese University, Fanar, Lebanon

  • 2002-2005: M.A. in Clinical Psychology – California State University, Northridge

  • 2005-2010: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology – San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program

  • 2009-2010: Predoctoral Internship – VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System

  • 2010-2013: Postdoctoral Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment – VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (Green Lab)

  • 2019-Present: Staff Psychologist – Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System

  • 2014-2019: Assistant Project Scientist – Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles

  • 2013-2019: Assistant Research Psychologist – VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (Green Lab)

  • 2014-2015: Visiting Researcher – Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Israel