About Me

My name is Tsoline Konialian and I have been engaged in the professional practice of psychology since 2000. Currently, I own and operate a private practice with two locations, one on the BHC Alhambra Hospital Campus in Rosemead, California, and one in the Hastings Ranch area of North Pasadena, California. I opened my private practice in 2008, where I worked with individuals (children, adolescents, and adults) and families who presented with a variety of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems. Depending upon specific individual or family needs, I offer both group and individual psychotherapy. Contact me now at (626) 586-1220, or email me at [email protected].

Clinical Psychology

The process of psychotherapy typically begins with an initial screening for the presence of clinically significant mental, emotional, and/or behavioral problems. The screening begins with an intake session where I get to know the patient and the patient gets to know me. I may recommend some brief psychological tests that can be completed during this initial session; we would schedule a follow-up session for any tests that require more time. Psychological testing helps to identify the presence of significant distress or impairment in social, family, work, or school environments. The stress may be due to any number of factors, including problems with mood regulation, lack of adequate coping skills, substance abuse/dependence, unhealthy eating patterns, posttraumatic stress, immature defense mechanisms, or or any number of maladies involving thought (cognition), emotion (affect) and actions (behavior). At the end of the initial intake, we should have a relatively clear picture of the presenting problem. I will then provide you with a treatment outline that can help you evaluate treatment options, change orientation (readiness to change), financial resources, available support systems, etc.

Following the screening, I typically engage my patients in more formal diagnostics. A formal diagnosis serves many purposes: It informs the treatment plan to which my patient and I commit. We prepare measurable treatment goals and outcomes in order to guide therapy in the early stages, and discharge planning in the latter stages. Once we settle on a treatment plan, we begin implementing the plan and measuring the effectiveness of therapy. This is an ongoing process; each iteration of therapy informs changes to the treatment plan until all treatment goals have been met.

Forensic Psychology

In addition to my clinical practice, I also operate a forensic laboratory where I conduct forensic psychological examinations of litigants in civil and criminal matters in both California Superior Court, and in US District Courts. My forensic staff and I produce comprehensive medical-legal reports of findings of forensic psychological examinations and where required, provide expert testimony in state/federal court.

Clinical Supervision

I also work as a clinical supervisor for pre- and post-doctoral professionals. I usually employ and supervise as many as two post-doctoral psychological assistants at a time and monitor their professional development as they complete remaining training, testing, and licensing requirements. I also mentor pre-doctoral trainees who require socialization into the profession of psychology. Thus, when I am not working directly with a patient in a clinical setting, or with a client in a forensic setting, I am usually overseeing the work of a psychological assistant, or mentoring a mental health professional (counselor, therapist, etc.) who is seeking certification in a specific treatment area (substance abuse, posttraumatic stress, narrative therapy, etc.).

I am licensed by the State of California to practice psychology. Prior to obtaining a psychology license, I completed a rigorous program of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the next section, I provide information about each educational experience and degrees awarded.

Education

As with any professional service, a solid educational foundation is vital to the success of the practice of psychology, and the psychology practitioner. In the field of professional psychology, intellectual curiosity, academic prowess, critical thinking, and a strong sense of ethical duty are all part of the educational experience.

Work History

Prior to opening my private practice, I worked as a psychologist for VeriCare in San Diego, CA from 2004 to 2008. At VeriCare, I provided psychological services and consultation to geriatric and adult psychiatric patients residing in inpatient skilled nursing facilities/rehabilitation centers. My practice included neurocognitive examination, psychotherapy, and prescription management.

Between June 1999 through October 2004, I worked as a psychological assistant for Healthy Living Center Medical Group, Inc. in Alhambra, CA. Under the supervision of a licensed psychiatrist, I worked in a thriving private practice setting. I facilitated individual and group psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults, including couples and families who presented with a variety of psychological and psychosocial complaints. My patient load consisted of individuals and families affected by mood/anxiety dysregulation, substance abuse/dependence, and eating disorders.

I worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow, Registered Psychologist at Verdugo Mental Health Center in Glendale, CA from September 2000 through September 2001. While at Verdugo Mental Health, I provided psychological services to chronically mentally ill adult patients/clients in an outpatient setting. I also conducted short-term, solution oriented individual psychotherapy. In addition, I facilitated psychoeducational and social skills training grounded in a psychosocial rehabilitation model and facilitated group therapy for patients with anxiety/panic disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and other process control disorders.

I really enjoyed participating in and presenting cases in the multidisciplinary team treatment planning meetings. I provided case management and on-call crisis intervention, and I conducted neurocognitive and functional assessments as well as structured diagnostic interviews. I was actively involved in the planning and implementation of interventions to assist patients to achieve treatment goals. In addition, I supervised graduate psychology students in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of psychometric instruments and the development of general clinical skills. I also participated in and taught didactic seminars on treatment planning, diagnostic interviewing, crisis intervention, child abuse reporting laws, and working with families of chronically mentally ill patients.

Internships and Practica

As part of my professional training in psychology, I completed several internships and practica.

I worked as a Psychology Intern at the Counseling and Psychological Services Department at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Los Angeles, CA. Between August 1999 and September 2000, I provided long- and short-term individual psychotherapy, couples counseling, and crisis intervention with adolescents and young adults who presented with a wide range of complaints. I helped patients recognize and overcome challenges associated with common developmental issues. In addition, I participated in and presented cases during multidisciplinary team treatment planning meetings. I also developed and implemented a variety of outreach programs, including those for stress management, eating disorders, body image issues, and drug and alcohol use, abuse, and dependence. Conducted workshops and lectured students in the classroom about mental health.

I also worked as a Psychology Intern for the Psychological Counseling Center at California State University at Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA from September 1998 through August 1999. As an intern, I provided long- and short-term individual and group psychotherapy to college students (aged 18 and over) who presented with a variety of complaints, including issues related to identity formation, mood disorders, cultural issues/adjustment disorders, eating disorders, psychotic disorders, substance abuse/dependence, sex addiction, and physical and sexual abuse. I developed and implemented several outreach programs. I also designed, developed, and facilitated the Immigrant Women’s Support Group: Being Stuck Between Two Cultures program for college students struggling with cultural clashes.

I was a Practicum Student at Hillsides Family Center in Pasadena, CA from September 1997 to August 1998. While at Hillsides Family Center, I provided therapeutic services to at-risk families and children experiencing a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems. I also provided Intake assessment, crisis Intervention, psychological testing, family therapy (frequently in the home of families), individual therapy, group therapy with children (ages 8-12), and treatment planning.

Early Work in the Mental Health Field

Between September 1997 and May 1998, I worked as a Healthy Start Counselor in the Glendale Unified School District in Glendale, CA. In this position, I provided long term and short-term counseling for minority students in both a junior high school and a senior high school. I facilitated individual counseling sessions, which included intervention and prevention for at risk youth who presented with a range of emotional complaints, including identity issues, as well as problems prevalent in this age group (substance abuse, eating disorders, gang involvement, physical and sexual abuse, etc.).

From September 1996 through August 1997, I worked as a Psychodiagnostic Assessment Clerk at The Sycamores in Altadena, CA where I provided psychoeducational testing and assessment for severely emotionally disturbed children between 5 and 17 years of age. I also conducted personality testing upon admission when requested by attending psychologists. I also participated in and presented assessment profiles to a multidisciplinary treatment team (psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, nurse, and teacher) for treatment planning and discharge purposes.

I was a Mental Health Worker at Aurora Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, CA from June 1994 until June 1998. In my tenure at Las Encinas, I interacted and worked with a large, diverse population of clients who presented with a variety of symptoms of moderate to severe mental illness. I provided psychotherapeutic interventions to patients in crisis. My duties also included assisting staff in the provision of support and the development of a safe clinical environment for patients. During my four years at this well-known facility, I rotated through the General Psychiatric Depressive Disorder Unit, the Adolescent Unit, the Acute Care Unit, the Chemical Dependency Unit, and the Geriatric Psychiatric Unit.

Teacher, Researcher, Scientist, and Practitioner

Like many professional psychologists, I have fully embraced the Scholar-Practitioner model. This means that I am both an educator and a clinician. My work as an educator informs my clinical practice and my clinical practice informs my work in the classroom and in the laboratory. From the supervision of psychological assistants and mental health workers at all levels of professional development, I am responsible for ensuring that my students are prepared for their next professional challenge, whether it be sitting for the Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP), a State or Professional certification examination, or simply administering, scoring, and interpreting a battery of neurocognitive tests.

As an Adjunct Psychology Professor at the University of La Verne in La Verne, CA, I teach professional readiness classes to doctoral level psychology students who are enrolled in practicum and pre-doctoral internship placements. These readiness classes allow the student to integrate their classroom experiences with their clinical experiences, thus making the practicum or internship experience vastly more rewarding. The topics I teach include counseling and psychotherapy techniques, psychological assessment and diagnosis, enhancing patient treatment motivation, and case presentation.

Every doctoral candidate has to complete a doctoral project or dissertation before they are awarded the coveted title, “Doctor.” Essentially, the doctoral project or dissertation demonstrates the candidate’s ability to engage in scholarly research, and to disseminate the findings of that research to its stakeholders. I found my own doctoral project a daunting task, one that required discipline, commitment, and passion. After I had completed my own doctoral project, it became evident to me that my experience with the process could be helpful to other psychology doctoral students. That’s when I began offering my services as a Dissertation Consultant through the California School of Professional Psychology. My consultancy work has been highly rewarding in many respects.

I had previously worked as a Research Assistant at California State University at Los Angeles from 1994 to 1996. In this role, I assisted in research on ethnic identity development and cultural perspectives. I developed questionnaires, interviewed subjects, conducted literature search, and collected data. This experience as a Research Assistant, and having completed my own doctoral project, prepared me to develop an appreciation for the academic rigors required of the scientific method.

Special Skills

Over the years, I have developed some specialized skills, many of which I practice regularly. The following list is not exhaustive; I am constantly updating my skills as a clinician, educator, forensic examiner, and supervisor.

Below is a list of some of the special skills upon which I have focused throughout my career:

• Psychodiagnostic/psychological assessment/forensic evaluation/jury consultant
• Specialized training in the treatment of clinically significant trauma
• Utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Behavioral Modification therapies
• Extensive training in play therapy with children and adolescents
• Areas of focus: PTSD, Depression/Mood Disorders and Generalized Anxiety Disorders
• Bilingual – English and Armenian

Professional Affiliations

My work is guided by membership in a number of professional organizations. These organizations provide practice guidelines, codes of ethics, and define many of the legal parameters to which I am bound. Membership is strictly voluntary, which makes the professional practice of psychology self-regulated.

• Licensed Psychologist (Clinical), State of California, License No. PSY19955
• Credentialed Health Service Provider in Psychology. National Register of Health Service Psychologists
• Authorized CalGETS Provider, California Department of Public Health Office of Problem Gambling
• Member, American Psychological Association
• Board eligible, American Board of Professional Psychology/American Board of Forensic Psychology
• Member, International Association of Trauma Professionals
• Member, California Psychological Association

If you have any questions about my qualifications, areas of specialization, experience, or interests, please email me at [email protected]. I will respond to your question(s) promptly and professionally.