Qualifications & Education:
B.A., Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology
Supervised by Ronna Milo Haglili, PsyD #33032

Master’s Degree:
Palo Alto University in progress

Undergraduate Degree:
University of California, Berkeley

Clinic:
Berkeley

Specialties:
Depression, Anxiety, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),Bipolar Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Chronic Illness/Pain

Therapeutic Modalities:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT),Working with parents for parent training/coaching/support, Family Therapy, Couples Therapy, Group Therapy, Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Therapy, Play Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Social Skills Training

My name is McKayla, and I am a third-year student in Palo Alto University’s APA-accredited PhD Program in Clinical Psychology and am in the Pediatric Behavioral Health Emphasis. I was born and raised in the Bay Area and received my B.A. in Psychology close by at UC Berkeley. Go Bears! For several years, I worked with neurodiverse children and adolescents as a Registered Behavior Technician at the PeerBuddies program, which matches volunteer peers with clients seeking to develop their social skills. Here, I provided ABA-based services to clients with several diagnoses, such as developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, and down syndrome. I learned to provide psychoeducation and communicate areas of growth to children and teens in a digestible, supportive format and developed tools tailored for parent and family use. After beginning my graduate studies, I gained further experience conducting intakes, completing risk assessments, and implementing long-term talk therapy with clients aged 21-68 who had a variety of presenting problems, including persistent depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar II disorder. I worked primarily with a psychodynamic approach while pulling resources from a variety of modalities to best fit the needs of my patients. As a clinician, I feel it is incredibly important to have an individualized approach and meet each patient and family member where they are. There is no “one-size-fits-all” treatment. I hope to find ways to make each patient comfortable in the therapeutic setting and provide effective interventions and support alongside the wonderful BACA team members.
In my free time, I love to cook, spend time with friends and family, exercise, and cheer on local sports teams (Go Warriors!).