Alexis Hershfield, PhD

Dr. Alexis Hershfield is a licensed clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, CA with expertise in evidence-based interventions for children, adolescents, young adults, and families. Dr. Hershfield primarily specializes in treating anxiety and related disorders including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD), school refusal and school avoidance, Specific Phobia, Body-Focused behaviors (BFRBs), depression, and parent-child stressors. She provides a variety of clinical services including diagnostic assessments, therapy, and academic consultations. Dr. Hershfield is extensively trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Habit Reversal Training (HRT), and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). She also utilizes third wave CBT interventions including mindfulness and acceptance based therapies. Her research has focused on the role that social media plays on child development, romantic relationships, clinical disorders, and clinical treatment.

Dr. Hershfield understands that growth doesn’t just happen in an office; it happens at home, at school, and even on social media. Her mission is to work with individuals, families, and teachers to achieve success and foster growth. She is eager to implement empirically supported treatment in a flexible and compassionate manner to help youth thrive emotionally, cognitively, academically, and interpersonally.

Dr. Hershfield earned her M.A. and Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles (CSPP-LA). She also holds a master’s degree in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Hershfield gained additional experience working at the UCLA Intensive Outpatient Program for OCD, as well as the UCLA Child Anxiety Program and the UCLA Youth Stress and Mood Program. She completed her predoctoral internship at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services (Child and Family Track) and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Southern California OCD & Anxiety Program.

In her spare time, Dr. Hershfield loves exploring local beaches with her husband and children, traveling, and drinking cappuccinos in the sunshine.

PUBLICATIONS

Hershfield, A. (2019, September). Courtship 2.0: Uncoupling in the social media era. In Alliant International University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. 2020. 27542510

Hershfield A. (2018, September). Loyalties in families. In Encyclopedia of Couples and Family Therapy. (Vol. 1). New York, NY: Springer.

Hershfield, A. (2018, September). Norman Paul. In Encyclopedia of Couples and Family Therapy. (Vol. 1). New York, NY: Springer.

Hershfield, A. (2016, Fall). It’s complicated: The social lives of networked teens [Review of the book It’s complicated: The social lives of networked, by D. boyd]. The Family
Psychologist. 32 (3), 32-33.

Hershfield A. (2016, February 20). Baby Blues. APA Division 35 FEMPOP.

Hershfield, A. (2015, December 10). Teenage Anxiety and Emotional Disorders in Female Youth (2). APA Division 35 FEMPOP.

Hershfield, A. (2014, June 13). Teenage Anxiety and Emotional Disorders in Female Youth (1). DrDina.ca.

Hershfield, A. (2014, May 3). Do I have ADHD? DrDina.ca.

SCHOLARLY AND COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS

Wegner, B., Tootle, A., Hershfield, A. & Hamel, J. (2020, August). Implementation and fidelity to Managing and
Adapting Practices (MAP) at a community mental health setting. Talk presented to Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services Executive Team and Research and Evaluation Division, Inglewood, CA.

Hershfield, A. (2019, May). Assessment and intervention of pediatric OCD in community mental health settings. Talk presented to Didi Hirsch Child and Family Services, Glendale, CA.

Hershfield, A. & Park, D. (2019, March). Suicide prevention in school settings. Talk presented to the Santa Clarita School District Division of School Counsellors, Santa Clarita, CA.

Wang P., Gersh J., Hershfield A, & Anderson N. (2016, August). Mindfulness as a predictor for depression in young adults. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association Conference, Denver, CO.

Wang P., Hershfield A., Gersh, J., Baveda K., Asarnow L., Berk M., Avina C. & Asarnow J. (2016, August). Sleep disturbance in youths with severe suicidality & repetitive self-harm. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association Conference, Denver, CO.

Hershfield A., Salerno B. (2016, May). A model of problematic Internet use in adolescents. Poster presented at the California School of Professional Psychology Student Research Conference, Alhambra, CA.

Gersh J., Hershfield A., Wang P & Anderson N. (2016, April). Sleep disturbance in youths with severe suicidality & repetitive self-harm: Is sleep disturbance a marker of elevated risk? Poster presented at the California Psychological Association, Irvine, CA.

Hershfield A., Wang, P., Gersh, J. & Anderson, N. (2016, April). Life stress and daily hassles in NSSI and disordered eating in young adults. Poster presented at the California Psychological Association Conference, Irvine, CA.

Hershfield A., Ricci T., & Goodman, A. (2015, August). Millenial generation: Unique clinical issues in family psychology. Paper presented at the American Psychological Association Conference, Toronto, ON.

Hershfield A., Ricci T., & Bell T. (2015, August). MOVE: A proposed intervention for combating internalizing disorders in affluent girls. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association Conference, Toronto, ON.

Hershfield A. (2015, April). An examination of early onset bipolar disorder. Poster presented at the Family, Child & Couple Conference of Southern California, Pasadena, CA.

Ellis A., Hershfield A., & Vora P. (2015, April). Frontal asymmetry and distress tolerance in adolescent mood disorders. Poster presented at the American Anxiety and Depression Conference, Miami, FL.

Hershfield A. (2013, April). The Digital age and how parents of today are coping. Paper presented at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Student Research Conference, Cambridge, MA