Mikael Rubin, Ph.D.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of California and an Assistant Professor at Palo Alto University in the Psychology Department. I approach the therapeutic process with respect, acceptance, and a commitment to collaboration. I use my experience in evidence based clinical practice and research to provide effective therapy. I extensively tailor the treatment I provide to each individuals needs and goals - I follow the client's agenda. Each time we meet, we focus on therapy as a collaborative process, enhancing your experience in treatment by using or practicing what we've identified in your day to day life. We pay attention to strengths as well as to problems and endeavor to engage in compassion. I use evidence-based practices that include exposure therapy for Anxiety Disorders, exposure and response prevention for OCD, and prolonged exposure and written exposure therapy for PTSD. I also use virtual reality for exposure therapy and mindfulness based practices when appropriate. I also have experience and training treating sleep concerns using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and addressing compassion fatigue among first responders and health professionals. I focus on developing a collaborative problem solving approach to address your concerns that is grounded in cognitive and behavioral principles. I use assessments and practice in session to help establish helpful skills. I received my PhD in Clinical Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin. In addition to my private practice, I am actively engaged in research and training the next generation of clinical psychologists through my research lab at Palo Alto University. My research has specifically included testing new approaches to treatment social anxiety, using virtual reality and simulated social interactions online. I also have extensive experience with mindfulness and meditation practice, including having developed and empirically tested a brief mindfulness intervention.