Introducing Kristen Paull, M.A.

Kristen McCarthy Paull, M.A., received her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, with an emphasis on Marriage, Family and Child Centered therapy. While at Pepperdine, Kristen wrote an in depth position paper on Borderline Personality Disorder that explored its complexities, offering unique insights and treatment options for this challenging condition. Her paper continues to be used today as part of the recommended reading curriculum at Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology. Kristen was recognized by the National Honor Society in Psychology for her work and was inducted as a member of this prestigious organization upon graduation.

Kristen is dedicated to working with children, adolescents and young adults as well as couples and families. She provides psychotherapy and life coaching, using a collaborative approach for clients who may be struggling with feelings of depression, stress, anxiety, low self esteem, family conflict, loneliness or isolation, and relationship issues among others. By creating a warm, supportive, therapeutic environment she strives to help her clients gain a deeper understanding of who they are and how the patterns they’ve created in their lives may be holding them back from achieving their full potential. Although her orientation is Psychodynamic, she uses Cognitive Behavioral strategies tailored to her clients’ specific needs, often helping them transition from one stage of life to another.

Kristen’s clinical training is extensive. Most recently she has been working at Swanson, Conti and Associates in Encino California, where she provides supportive psychotherapy to all age groups - from children as young as 3 years old, to teenagers, young adults, couples, families, and older individuals. She also worked with severely mentally ill clients at Alcott Center for Mental Health Services for five years, providing individual, group and family therapy. Additionally, she worked with teenagers suffering from Oppositional Defiant Disorder at Camp David Juvenile Center in Malibu. At New Start, in Santa Monica, she helped clients who were struggling with a wide array of issues including, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and sexual disorders. Kristen has also worked as a consultant in the motion picture industry, advising writers, actors, and studio representatives regarding therapy techniques and therapeutic interventions for feature films.

As a mother of two children, Kristen has extensive hands-on experience and plenty of opportunities to utilize her therapeutic skills, incorporating appropriate modeling, setting of limits, and positive reinforcement strategies. Kristen was recently recognized by The Los Angeles Unified School District for volunteerism in her children's school.

Kristen is available in our Beverly Hills office Monday morning, afternoon and evening, as well as Wednesday and Saturday. Call Kristen at 310-962-5092 to set up an appointment.