My story.
I went from Courtney, a 22-year-old psych ward patient, to Dr. Courtney, a licensed psychotherapist opening treatment centers to help people just like me.
A borderline personality disorder diagnosis gave me language for years of emotional dysregulation, substance use, and self-destructive patterns. I wanted to understand what I’d been living through: why we feel what we feel, do what we do, and how we can change. That search became seven years of studying social work and clinical psychology.
I chose both fields deliberately. Understanding someone’s mind also means understanding the life around them: their relationships, their circumstances, and the systems they depend on for help. That perspective continues to shape how I work with people, lead clinical teams, and talk about mental health publicly.
In 2017, I opened my first treatment center, grounded in my clinical philosophy and approach to care. By 2019, I had completed my doctorate in clinical psychology and begun sharing mental health education online. Today, the questions that first brought me back to school inform the treatment programs I build, the books I write, and the conversations I have with people around the world.
My training.
- BA in PsychologyCalifornia State University Channel Islandscum laude
- Master of Social WorkUniversity of Southern CaliforniaDean’s Honorable Mention
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD)California Southern Universitymagna cum laude
My clinical experience spans more than a decade in higher levels of care and acute mental health. I completed three years of master’s-level clinical training at Oro Recovery in Malibu, working with high-profile and celebrity clients and patients with complex, co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions. My postdoctoral supervised clinical experience has included Ivy Glenn Wellness, a private clinical practice in Southern California serving clients across the state.
Licensure & Specialties
I’m a clinical social worker licensed in California, Washington, Oregon, and Illinois, and a Registered Psychological Associate in California.
My clinical focus is borderline personality disorder, substance use disorder and related trauma, including their co-occurrence with autism, ADHD or both. My trauma work addresses experiences that may precede or accompany these conditions, as well as those associated with living with them.
- Certified Personality Disorder Treatment Provider (C-PD)
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level 2 (CCTP-II)
- Certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (C-DBT)
These specialties have led me to work with and speak at places such as UCLA, Colgate University, and the University of Hawaiʻi.
Memberships.
Memberships
- Member
- Member, Fides networkWorld Health OrganizationNetwork of Healthcare InfluencersFides
- Member
- MemberThe White HouseOffice of Social EngagementMental Health Community
Human First means recognizing that we are more than our diagnoses, roles or titles, and that we deserve dignity and care because of the humanity we share. I feel so strongly about this that I got the words tattooed on my arm.
When other people began asking for the tattoo, different versions were created, and hundreds of people around the world chose to wear them. Therapists brought the message into their bios, onto their bodies and into practice in their offices, helping a personal reminder become the Human First movement.
The tattoo sheet was one of my first projects as The Truth Doctor, and those designs are still available if you’d like to make the words your own.
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Seeking stability, happiness, and health, just like you.
Board and advisory positions
Board and advisory positions
- Emeritus Board Member, Orange County
- Advisory Board Member
- Former Scientific Advisory Board Member
- Clinical Advisor
- Advisory Board Member
