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Dr. Nima Zahedi, Psy.D., LCSW.

Dr. Nima Zahedi, Psy.D., LCSW.

LCSW
23 years of experience
Virtual

My name is Nima Robert Zahedi. I was born in Oklahoma in 1969. I have never been married, and do not have any children. I attended elementary and junior high school in Texas. In 1984 I came to California, where I attended high school. In 1996 I received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University Fullerton. In 2002 I received a master’s degree in social work from California State University Long Beach. I chose to pursue a master’s degree in social work, rather than psychology, because I was drawn to the social work philosophy, and still am. In 2007 I became licensed as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). In 2015, I returned to school full time in pursuit of a doctorate in clinical psychology (Psy.D.). In anticipation of my doctoral practicum, I accepted two part-time practicum positions; one at a forensic psychology practice in Orange County, and another at a general private practice in Los Angeles County. On August 25th, 2017, I successfully defended my doctoral project at California Southern University, which is an online school with WASC accreditation that was established in 1978- the campus is in Orange County California. I defended my doctoral project on campus, where I also attended Master Lecture Series by leaders within the field, and met with my academic adviser as well as with fellow students who were in the area. My personal interests revolve around athletics and arts. I grew up playing all of the major team sports as well as skateboarding and BMX. As an adult, I began pursuing surfing, jiu-jitsu, musical instruments/composition, and painting.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

You must be in California for our virtual meetings. Please be in a private and comfortable space that has good reception, and do not be driving. If you are not at your home address I will ask for your specific location which is the law, and it is a good law because it ensures that if you were having a crisis or emergency I would know where to dispatch. I ask that you be willing to explore any and all doubts you have about me and/or our relationship. I encourage you to ask questions that will help you evaluate if I appear to be the right fit for you, and also I encourage you to express any doubts or concerns you may have about my ability to serve you at the highest level. ***I typically only book five (5) appointments per day; sessions can be anywhere between 16-53 minutes. ***I will be on time, which for me means being a few minutes early and prepared, and I will wait up to 15-minutes for your arrival. A pattern of not being on time and/or prepared will definitely be something important for us to explore. ***I will have pen and paper with me and regularly jot down important information. ***I start each session by asking: your location; if there is any indication of the need for crisis/emergency response; if the session is being recorded; if there are any topics (“headlines”) you are wanting to explore; check-in about the previous session. ***Early in our first session I will ask for your permission to allow me to guide us throughout our work together. If you decide to move forward with our work together, I recommend we meet two (2) to four (4) times within the next sixty (60) days so I can provide you with a comprehensive bio-psycho-social assessment (i.e. I ask you a lot of questions about the spectrum of areas of your life). ***In my email/text communications, I often include a link to a song I hope you find therapeutic, so please let me know if that is something you prefer I not do.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

I care deeply about the world and others, I have a deep understanding of the world and others, and I live well with pain.

About Dr. Nima Zahedi, Psy.D., LCSW.

Identifies as

Specializes in

Serves ages

Licensed in

Accepts

Appointments

Free consults, virtual

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

The American Psychological Association (APA; 2017) website reports fifty-four (54) divisions and eighty-six (86) specialty topics within professional psychology. The APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice (2006) reported that the different APA divisions were grappling about how to conceptualize the spectrum of evidence-based practices (EBP’s). The task force reported that EBP’s are ambiguous to most agencies and providers (APA, 2006). The task force also wrote that although EBP had become a critical feature of healthcare policy, EBP’s had primarily benefited the system- not patients. The task force also warned about the lack of understanding providers had regarding the proper interpretation, application, and integration of EBP’s. Since 2006, some researchers continue to emphasize the excessive and unnecessary ambiguity of psychology theory, training, practice, and outcomes (Blease & Kirsch, 2016; Kirsch, 2014; Jarrett, 2016; Johnson, 2015). The APA Presidential Task force on Evidence-Based Practices (2006) warns that clinicians do not even know how to effectively apply theory to practice. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; 2017) registers evidence-based practice models (EBP’s) with their National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP). There are literally hundreds of EBP’s- 438 at the time of my research in 2017. As of September 2015, there were already 300 existing EBP models (Legacy Programs 300). By 2017 138 new EBP models had been registered. Reportedly, of the 138 new models, 49 were characterized as effective, 126 promising, 63 ineffective, and four inconclusive (SAMHSA, 2017). Reviewing SAMHSA’s registry reveals that an overwhelming majority of the EBP’s are CBT based. Although there is variance between the CBT based models, core CBT concepts are ubiquitous (SAMHSA, 2017). A 1995 consumer report had stated that psychotherapy and medication did not differ considerably in effectiveness, and no one model of psychotherapy outperformed another for a particular disorder. What was interesting about the consumer report was that it stated that efficacy was comparable among psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers, who were all more effective than MFT’s and primary care physicians. Although effective psychotherapy does require techniques, it relies primarily on the quality of the therapeutic relationship to deliver those techniques effectively (Bowen, 1966; SAMHSA, 2017). Ultimately, the 1995 consumer report stated that the patients who did the best were the ones allowed to choose their provider; in other words, the patients not limited by managed care (Seligman, 1995).

Trauma Informed Care

Firstly, we must make a distinction between a traumatic event which is external and trauma which is internal (i.e., in the brain; e.g., enlarged amygdala and shrunken hippocampus). Secondly, not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop a traumatic response. Thirdly, our understanding of trauma has evolved beyond a life and death circumstance. Trauma can also emerge from perceived loss (e.g., fear of losing a relationship or job) and from chronic uncertainty. Lastly, trauma, like anxiety and depression, is a life force and must be understood and respected as opposed to escaped or eliminated.