Melanie Carpenter, PsyD received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, her BA in psychology from UCLA, and completed her post-doc at the Wright Institute, Los Angeles.  She is a California licensed psychologist (PSY35603) with expertise in anxiety and anxiety treatments. 

As a recovering actress, Dr. Carpenter has a particular interest in the mental health of actors and the impact of the pressure on actors from within the industry.  Dr. Carpenter’s passion for actors led her to write her doctoral dissertation on red carpet anxiety. Entitled, Red Carpet Anxiety: A Qualitative Analysis, the dissertation was a first-of-it’s-kind research project detailing actors’ experiences being on red carpets and the anxiety that can provoke.

Additionally, Dr. Carpenter specializes in perinatal mental health, having trained under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Osborn, board member of Maternal Mental Health Now and former Los Angeles County Psychological Association chair. As a mother, Dr. Carpenter is drawn to helping new parents and parents-to-be with perinatal issues including postpartum depression, anxiety and OCD, fertility issues, and reproductive loss.

Dr. Carpenter provides care for those dealing with substance use/addiction, utilizing her training from Tarzana Treatment Centers. She also treats individuals with OCD, having trained at UCLA’s Childhood OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Lab under the supervision of Dr. Lindsey Bergman. She also works with individuals dealing with trauma, and depression, as well as working with issues uniquely faced by the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Dr. Carpenter offers virtual therapy for any of the concerns above, and in vivo treatment for OCD and anxiety as necessary.  Dr. Carpenter also provides workshops for actors and other industry professionals on managing anxiety while on the job.