About Dr. Patino

Dr. Patino is a bilingual (English/Spanish), clinical and forensic psychologist licensed in the state of California. Her clinical experience includes providing mental health services at inpatient and outpatient settings to clients of all ages and diverse backgrounds. She has experience providing treatment and assessment to individuals experiencing a variety of mental health symptoms and diagnoses, as well as acute and chronic medical conditions. Her areas of expertise include treatment and assessment of mood disorders (e.g., unipolar/double depression, bipolar), anxiety, trauma (e.g., PTSD), substance use, and chronic disease (e.g., chronic pain, obesity, diabetes, etc.). Dr. Patino offers cultural competence in working with first responders and healthcare professionals. 

At PNBC, Dr. Patino performs therapeutic assessment (TA) to help individuals understand themselves better and find solutions to their persistent problems. Dr. Patino also provides comprehensive psychological qualified medical evaluations (QME) within the state of California’s workers’ compensation system. Additionally, Dr. Patino conducts pre-surgical psychological clearance evaluations to determine a patient’s readiness for surgery, including spinal cord stimulator trial (SCS) and bariatric surgery. 

Dr. Patino also provides behavioral health consultation services at Neighborhood Healthcare, an integrated federally qualified health center (FQHC), working alongside a multidisciplinary team of primary care, family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and other health specialties.  

Clinically, Dr. Patino specializes in working with individuals from a trauma-informed and multicultural perspective, primarily using a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approach along with integrative modalities, including but not limited to biofeedback, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and exposure and response prevention (ERP). Dr. Patino is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.  

In addition to her clinical experience, Dr. Patino has an extensive forensic background providing specialized rehabilitative forensic mental health services to various challenging, criminal-justice involved populations. She has conducted psychological evaluations within the criminal, civil, and family courts. Notably, she has provided assessment in the areas of child custody, childhood abuse, mitigating/aggravating factors, recidivism, intimate partner violence (IPV), pre-surgical psychological clearance (i.e., SCS trial implantation, lumbar surgery), causation of injury (i.e., AOE/COE) and disability for injured workers as well as other consultative assessments within workers’ compensation. 

Furthermore, Dr. Patino has served as an Assistant Editor for five international scientific journals, including the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse (JCSA); Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma (JAMT); Journal of Child Custody (JCC); Journal of Family Violence (JOFV); and Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma (JCAT). She has publications in the areas of child custody, intimate partner violence, and expert witness testimony. She has also functioned as a Program Coordinator for a tailored day program offering recreational, vocation and continued education programs for adults with disabilities in San Diego County. 

“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”

– Frida Kahlo

“The way towards healing and recovery may not be an easy one, but it all starts with acceptance and openness to a journey of self-discovery. I look forward to helping individuals achieve their goals towards wellness, balance, and rebuilding a fulfilling lifestyle.”

– Dr. Patino

Education and Experience

License and Certifications:

CA License: PSY31789
CA Qualified Medical Evaluator: QME No. 173964

TBHI Level I Telehealth Provider
CBT-Insomnia
EMDR-trained

Education

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)
Alliant International University, San Diego
California School of Forensic Studies

Master’s in Clinical Forensic Psychology (M.A.)
Alliant International University, San Diego
California School of Forensic Studies

Bachelor’s in Psychology (B.A.)
California State University, Long Beach

Formal Training

Postdoctoral Internship
Pacific Neurobehavioral Clinic, PC

CAPIC Predoctoral Internship
Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma

Professional Memberships

American Psychological Association (APA)
California Psychological Association (CPA)