Dr. Hengameh Mahgerefteh

Psy.D. Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Hengameh Mahgerefteh is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She received her B.A. in Psychology from UCLA, her M.A. in Clinical Psychology emphasizing Marriage and Family Therapy and her Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D.) from Pepperdine University. She is currently an adjunct professor at Pepperdine, teaching Masters’- level courses for the Graduate School of Education and Psychology. She is a clinical supervisor, training student therapists working towards licensure. Dr. Mahgerefteh provides Individual, Couples, and Group Therapy to a wide range of individuals.

Dr. Mahgerefteh has worked in a variety of facilities such as university counseling centers, community counseling centers, hospitals, prisons, institutions for mental illness, and skilled nursing facilities. She has worked in the field of correctional psychology and has provided court-mandated treatment in several different settings. Furthermore, she has had years of experience providing treatment for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Her dissertation focused on Couples Therapy through exploration of methods incorporated into successful Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy. She has presented lectures to the community regarding crisis-intervention, bullying, communication skills, stress management skills, body image, and mood disorders.

Areas of Expertise

Dr. Mahgerefteh provides Individual, Couples, and Group Therapy to women and men in her private practice and other mental health settings. Her areas of specialization include working with Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults who experience low Self-Esteem, difficulty with Interpersonal and Romantic Relationships, Behavioral Issues, Academic Difficulties, Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Identity Issues, Substance Abuse, Parenting Difficulties, Cultural Issues, Self-Harm, Adjustment and Life Transitions, Eating Disorders, Grief and Loss, Trauma, and Crisis Intervention. She specializes in addressing difficulty with Stress Management, Anger Management, and Emotion Regulation, in addition to difficulty with Assertiveness and Communication Skills. Furthermore, she provides therapy to student athletes, musical and visual artists, the LGBT community, survivors of abuse, and elderly adults (geriatric psychology).

In addition to the above, Dr. Mahgerefteh coaches and mentors both undergraduate and graduate students who wish to pursue a career in the field of psychology or mental health. Dr. Mahgerefteh is a member of the California Psychological Association and serves on the board of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association.

My Approach

Dr. Mahgerefteh assesses the specific needs of each individual, while respecting the uniqueness of each individual’s cultural identity. During the initial appointment, she will assess for symptoms, explore areas of difficulty, gather pertinent information regarding your history, and collaboratively set therapeutic goals to work towards. She does this in order to get to know you so she can understand who you are, what you have experienced, and what you would like to accomplish in therapy.

Although Dr. Mahgerefteh primarily orients from a Cognitive-Behavioral perspective, she often incorporates or works directly from Interpersonal, Psychodynamic, Behavioral, Family Systems, Humanistic/Existential, Dialectical Behavioral, and Positive Psychology approaches. She also regularly incorporates Mindfulness and Strengths based approaches into treatment.

Dr. Mahgerefteh's goal is to help each individual obtain and maintain a healthy, balanced, and fulfilling lifestyle. She is committed to helping improve mental and emotional health, to help set and reach goals, and to help improve interpersonal and romantic relationships, while promoting personal growth and increasing insight. She will work to provide you with the tools you need in order to navigate through distressful experiences, while empowering you to be your best self. She is fluent in English and Farsi.

Services