Arielle Payes, Psy.D.

Dr. Payes earned her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2020 from Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP). She completed internships working with people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use on Los Angeles’ Skid Row, adolescents in custody of California Youth Authority, adults in the forensic housing units at Metropolitan State Hospital, and adults civilly committed to the state hospital in Denver, Colorado. She went on to complete her postdoctoral training, treating incarcerated patients at the federal and state levels. Dr. Payes also spent several years in healthcare leadership and management, supervising teams of mental health professionals serving marginalized populations. She enjoys supervising up and coming practitioners, providing them the support and guidance necessary to become meaningful partners in the healthcare industry. Dr. Payes is licensed to practice psychology in California.

Dr. Payes has over fifteen years of professional experience in an array of settings including residential/inpatient, corrections, forensic, and outpatient/private practice. Her specialties include crisis intervention, individual therapy, group therapy, and psychological testing for primarily adults (18+) but also adolescents (age 15+) with adjustment disorders, mood disorders (including anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder), dual diagnoses (mental illness and substance abuse), and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder as well as other trauma-related disorders. Dr. Payes’ primary theoretical orientations include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), with an overall integrative approach influenced by attachment theory, motivational interviewing, humanistic, and existentialism.

Dr. Payes is an active member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and San Diego Psychological Association (SDPA).

Dr. Payes has been a San Diegan for about four years. She is originally from upstate New York but has lived and practiced in in Boston, MA, Denver, CO, and Southern and Central California. Dr. Payes loves Crossfit, boxing, running, spending time with her dog, beach days, and trying new coffee shops.

“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”