About Dr. Paul Stebbins

Dr. Stebbins is a trained clinical child and adolescent psychologist (in the state of California as a licensed clinical psychologist-PSY23408) in private practice in Sherman Oaks and Arcadia, CA. He is part of a group practice of child psychologists called Pediatric and Adolescent Psychology Associates who specialize in working with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families.  

Training/Education

Prior to his private practice, Dr. Stebbins completed a 2-year specialized postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Child/Adolescent Psychology within the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)/University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine (at the time, one of only five American Psychological Association (APA)- accredited specialty practice Clinical Child Psychology postdoctoral fellowship programs in the United States). Dr. Stebbins worked with a particularly vulnerable and underserved youth population in both an outpatient clinic and hospital setting, he also co-led groups, and conducted numerous psychological assessments. At the same time, Dr. Stebbins also completed the California Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (CA-LEND) certificate training program and the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) Program, funded by the federal Bureau of Maternal and Child Health.  

Prior to that, Dr. Stebbins completed his 1-year Clinical Child and Pediatric Psychology doctoral residency within the Department of Pediatrics, at the University of Louisville School of Medicine (accredited by American Psychological Association). While there, he worked in a variety of settings and practices, from conducting pediatric emergency psychiatric evaluations in the hospital emergency department; he worked with outpatient cases in the clinic and children in the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit within the hospital; worked the Pediatric Consultation Liaison service within the Children’s Hospital, in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology service and Bone Marrow Transplant unit, Pediatric Cardiology and Heart Transplant Team, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Neurology Service, Endocrinology Service, Trauma Service, and Eating/Feeding Disorders; and lastly, he conducted various psychological assessments. Typical assessment referrals included attention deficits, cognitive functioning, learning profile, and social/emotional and behavioral functioning. Other evaluations included pre-transplant evaluations or neurocognitive evaluations referred from the Hem/Onc. team. The assessments were geared to be comprehensive and aid in treatment planning, diagnostic clarification, and psychotherapeutic and medication management. 

Dr. Stebbins earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and History, a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, with an additional specialization in Adolescent Development. Since 2002, Dr. Stebbins has been working passionately and exclusively with pediatric and adolescent populations in multiple settings beyond his current private practice. He has trained and also worked in residential treatment centers, partial hospitalization and day treatment programs, therapeutic group homes, schools, juvenile court, community health centers, and outpatient clinics. Among his other experiences, Dr. Stebbins has also held various teaching experiences, most recently while at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he lectured to medical residents on psychological theory, practice, and psychological intervention skills and has also supervised both master’s level clinicians and pre-doctoral psychology interns.  

Dr. Stebbins’ presentations, research, and doctoral work have been centered on the topic of adolescent depression. Specifically, he has explored the vulnerability/risk factors for depression symptoms and behaviors among adolescent boys and girls. His work focuses on a developmental perspective, while exploring the social-cognitive aspects of self-esteem, adolescent attachment, and social supports interplay with depression symptoms among middle school through high-school populations.

Professional Memberships

American Psychological Association (APA, full voting member)

Division 53: Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology

Division 54: Society of Pediatric Psychology

Licensure

Licensed Clinical Psychologist (CA: PSY 23408)