MONICA KELSON, Ph.D.

Dr. Monica Kelson, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of experience providing psychological assessment, therapy, and trauma-informed care for children, adolescents, and families. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles, where she developed a strong foundation in evidence-based assessment and treatment for youth mental health.

Dr. Kelson has extensive experience working with children and adolescents facing a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and developmental challenges, including depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavioral difficulties, trauma-related concerns, and grief and bereavement. Her clinical work is grounded in a trauma-informed and developmentally sensitive approach, helping young people and families better understand emotional struggles while building resilience and effective coping strategies.

For more than a decade, Dr. Kelson worked in community mental health, where she served as Director of Training at the San Fernando Child Guidance Center. In this leadership role, she supervised and trained pre-doctoral and post-doctoral psychology trainees, mentoring the next generation of clinicians in evidence-based treatment, ethical practice, and culturally responsive care. Her commitment to professional development and clinical excellence has made her a respected supervisor and educator in the mental health community.

Dr. Kelson also serves as an Expert Witness for the Los Angeles Children’s Court, where she provides professional consultation and psychological evaluation related to child welfare and family court matters. She has conducted a wide range of comprehensive psychological evaluations for both children and adults, including diagnostic assessments, trauma evaluations, and psychoeducational testing.

At Innovative Group Psychotherapy (IGP), Dr. Kelson provides psychological and psychoeducational evaluations designed to clarify diagnoses, identify learning differences, and guide effective treatment and educational planning. She has extensive experience in psychological testing and assessment, helping families, schools, and professionals better understand a child’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning.

Dr. Kelson is bilingual in English and Spanish and has provided psychotherapy and psychological evaluations in both languages, allowing her to serve diverse families and ensure culturally and linguistically responsive care.

Through her decades of clinical work, Dr. Kelson is known for her thoughtful, compassionate approach and deep expertise in assessment and trauma-informed treatment, helping children, adolescents, and families gain clarity, support, and meaningful pathways toward healing and growth.