Elizabeth Torres, Psy.D., ABPP, is a Board Certified Clinical Psychologist licensed in California and Massachusetts. A lifelong asker of life’s big questions, Dr. Torres is a leading-edge thinker and seeker. In the summer of 2018, she fulfilled a promise to herself to return to California with her family after 23 years in Boston. She now lives in San Diego where she has a private practice offering therapy, consultation, and supervision.
For over 20 years she served on the teaching faculty of the Harvard Medical School as a teacher and mentor. She also served as a psychologist at the Harvard Medical School affiliate, McLean Hospital in Boston, providing consultation and treatment.
Passion for issues related to birthing, adjustment to motherhood, and the mind/body/spirit connection emerged out of Dr. Torres’ experiences with her three children: one cesarean section delivery under general anesthesia, a subsequent vaginal birth after cesarean [VBAC], and a third delivered at home (on purpose!).
In her private practice, she enjoys focusing on a variety of specialties: Mindfulness and Acceptance-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), racial identity and empowerment, thriving as a mother, maternal mental health, and couples therapy. In her work with clients she aims to be time-limited, individualized, trauma-informed, collaborative, and practical. She welcomes BIPOC and LGBTQ clients in her practice.
Upon graduation from the University of California at Santa Cruz, Dr. Torres, attended the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. She received intensive clinical training in all major theoretical orientations, as well as specialized training in the treatment of substance use disorders, with an emphasis on treating women. She was a leader in the Hispanic Organization of Professional Psychology Students, and was active in developing outreach programming for Latino undergraduate students. The granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, Dr. Torres has a keen interest in promoting and mentoring women of color in higher education.
Dr. Torres completed her internship at McLean Hospital, with training in treating adolescents with a variety of disorders, particularly substance use disorders. Postdoctoral training also took place at McLean Hospital, where she specialized in trauma and dissociative disorders in women who also suffer from mood, anxiety, substance abuse disorders, and/or personality disorders.
From 2011-17, Dr. Torres worked in a grant-funded position as Clinical Supervisor and Trainer for the adaptation of Moving Beyond Depression for implementation in Massachusetts. She trained and supervised a team of social workers who provided free, bilingual/bicultural, in-home cognitive behavioral treatment for depressed moms in home visitation programs. She enjoyed the challenge of adapting this evidenced-based, protocol-driven treatment (see www.everychildsucceeds.org) for women in need.
In addition to psychotherapy with individuals and couples, she conducts seminars and workshops on CBT for Maternal Mental Health and various other topics related to women’s mental health for both professionals and the community. Dr. Torres gives her time to Immigrants Rising (see https://immigrantsrising.org), an advocacy agency supporting undocumented young people. She is a contributor to both print and broadcast media on mental health issues.
Beyond her activities as a mother and psychologist, she makes time for other interests: hanging out with fun family, playing and walking with her dogs, watching stand-up comedy, exploring nature, photography, cooking/baking, knitting, gardening, and socializing.
