Natalia Escobar Walsh, Ph.D., is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Walsh’s academic and professional career has focused on how to better address the needs of underserved populations, with an emphasis on evidence-based psychosocial interventions for trauma exposed individuals. Dr. Walsh holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Science in Teaching degree from Pace University, and a doctoral degree from the San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. She completed her predoctoral clinical psychology internship through UCSD/Rady Children’s Hospital and her postdoctoral clinical psychology fellowship through UCSD/Veterans Health Administration, San Diego, where she developed expertise in evidence-based trauma-focused interventions across the lifespan. With the intent to become a true practitioner-scholar, she has also served at-need communities as a bilingual middle school teacher through the Teach for America program and as a social service provider for foster youth and families involved with San Diego County Child Welfare Services. She has used these experiences to inform her clinical and academic practice and continues to apply her expertise in trauma-focused psychotherapies through her position as an attending psychologist in the Veterans Health Administration San Diego Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinic.
Clinical Areas of Expertise:
Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Parenting Skills Training (i.e., Parent Management Training), Trauma-Focused Psychotherapy (e.g., Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy), Insomnia (i.e., Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia)
Scholarly Interests:
Science communication; evidence-based/evidence-informed programs; implementation science; engagement in psychotherapy; bridging the communication and application gap between research, policy, and practice.