Balance CBT is the specialty psychology clinic of Trevor Schraufnagel, PhD, as well as associates and trainees. Dr Schraufnagel is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY27841) and an expert in the assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders and related conditions. Dr. Schraufnagel's primary focus is providing evidence-based treatment for anxiety. While he places very high value on research-driven treatments, he strongly believes that compassion, validation, and a powerful relationship are cornerstones to effective therapy.
Brief Biography
Dr. Schraufnagel completed his doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology at the University of Washington (UW). He completed his predoctoral internship at the Seattle Veterans Affairs hospital. Dr. Schraufnagel received specialized training in the treatment of anxiety disorders as a postdoctoral fellow at the Anxiety Center of the Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle. Today, the primary focus of his practice is providing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and related problems to adults and adolescents. Dr. Schraufnagel is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Associate Director at the UCLA Anxiety Disorders Clinic, where he supervises psychiatry residents, and is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychology at UCLA, where he supervises doctoral students providing CBT. For a more detailed biography, please see below.
Alexandra Venegas, PhD is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in California (PSY35479) with expertise in the assessment and treatment of substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and disorders of emotion dysregulation, including borderline personality disorder. Dr. Venegas completed her doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology at the UCLA. Her research in graduate school was broadly focused on improving understanding of the processes underlying substance use disorders, with a special interest in the co-use of alcohol and cannabis. She completed her predoctoral internship at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and at Balance CBT, under the supervision of Dr. Schraufnagel. Through these experiences, she received specialized and intensive training in the treatment of substance use disorders, mood and anxiety-related disorders, and personality disorders. Outside of her clinical work, Dr. Venegas collaborates on a research study with San Diego State University and the Trans Wellness Center in Los Angeles, where she serves as a study clinician. The current study seeks to assess the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effects of an adapted trans-affirming, evidence-based, group therapy (i.e., Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation; STAIR) for transgender and nonbinary persons who have experienced trauma. Dr. Venegas offers evidence-based treatments including CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and mindfulness-based therapies. She also provides adjunctive individual DBT skills training as appropriate.
Julia Yarrington, PhD is a soon-to-be Postdoctoral Psychological Associate (# pending). Dr. Yarrington will provide psychotherapy with a focus on CBT under the supervision of Dr. Schraufnagel. Dr. Yarrington received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from UCLA, where her research focused on the risk for and treatment of anxiety and depression with an emphasis on the impact of life stress. Beyond her research, Julia has also received extensive training in interventions for anxiety- and trauma-related conditions, depression, and borderline personality disorder. She completed her predoctoral internship at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, where she received further specialization in the treatment of trauma and related problems, substance use, and anxiety disorders. She is currently a postdoctoral research scientist at UCLA and the University of Arizona, where she is supporting the application of a digital mental health intervention to university students and marginalized communities in Arizona, and has developed a peer mental health coach training program, which teaches lay professionals clinical skills and evidence-based tools to support digital therapy users in applying interventions to their own lives.
Dr Schraufnagel’s Detailed Biography
Dr. Schraufnagel has a longstanding interest in evidence-based or "known to work" treatments for anxiety disorders. He has substantial experience treating OCD, panic disorder, PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, as well as specific phobias. He also treats other anxiety-related problems, including hoarding, hair-pulling, skin-picking, and tics. Dr. Schraufnagel received specialized training in addictions and has experience working with people with anxiety-related problems in the presence of substance-use disorders, depression, and other mental health problems.
Beyond treating anxiety, Dr. Schraufnagel has also been intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and completed a rigorous 3-year DBT practicum with the treatment developer, Dr. Marsha Linehan. He has experience providing DBT as both a skills group leader and an individual therapist with a variety of client populations including those who meet criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), family members of those who meet BPD criteria, Veterans with problems related to regulating their emotions, and clients with anxiety disorders who benefited from enhancing similar skills with DBT-informed CBT. While Dr. Schraufnagel does not currently provide comprehensive DBT, he does provide DBT-informed CBT and individual DBT skills training when appropriate.
Dr. Schraufnagel earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the APA-accredited program at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, which is also where he completed his undergraduate degree in psychology. Under the mentorship of Dr. William George and Dr. Kelly Cue Davis, his research in graduate school was generally focused on alcohol use and interpersonal violence and risk-taking with an emphasis placed on adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse and the mental health and behavioral correlates of such experiences. Dr. Schraufnagel completed an APA-accredited pre-doctoral clinical internship at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle Division and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Anxiety Center at the Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle. Dr. Schraufnagel is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Anxiety Disorders Clinic (ADC) within UCLA's Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. At ADC he serves as Associate Director and supervises medical residents providing CBT.
Dr. Schraufnagel is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Association for Psychological Science (APS), American Psychological Association (APA), International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), Trichotillomania Learning Center (TLC), and Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR). He is a licensed psychologist in the states of California (PSY27841) and Washington (PY 60317249).