ABOUT DR. JOSEPH H. TURNER

Dr. Joseph H. Turner is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with multiple areas of expertise.  He received a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and a Masters in Forensic Psychology from California State University, Los Angeles.  Dr. Turner’s forensic experience included Twin Towers Correctional Facility, Central Juvenile Hall, and Pacific Forensic Associates Inc. - Sharper Future all in downtown Los Angeles.  Dr. Turner also worked at the Starview Adolescent Center Psychiatric Unit in Torrance, CA and he assisted research in the developmental psychopathology lab at Cal State, Los Angeles, and at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.  Dr. Turner was also a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Integrated Substance Abuse Program at the UCLA Semel Institute.  

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During his doctoral studies, Dr. Turner received extensive training in early emotional development, neuroscience and the development of the brain, and process-oriented psychotherapy.  Clinical placements included the Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology clinic, Maple Counseling Center - Mindful Parenting Program, and Southbay TIES for Families where Dr. Turner gained in-depth experience working with college-aged and graduate students, mothers, infants, toddlers and families, and infants and adoptive families, respectively.  Dr. Turner’s experience was enriched with intensive training in infant mental health and neurodevelopmental assessment for children zero to three years of age.  Dr. Turner’s doctoral internship was at the Wright Institute Los Angeles where he worked with adults in the Hedda Bolgar clinic and the Susan Krevoy Eating Disorders Program.  His doctoral dissertation was on Prenatal Psychic Experience, which was a study on the emotional experience of the mother and baby during pregnancy.  

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Professionally, Dr. Turner was a staff psychologist at Children's Institute, Inc. where he assessed close to 100 preterm babies, infants, and toddlers who were severely traumatized due to abuse or neglect.  He was also the associate executive director at Well Baby Center, a non-profit community mental health clinic serving infants, children and families. Dr. Turner was also program director in the OCD and Anxiety Clinic at PCH Treatment Center in Mar Vista, CA.  Dr. Turner has maintained a private practice since 2008, working with adults with severe emotional disturbance and trauma, as well as with infants, children, parents, and families.  Dr. Turner also conducts developmental assessments for infants and toddlers and psychological evaluations for adults in a forensic capacity.  Currently, Dr. Turner is a candidate at the Psychoanalytic Center of California (PCC) studying primitive mental states and receiving training to be a psychoanalyst.  He is also an adjunct professor in the graduate programs at Pepperdine University, Antioch University, and the Wright Institute Los Angeles.