About Dr. Chernin

Background and education

I'm a licensed psychotherapist, author, and lecturer in Los Angeles. I graduated from a CACREP certified Counseling Education program in 1992 with a minor in psychology. I received a Ph.D. in 1996 in Counseling Education, with a minor in Health Services. I completed an internship at the Counseling and Student Services Center at the University, furthering my counseling experience. Since completing my training, I have provided psychotherapy for men, women, couples, and families.

In addition to private practice, I worked for several years at non-profit community mental health centers. The first time was right after graduating and it was at a local community-based counseling center. More recently, I served as Clinic Director at Campion Counseling Center, which is part of OPCC, a non-profit continuum of care provider in Santa Monica. It has a wide variety of clients, with a focus on adults and families who are facing poverty and mental illness, as well as victims of domestic violence. My experience includes directing the staff and overseeing a supervision program for interns. I also supervised the clinical supervisors, provided training for staff on mental health and counseling issues, and provided psychotherapy to clients.

Teaching experience and workshops

I have taught counseling, psychotherapy, and psychology courses at Antioch University and Chapman University. Teaching experience includes Introduction to Psychology, Advanced Theories and Counseling Methods, and Domestic Violence. I have provided workshops related to psychotherapy and counseling at UCLA and the Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as other locations.

Workshop topics include:

• Intimacy
• Stress management
• Grief and loss
• Domestic violence
• Intimacy and relationships
• Issues with respect to sexual orientation
• HIV and related issues