Experience Counts

I have been a licensed clinical psychologist in Colorado since 1991. I have had a private practice in Colorado for many years and worked as both a staff psychologist and supervising psychologist/manager at Kaiser Permanente Behavioral Health for 28 years from 1991 to 2019.

I received my Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) from Wright State University, School of Professional Psychology where I studied clinical psychology. Between 1987-1988, I completed my clinical psychology residency at the Veterans Administration Medical Center at Fort Meade/West River Mental Health Consortium in South Dakota. Between 1988-89, I completed one year of post-doctoral supervision under Robert Arnio PhD at Psychological Associates of the Black Hills. Between 1982-84, I attended the Ohio State University doctoral program in Clinical Developmental Psychology where I studied child and adolescent clinical psychology. In 1980, I received the Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and graduated with Honors Distinction in Psychology from the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana. I am a full and current member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). I have completed advanced training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Emotion Focused Couples Therapy, and gender-affirming counseling.

I have extensive experience providing psychotherapy to people with a wide range of psychological and behavioral concerns that negatively impact their psychological and physical health and interfere with living there lives fully. In my experience, understanding how psychological and behavioral difficulties develop and function is more therapeutically useful than diagnostic categories that have significant overlapping symptoms.

I have special interest in helping people live dynamic meaningful lives in the face of serious life-limiting medical illnesses with uncertain futures, such as auto-immune disorders, liver disorders, organ transplantation, and cancer, including support for caregivers.

I have a special place in my heart for supporting persons experiencing distress related to gender identity and their bodies. I have extensive experience assessing and referring persons for gender-affirming medical care.

Vita for Rachael St.Claire PsyD

CURRENT WORK

Rachael St.Claire PsyD LLC
Private Practice, Licensed Psychologist
Accepting new clients for virtual psychotherapy
303-351-2251

EDUCATION

Wright State University
Dayton, Ohio — Doctor of Psychology 1985 - 1988 American Psychological Association approved

Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio — Completed 130 quarter hours in Clinical Child Psychology Program 1982 – 1985

University of Illinois
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois — Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Psychology 1977 - 1980

Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Illinois — psychology major completed 31 semester hours 1976 – 1977 Diploma with Honors Distinction

PRE-DOCTORAL CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP

Fort Meade Veterans Administration Medical Center / West River Mental Health Psychology Internship Consortium, Fort Meade and Spearfish, South Dakota, 1987-1988, full accreditation by the American Psychological Association

HONORS AND AWARDS

Kaiser Permanente Colorado Diversity Achievement Award Nominee – 2014

Kaiser Permanente National R. J. Erickson Diversity Achievement Award – 2013

Kaiser Permanente Colorado Diversity Achievement Award – 2013

ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS

American Psychological Association: member since 1996

World Professional Association for Transgender Health, member since 1997.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Staff Psychologist, Kaiser Permanente, Behavioral Health Department, Denver, Colorado 1992-2019

• Staff psychologist 1992-2001

• Assistant Supervisor 2001-2003

• Clinic Supervisor 2003-2005

• Clinic Manager 2005-2008

• Senior Manager 2008-2009

• Staff Psychologist 2010-2017

• Transgender Behavioral Health Services (lead psychologist) 2017-2019

• Staff Psychologist responsibilities: out-patient psychotherapy; individual, couples and family therapy; psychological assessment, psychological testing, report writing; crisis intervention and involuntary mental health holds; group therapy and psycho- educational classes, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) groups.

• Transgender Behavioral Health responsibilities: therapy with children, teens, adults and parents to assess and resolve concerns related to gender identity and expression; therapeutic support for gender transition; WPATH assessment and referral for gender-affirming medical treatment; training behavioral health professionals in gender-affirming behavioral healthcare; supervising graduate psychology students and predoctoral psychology interns in gender-affirming behavioral healthcare; transgender services program development.

• Clinical Supervisor for pre-doctoral interns from the University of Denver Graduate School Professional Psychology.

• Past management responsibilities included managing operations of multi-disciplinary outpatient behavioral health clinics, including supervision of clinical and non-clinical staff, staff hiring, clinical supervision, oversight of all behavioral health clinical and clerical services, development of mental health outcome tracking, implementation of department and organizational strategic initiatives, and collaboration within a labor-management partnership with union represented employees

Field Supervisor, University of Denver, Graduate School of Professional Psychology; Denver, Colorado 2006-2017

• Clinical supervision of doctoral clinical psychology students; supervised activities include diagnostic interviewing, psychological assessment, and individual and group psychotherapy; approximately 5 students each academic year; committee member for doctoral student dissertations

Clinical Psychology Private Practice, Denver, Colorado 1995-present

• Psychological evaluation and psychotherapy

• Specializing in treatment of the full range of mental health conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and worry, panic disorder, trauma.

• Couples counseling using Emotion Focused Couples Therapy as developed by Sue Johnson.

Mobile Crisis Team Evaluator, Mental Health Corporation of Denver; Denver, Colorado 1995-1997

• Emergency psychological evaluation of acute or chronically mentally patients in the community and at emergency departments of general hospitals; evaluated dangerousness to self and others and gravely disabled; consulted with physicians and psychiatrists; evaluated patients for involuntary mental health holds

Private Group Practice, Clinical Psychologist, Craig, Colorado 1989-1991

• Psychological evaluation and therapy, forensic evaluation, competency evaluation, custody evaluation, consultation to mental health professionals

Psychological Associates of the Black Hills, Psychology Trainee, Spearfish, South Dakota 1988-1989

• Individual and group therapy, psychological evaluation, forensic evaluation, competency evaluation, custody evaluation, consultant to Archdiocese of Rapid City (Marriage Tribunal and Deaconate), professional workshop administration. Supervised by Robert Arnio PhD, licensed psychologist

Freshwater House; Psychological Assistant, Columbus, Ohio 1983-1985

• Psychological evaluation and individual psychotherapy. Supervised by Carol Manchester PhD, licensed psychologist

PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE

Licensed Psychologist, Colorado, licensed since July 1991, License No 1546

PERSONAL INTERESTS

Long distance trail running, wilderness hiking, watercolor painting, mindfulness meditation