About Dr. Wu

Monica Wu, Ph.D.

Specialties and Theoretical Orientation

Dr. Wu is a licensed psychologist (PSY31561) with over 10 years of experience in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs) in youth. She has extensive training in the gold-standard, evidence-based practices for assessing and treating these disorders, and often conducts workshops to train mental health clinicians (nationally and internationally). She possesses expertise in exposure-based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Habit Reversal Training (HRT). For further details regarding these treatments and which disorders are treated in her private practice, please see the About Anxiety/OCRDs page.

Clinical Research Experience

When on faculty at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Dr. Wu conducted clinical research examining the underlying processes of childhood OCD, therapy-augmenting mobile applications, and parenting groups promoting resilience and coping skills for childhood anxiety. Additionally, she provided clinical and research supervision to trainees through the clinical research trials and outpatient clinic as an attending psychologist.

Publications and Presentations

Dr. Wu has established her clinical and scientific expertise through 40+ peer-reviewed scientific publications and numerous book chapters on anxiety and OCRDs. She regularly presents at various professional conferences, including the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) conference and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) convention. She has received numerous awards for her research from the IOCDF, ABCT, and American Psychological Association (APA) Division 53 - Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Previous Academic Appointments:

UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior

  • UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program

  • UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilience Education and Support (CARES)

Training:

  • B.A. in Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

  • M.A. in Clinical Psychology, University of South Florida

  • Clinical Psychology Internship: General Child Track, UCLA Semel Institute

  • Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of South Florida

  • NIMH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Child Mental Health Intervention Research, UCLA Semel Institute