Tanisha Thelemaque, Ph.D.
Dr. Tanisha Thelemaque (she/they) is a licensed clinical health psychologist (PSY31220) with a specialization in trauma with over a decade of experience working with clients navigating a wide array of mental health issues including trauma, anxiety, depression, chronic health conditions, and life stressors (including relationship difficulties, divorce, grief/loss, parenting, and employment changes).
Dr. T obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology (with minors in Spanish and History) from Arcadia University as well as her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in trauma from Saint Louis University. She also completed her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship within the San Francisco VA Healthcare System where she obtained specialized training in health psychology (i.e., chronic pain, weight management, infectious diseases including HIV), neuropsychological assessment, the treatment of serious mental illness, and women’s mental health.
Dr. T’s clinical work has focused on working with people from diverse backgrounds including immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, BIPOC folks, and women across the lifespan experiencing life stressors. She helps clients find a path forward in their darkest moments with levity, care, and consideration. Her approach to therapy is warm and eclectic, utilizing various evidence-based therapies including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), and psychodynamic psychotherapy. Dr. T’s research interests have focused on the mental health impacts of race-based trauma and racial discrimination with an emphasis on the intersections of potentially traumatic events and gender.
Outside of her clinical work, Dr. T holds numerous roles within the psychological community. They work with the National Center for PTSD as a contracted project and product manager developing free public health mobile applications. She was the 2024 Chair and 2025 Past-Chair of the Division for Diversity and Social Justice within the California Psychological Association. Finally, she collaborates with individuals and organizations including Warner Bros. Discovery as a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant. Dr. T focuses on developing psychologically safe, inclusive, trauma-informed work environments.
Selected Publications:
Owen, J.E., Kuhn, E., Jamison, A. L., K., Ramsey, Taylor, K., Heinz, A., Senti, S., Moraja, G., Romano, D., Mackintosh, M.A., Davis, C. A., Becket-Davenport, C., Bosch, J., Reyes, S., Jacobs, A., McGee-Vincent, P., McCaslin, S., Hampole, S., Hallenbeck, H. W., Wielgosz, J., Stanley, L., Thelemaque, T., Jaworski, B., Nazem, S., Rosen, C. (2025). The NCPTSD model for digital mental health: A public sector approach to development, evaluation, implementation, and optimization of resources for helping trauma survivors. Psychological Trauma:Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.
Thelemaque, T. (2024). The Intersections of Socioeconomic Status, Race, and Gender: Who Can Afford to be a Psychologist in California? The California Psychologist, 57(3), 14-17.
Jaworski, B. K., Heinz, A. J., Davis, C. A., Senti, S. E., Taylor, K., Ramsey, K. M., Thelemaque, T., Owen, J. E., Boland, C., Zhang, A., & Mackintosh, M. (2024). Well Within [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from http://play.google.com.
Banks, K. H., Harvey, R., Thelemaque, T., & Anukem, O. V. (2016). The Intersection of colorism and racial identity and the impact on mental health. In J. Sullivan and W. E. Cross (Eds.). African American Identity: Meaning-Making, Internalized Racism. NY: State University of New York (SUNY) Press.