Laurel Benjamin (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in the Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at San Diego State University and UC San Diego. Since 2021, she has worked with children, adolescents, and their families across a variety of clinical and research settings. Her clinical training includes placements at San Diego State University and Rady Children's Hospital Outpatient Psychiatry, where she has provided evidence-based assessment and intervention for challenges related to anxiety, depression, externalizing behavior, executive functioning, and interpersonal dynamics. Laurel provides services in both English and Spanish and individualizes treatment to each family's individual needs using evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and parent-mediated approaches including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). She is committed to providing neurodiversity-affirming, culturally responsive, and person-centered care that supports children and families in achieving their goals. In addition to her clinical work, Laurel's research focuses on improving the quality and effectiveness of evidence-based interventions for autistic children receiving care in publicly-funded mental health and school settings. Her research has been supported by several nationally competitive awards, including a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein F31 Predoctoral Fellowship, and a graduate research grant from the Organization for Autism Research. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, solving crosswords, playing pickleball, watercolor painting, and volunteering in her community.