Emily Hunt, PhD
Licensed Psychologist | CA PSY 35233
CLIENT FOCUS
School-aged children and adolescents from diverse cultural backgrounds with complex or overlapping concerns, as well as transition-aged youth and college students.
ASSESSMENT APPROACH
Strength-Based
Identity-Affirming
Collaborative
Holistic
Practical and Solution-Focused
Culturally Responsive
ISSUES COVERED
ADHD
Learning Differences
Gifted/Twice Exceptional Profiles
Neurodivergence
Trauma
Executive Function Challenges
Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Emily's extensive training in DBT provides a unique framework for understanding the biosocial factors influencing children's emotions and behaviors, leading to skills-focused, practical recommendations.
Her clinical experience across multiple settings (schools, hospitals, community mental health) with complex diagnostic presentations supports nuanced interpretation and accurate differential diagnosis.
Emily's multicultural background (raised in Tokyo until middle school) and research focus on increasing mental health care access for marginalized populations inform her culturally responsive, identity-affirming approach to assessment.
"I do this work because I've seen how comprehensive psychological assessments can be truly transformative for families. My hope is to offer clarity, meaningful insight, and practical guidance that helps families better understand their child and move forward with confidence."
- Emily Hunt
Emily Hunt is a Licensed Psychologist who specializes in comprehensive evaluations for children and adolescents, with particular expertise in mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD and executive function challenges, and trauma.
Emily brings a strengths-based, identity-affirming approach to her assessments, creating collaborative experiences where clients feel understood, supported, and often even enjoy the process.
Emily most enjoys working with school-aged children and adolescents from diverse cultural backgrounds who present with complex or overlapping concerns, such as mood or anxiety difficulties alongside ADHD or learning differences. Her clinical experience working with children with complex diagnostic presentations across multiple settings, including schools, hospitals, and community mental health, strengthens her assessment skills through nuanced interpretation, accurate differential diagnosis, and practical recommendations.
What distinguishes Emily's work is her extensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), an evidence-based treatment that emphasizes understanding the biosocial factors influencing a child's emotions and behaviors. This framework strengthens her assessment work by supporting thoughtful case conceptualization and the development of skills-focused, practical recommendations that families can implement across settings.
Beyond her core specialties, Emily assesses learning differences, neurodivergence, and gifted/twice exceptional profiles. She also works with transition-aged youth and college students, bringing her holistic, solution-focused approach to young adults navigating developmental milestones. Her ability to work with overlapping and complex presentations makes her particularly effective for families who have struggled to find answers or whose children don't fit neatly into single diagnostic categories.
Emily's research interests have focused on increasing access to mental health care for marginalized populations, which deeply informs her culturally responsive approach to assessment. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, until middle school, Emily brings a multicultural perspective to her work and strives to practice cultural humility, thoughtfully considering how identity, context, and systemic factors shape each child's experiences, needs, and the supports that may be most helpful.
Her background in theater enhances her ability to build strong rapport and communicate effectively with children and families. This skill helps create an assessment environment where children feel comfortable being themselves, allowing for a more accurate understanding of their true capabilities and challenges.
Emily's goal is for families to gain a clear understanding of their child's strengths, identify areas where targeted support can help those strengths shine, and receive practical recommendations that support their child's well-being and growth. She hopes that every client leaves feeling understood and supported, with clarity and confidence about moving forward.
Having witnessed how comprehensive psychological assessments can be truly transformative for families, Emily is passionate about offering meaningful insight and practical guidance that helps families better understand their children and navigate next steps with confidence.
Outside of her clinical work, Emily enjoys playing tennis, hiking, traveling, and arts and crafts. She shares her home with three dogs and a cat.