Dr. Natalie Harrison, Clinical Director 

I serve as the Clinical Director at The Wise Center, where I oversee clinical programming, staff training, and quality assurance to ensure that all care is delivered with fidelity to evidence-based models, particularly Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). My role is focused on supporting both our clinicians and the clients they serve by maintaining a high standard of thoughtful, effective, and consistent care across the practice.

While I do not provide ongoing individual therapy, I work closely with families through parent consultation and DBT parent groups. I’m passionate about helping parents better understand and support their children, especially in the context of emotional and behavioral dysregulation, and about equipping them with practical tools that can make a meaningful difference at home.

My background is in working with complex clinical presentations across the lifespan, including trauma, dissociation, anxiety, and high-risk behaviors such as suicidality and self-injury. I provide comprehensive assessment services, including differential diagnostic evaluations for conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychosis, trauma-related and dissociative disorders, and anxiety disorders.

I earned my bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and completed my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Alabama, where I specialized in child and adolescent forensic psychology. I completed my clinical internship at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, with training experiences at Shelby County Juvenile Court, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

I then completed my postdoctoral training at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, where I focused on trauma, risk assessment, and safety planning for suicidal behavior. During that time, I was also a founding member of the Integrative Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability division, with a focus on creating safe and equitable environments for diverse clients, trainees, and clinicians. Following my training, I worked at the Safe Harbor Trauma Recovery Center, providing trauma-informed care, consultation, and training to survivors of crime and their families.

My work is grounded in evidence-based practice, and I am board certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. I also train and supervise predoctoral psychology students in DBT and evidence-based trauma therapies.

I believe that meaningful change is possible when clients and families are supported with both compassion and structure, and I’m committed to helping ensure that every person who comes to The Wise Center receives care that reflects both.