Elina Veytsman, Ph.D.

Dr. Elina Veytsman is a postdoctoral clinical psychology fellow at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the UCLA PEERS Clinic. Dr. Veytsman earned her PhD in School Psychology at UC Riverside, where she studied the experience of parents of youth with developmental disabilities during their transition into adulthood under the mentorship of Dr. Jan Blacher. Dr. Veytsman completed her Doctoral Psychology Internship at The Help Group, where she worked with youth with a range of neurodevelopmental conditions at the Village Glen School and outpatient department conducting individual therapy, parent training, and diagnostic assessments. Dr. Veytsman began working with the UCLA PEERS Clinic in 2014 as a clinic coordinator and has since conducted the PEERS program in both group and individual formats across clinical and school settings, and has researched the efficacy of the PEERS intervention for Latinx teens with ASD in the Inland Empire. Dr. Veytsman’s research and clinical interests center around supporting youth and parents during the transition out of high school and into adulthood. Currently, Dr. Veytsman facilitates the PEERS for Young Adults clinical groups, as well as the PEERS for Dating and PEERS for Careers research programs. Dr. Veytsman also conducts PEERS certified training seminars, bootcamps, and workshops for mental health professionals and educators.