Annika Okamoto, PhD, LP, is an Adjunct Faculty member in the MACP program at Antioch University Santa Barbara. She received her PhD in Health Psychology from Alliant University, Los Angeles, and completed her postdoctoral residency working with frequently incarcerated, hospitalized, and homeless individuals. Her experiences include working at the CBT/DBT clinic at Harbor UCLA Medical Center and the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at UCLA Semel Institute in Los Angeles and providing clinical training in several community and private practice clinics. Before her career in the United States, she worked as a clinical psychologist and head of the psychology department at a county psychiatry clinic in Viljandi, Estonia.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Annika is a clinical director for a small nonprofit offering services to people with mental health disabilities and low socioeconomic status. She served as President of the Santa Barbara Psychological Association and is currently serving as Past President. She holds expertise in mood and anxiety disorders, therapeutic alliance, and working with neurodiverse populations. Her experiences in community mental health have fostered compassion for marginalized populations and those entangled in the justice system. She is an ally to the queer community and is curious about people's cultural experiences, striving to contribute to the evolution of social justice.
- CBT, therapeutic alliance, mood and anxiety disorders, community mental health, clinical training
In clinical training, Dr. Annika tends to use experiential methods and discussion to make learning an impactful process. She strives to understand people's stories and cultural experiences and to contribute to social justice and inclusion in the community. Most importantly, she believes in building authentic relationships and creating space for human connections and laughter.
- Okamoto, A. (Ed). (in press). Alliance Rupture Repair in Cognitive Behavioral Therapies. Springer
Nature. - Impala, T., Okamoto, A., & Kazantzis, N. (2023). Alliance rupture and repair in cognitive behavior
therapy. In C. F. Eubanks, L. W. Samstag, & J. C. Muran (Eds.), Rupture and repair in
psychotherapy: A critical process for change (pp. 119–139). American Psychological
Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000306-006 - Okamoto, A., & Kazantzis, N. (2021). Alliance ruptures in cognitive-behavioral therapy: A cognitive
conceptualization. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 77(2), 384–397.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23116 - Okamoto, A., Dattilio, F. M., Dobson, K. S., & Kazantzis, N. (2019). The therapeutic relationship in
cognitive–behavioral therapy: Essential features and common challenges. Practice
Innovations, 4(2), 112–123. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000088 - Okamoto, A., Granato, H., & McFarr, L. (2017, November). Absences and lateness in dialectical
behavior therapy (DBT) groups in relation to contextual variables. Poster presented at the 21st
Annual ISITDBT Conference, San Diego, CA.