Meet Dr. Cara Kiff
Cara Kiff, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist serving children, adolescents, young adults, and adults — as well as parents and families — throughout Los Angeles. Dr. Kiff is licensed in California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Vermont (CA PSY 27786, CO PSY.000571, IL 071.011262, NY 027866, TX 40985, VT 048.0134514TELE), and offers both in-person and telehealth appointments.
Who I Work With
Dr. Kiff's practice spans the full developmental arc — from young children through adulthood. She has particular expertise in anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD in adults, including the overlap between the three that can be difficult to untangle: racing or intrusive thoughts, a persistently "busy mind," difficulty settling or focusing, and worry that hasn't responded to past approaches. Many adult clients come to Dr. Kiff after years of managing these patterns on their own, looking for an accurate diagnostic picture and a treatment plan grounded in current research rather than a one-size-fits-all label.
She also continues to work with children, adolescents, and families — treating anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, and behavioral concerns, and supporting parents through developmental transitions such as divorce, school changes, or sleep challenges.
Approach
Dr. Kiff tailors each treatment plan to the values, goals, and circumstances of the individual or family in front of her, drawing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Parent Training, and Family Therapy. Every approach is grounded in the latest scientific literature and adapted to fit — not the other way around.
Training & Research
Dr. Kiff earned her Bachelor of Arts from UCLA, followed by Master of Science degrees in Quantitative and Developmental Psychology and a Doctorate in Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington. She completed an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the UCLA Semel Institute, working alongside experts in parenting, child temperament, and the treatment of anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, behavior problems, and gender identity. Her clinical internship was completed at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she treated patients at Seattle Children's Hospital.
Dr. Kiff's graduate research — examining the interplay of children's biobehavioral characteristics and family factors — was funded by NIMH, the American Psychological Association, and the University of Washington. After her fellowship, she served as Project Director of FOCUS-Early Childhood, a federally-funded clinical trial of a preventative parenting intervention, before leaving UCLA to devote her full attention to private practice. She has published peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and presented widely on parenting, child anxiety, depression, and temperament. Learn more about Dr. Kiff's research here.
Dr. Kiff holds professional memberships with the American Psychological Association (APA, Division 53), the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), and the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).