Alba L. Donovan, Ph.D.
E: albadonovan.phd@gmail.com
T: (805)602-7229
Clinical Background
Dr. Donovan's clinical background spans forensic, correctional, community mental health, and outpatient settings. Throughout her training and professional experience, she has worked with individuals navigating serious mental illness, complex trauma, interpersonal difficulties, and the psychological effects of high-stress environments. These experiences have shaped her approach to understanding people within the context of their life experiences, environments, and relationships.
Education
Academic Degrees
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology
Emphasis in Forensic Psychology
Palo Alto University (APA-Accredited Program)
Master of Science (M.S.) in Clinical Psychology
Palo Alto University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology
University of California, Berkeley
Other Languages
Spanish - native fluency speaking, reading, and writing
Forensic and Correctional Psychology
California Men's Colony | San Luis Obispo, CA
As a psychologist with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Dr. Donovan worked with incarcerated individuals with serious mental illness, providing individual and group psychotherapy, case management, and trauma-focused interventions. Her responsibilities also included suicide risk assessments, treatment planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and supervision of predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees. Services were delivered in English and Spanish.
Patton State Hospital | Patton, CA
During her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Donovan gained extensive experience in forensic assessment and treatment. She conducted evaluations addressing competency to stand trial, violence risk, and diagnostic clarification, and provided psychotherapy to individuals with serious mental illness and histories of sexual offending. She also co-facilitated sex offender treatment and Spanish-language cognitive remediation groups and participated in interdisciplinary treatment planning.
Maguire Correctional Facility | Redwood City, CA
Her work at Maguire Correctional Facility focused on the treatment of incarcerated adults with serious mental illness and histories of administrative segregation. Using cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and Seeking Safety, she addressed trauma, emotional regulation, and psychiatric symptoms through individual and group therapy. Additional responsibilities included suicide risk assessments, crisis intervention, behavioral treatment planning, and collaboration with medical and custody staff.
Youth Services Center | San Mateo, CA
At the San Mateo County Juvenile Detention Center, Dr. Donovan worked with detained adolescents presenting with a range of emotional and behavioral difficulties. Her clinical responsibilities included individual therapy, court-mandated psychological evaluations, suicide risk assessments, and crisis intervention. Treatment incorporated cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing, with an emphasis on collaboration among probation, medical, and mental health professionals.
HOPE Program | Stockton, CA
At the HOPE Program, Dr. Donovan specialized in court-mandated treatment and psychological evaluations for adults convicted of sexual offenses. Her experience included individual and group therapy, risk assessment, and individualized treatment planning using cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and Seeking Safety. She also coordinated case management with parole agents and correctional professionals.
Community Mental Health and Outpatient Therapy
Gronowski Center at Palo Alto University | Los Altos, CA
Within the Clínica Latina specialty clinic, Dr. Donovan provided psychotherapy to adolescents and adults from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Her clinical work addressed PTSD, personality disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance use concerns and included psychological assessments, risk consultations, and case management. All services were provided in English and Spanish.
San Luis Obispo County Mental Health – Youth Services | San Luis Obispo, CA
As a Rehabilitation Specialist in the Full-Service Partnership Program, Dr. Donovan supported children, adolescents, and young adults with serious mental illness and complex trauma through intensive, community-based services. She worked across home, community, forensic, and inpatient settings, implementing behavioral interventions, supporting daily functioning, and coordinating care with families and mental health providers.
Family Care Network | San Luis Obispo, CA
At Family Care Network, Dr. Donovan's work centered on behavioral counseling for children and adolescents. She utilized CBT-based and behavioral interventions to strengthen emotional regulation, social functioning, and daily living skills while helping caregivers develop effective strategies to support their children's behavioral and emotional needs.
La Clínica Casa Del Sol | Oakland, CA
Dr. Donovan began her clinical experience providing case management to adolescents and adults with diverse mental health needs. She also co-facilitated a domestic violence support group for adolescents and contributed to research exploring the relationship between mental health and traditional medicine in Spanish-speaking communities.
Clinical Certifications
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Certified
Certification through the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA).
Research Experience
Dr. Donovan’s research experience has focused on psychological assessment, forensic mental health, and the evaluation of behavioral interventions. Her work has included projects involving trauma-related assessment, culturally and linguistically informed research, law enforcement mental health training, and programs serving justice-involved youth.
Adult Forensic Research Lab
Palo Alto University | Palo Alto, CA
As a member of the Adult Forensic Research Lab, Dr. Donovan contributed to research examining the validity of psychological assessment tools, including a measure designed to identify feigned PTSD symptoms. She participated in data collection and management, as well as the Spanish translation and validation of the measure. Her research experience also included involvement in projects focused on training law enforcement personnel to recognize and respond to mental health-related situations.
Youth in Action Research Project
California Polytechnic State University | San Luis Obispo, CA
Dr. Donovan contributed to research evaluating a behavioral intervention program implemented by the San Luis Obispo County Department of Probation for at-risk youth. Her work included conducting pre- and post-program behavioral assessments, transcribing interviews, and managing research data. She also collaborated with the research team on an abstract and poster proposal for presentation at the Western Psychological Association’s annual convention.
Bakari Mentorship Program
California Polytechnic State University | San Luis Obispo, CA
As a research assistant, Dr. Donovan participated in the evaluation of a court-mandated behavioral intervention program for adolescents on probation. She assisted with the administration and scoring of psychological measures assessing areas such as self-esteem, anger, aggression, coping, and ethnic identity, and contributed to data entry and management for further analysis.
Teaching Experience
Dr. Donovan’s teaching experience includes graduate-level instruction and mentorship in psychological assessment, psychopathology, and psychodiagnosis, as well as academic and social support for adolescents in a correctional school setting.
Assessment of Personality & Psychopathology
Graduate-Level Course | Palo Alto University
As a teaching assistant, Dr. Donovan led weekly instructional sessions focused on psychological assessment, test interpretation, and report writing. She provided feedback on assignments, supported students outside of class, and delivered a guest lecture on the use of projective measures, including the Rorschach, in integrated evaluations.
Psychopathology & Psychodiagnosis
Graduate-Level Course | Palo Alto University
Dr. Donovan helped graduate students develop skills in clinical interviewing and psychodiagnosis through interview preparation, practical exercises, and feedback on assignments. She also delivered a guest lecture on the diagnosis of sexual dysfunctions, gender dysphoria, and paraphilic disorders.
San Luis Obispo Community High School
Correctional School | San Luis Obispo, CA
Dr. Donovan mentored adolescents navigating academic, behavioral, and substance-related challenges. She provided classroom support and individualized guidance around education, probation, and rehabilitation, while collaborating with school staff to support student progress.
Publications
Donovan, A. L., Gutierrez, R., Roy, S., & Glassmire, D. M. (in press). Behavioral interpretations. In M. Houck (Ed.), In Encyclopedia of forensic Sciences (3rd ed.). Elsevier.
Gutierrez, R., Donovan, A. L., Roy, S., & Glassmire, D. M. (in press). Forensic psychology. In M. Houck (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences (3rd ed.). Elsevier.
Presentations
Sweatt, L. I., Arroyo, P. I., Fan, C., Taniyama, S., & Tapia, A. (2015). Evaluating the effectiveness of a program for at-risk youth. Poster presented at the 2015 annual convention of the Western Psychological Association. Las Vegas, NV.
Donovan, A., & Weaver, C. (2018). Differences in response style in detecting malingered PTSD within Spanish-speaking subgroups. Symposium presented at the Annual American Psychological Association Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Giordano, B., Donovan, A., Mok, C., & Weaver, C. (2018). Police officer improvement in mental health awareness outcomes: Evaluating a video training method. Poster presented at the 2018 Annual American Psychological Association Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Palacios, M. P., Donovan, A. (2018). Breaking down barriers to mental health treatment: Increasing growth and resilience within Latinx communities. Symposium presented at the 2018 Annual National Latino/a Psychological Association Conference, San Diego, CA.
Donovan, A., Giordano, B., Vazquez, M. C., Barrera, A., Lugo, A., & Weaver, M., C. (2019). An In-Person and Online Sample Comparison of Reporting Patterns Related to Exaggerated PTSD. Poster presented at the 2019 American Psychology-Law Society 2019 Annual Conference, Portland, OR.
Giordano, B. L., Donovan, A., Cha, Y., Uyeda, N., Zadonowicz, T., & Weaver, C. (2019). Identifying Predictors of Police Participation Compliance in a National Mental Health Initiative. Poster presented at the American Psychology-Law Society 2019 Annual Conference, Portland, OR.
Donovan, A. L. (2021). Exploring the Impact of Region of Origin and Trauma Type in Detecting Malingered PTSD in a Spanish Speaking Group (Doctoral dissertation, Palo Alto University).
Academic Honors and Awards
Palo Alto University Fellowship Award September 2016-May 2019
Dean’s List, University of California Berkeley December 2010-August 2012
Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Academic Excellence Award May 2009
Alpha Gamma Sigma, Academic Excellence Award June 2009
Dean’s List, Cuesta College December 2007-May 2010
Academic Leadership
Forensic Mental Health Ph.D. Student Group July 2017-June 2018
Public Relations Officer
Psi Chi, International Honor Society in Psychology March 2011-Present
Permanent member
Cuesta College Student Ambassador August 2008-May 2010
Student Ambassador
Alpha Gamma Sigma, Honor Society January 2007-Present
Vice President/Publicity Director/Permanent member
Relevant Experience
Dr. Donovan’s early community-based experience includes mentoring at-risk adolescents in the United States and participating in an international educational initiative in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. These experiences strengthened her commitment to mentorship, advocacy, and culturally responsive support.
SHINE Mentorship Program
Oakland, CA Dr. Donovan provided academic and social mentorship to at-risk adolescents, offering individualized guidance and support with personal and educational challenges. She also helped mentees prepare for college through weekly meetings and workshops.
Dida/Pro-Brazil
International Volunteer and Research Experience | Salvador, Bahia, Brazil During her international experience in Brazil, Dr. Donovan supported an educational program for adolescent girls and young women who had experienced or were at risk of sexual exploitation. She conducted interviews with students and staff and translated materials from Portuguese into English and Spanish to support grant writing. She also taught English and Spanish to Portuguese-speaking students, helping them develop language skills intended to promote greater empowerment, independence, and self-sufficiency.