Jolie Straus, MA

Jolie Straus, MA, is a clinical psychology intern in the Anxiety Disorders Center, Mood Disorders Center, and the ADHD & Behavior Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. She specializes in evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents with autism, selective mutism, OCD, anxiety and tic disorders. She has trained in exposure and response prevention (ERP), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), including for selective mutism (PCIT-SM), and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for children, teens, and their families. Additionally, Jolie has experience conducting diagnostic evaluations for autism, as well as, administering neuropsychological and developmental assessments.

During her PhD program at UCLA, Jolie pursued her passion in working with children, adolescents, and their families through evidence-based therapeutic interventions. At both UCLA’s OCD & Anxiety Disorders Clinic and the WaveMind Clinic, Jolie provided intensive outpatient therapy to children and adolescents, advocated for their support needs and provided behavioral parent training. Jolie speaks Spanish and provided outpatient therapy to Spanish-speaking families.

At the Child Mind Institute, Jolie leverages her background in therapy, assessment and education to provide quality care to children and their families. She prioritizes collaboration with the child, their family, and multidisciplinary providers to build a comprehensive understanding of the whole child. During treatment, Jolie utilizes therapeutic techniques to build rapport with her patients and to create a safe and welcoming environment.

• Extern, WaveMind Clinic, Los Angeles, CA
• Extern, OCD & Anxiety Disorders Clinic and Intensive Outpatient Program, UCLA
• Extern, Autism Across the Lifespan Clinical and Research Practicum, UCLA

• BA, Child Development & Psychology, Tufts University
• MA, Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University
• MA, Human Development Psychology, UCLA
• PhD, Human Development Psychology, UCLA (expected 2026)