Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Yelena Matevosyan.
Hi Dr. Yelena, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
While my story begins around 2004, when we immigrated to the United States, my real life journey truly began when I was 18. I was a voracious reader, often staying up all night immersed in books and other worlds, which turned me into a hopeless romantic. I had all these ideas about how my life would turn out, but I believed the most important thing was to be loved. So I fell, and I fell hard, which led to a series of unfortunate events. Nobody talked about the prefrontal cortex at the time, so I genuinely thought I was making an extremely smart, well-thought-out decision when I decided to get married. That first year of marriage taught me many things, one of which was that I was not going to be safe in my own home. I also learned that I was pregnant and believed that my daughter’s birth would spark a positive change in my husband. However, once she was born, I realized I loved someone more than I loved him or even myself, and she deserved a safe life. I left my ex-husband when I was 20, with a one-month-old baby on my hip. And so, my journey truly began. I promised myself that I would become the best version of myself and be the perfect example of a woman and a mother. I also knew I would have to take on the roles of both a mother and a father. The best way I knew how to do that was to become emotionally, financially, and mentally stable. I decided to pursue the highest education possible. I went back to school, earned my Bachelor’s degree, then my Master’s, and eventually completed my Doctorate. Throughout my entire academic career, I worked and tried to be the best mom I could be, often pulling 18 to 19 hour days. As I was completing my doctorate, I met my amazing husband. We got married during the pandemic and had a baby boy who was born with a heart condition. There were days when I felt like I couldn’t push myself any further, but I still did because I had made a promise to myself. Today, I’m a successful psychologist and a professor. I have a beautiful family, a job I love, and I’m still a voracious reader. I also have a fun side passion: reading people, psychoanalyzing them, and helping them by providing diagnoses and guiding them toward the right therapeutic path.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think the road has ever been smooth. When I say I pulled 18 to 19 hour days, I truly mean it. I worked at the Department of Public Social Services in Chatsworth, starting at 8:00 a.m. and finishing at 5:00 p.m., then drove two and a half hours to Riverside County for my master’s classes that began at 8:00 p.m. It was incredibly challenging to come home to my daughter, already asleep, knowing I had missed hearing about her day. I would study late into the night and then go back to work the next morning. During my doctorate, the pattern continued. I took a job that began at 4:00 a.m. and ended at 1:00 p.m. so I could spend time with my daughter while also working on my dissertation. When my son was born, I was studying for one of the biggest exams of my career and often did my studying at the hospital beside him. There hasn’t been a single part of my journey that felt easy. There were moments when I felt completely at a loss, but I would remind myself of how far I had come, and that reminder would give me the strength to keep pushing forward. I don’t think I’ve ever truly allowed myself to slow down, even when life threw major hiccups my way.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a psychologist who specializes in assessments including psychodiagnostic, psychological, developmental, neuropsychological, and occasionally forensic evaluations. I work with individuals across the lifespan, from children as young as two to older adults. What I’m most proud of is my continuous growth in this field. I’ve been fortunate to have an incredible boss who has guided and supported me throughout my journey. What truly sets me apart is my ability to adapt seamlessly; from getting down on the floor to play with a young child during an assessment to then sitting across from an adult, carefully observing their behaviors. I also have a strong knack for identifying diagnoses and supporting my hypotheses with both data and research, ensuring my evaluations are comprehensive, evidence-based, and meaningful.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I work collaboratively with each individual’s entire support team, which can include parents, school staff, family members, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other therapeutic professionals. Each evaluation is comprehensive and individualized, every recommendation is tailored to an individual’s specific needs.
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