Exploring Life & Business with Richard Espinoza, PsyD of E-Psych Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Espinoza, PsyD.

Hi Richard, 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?
I’ve always been a California guy, and my training and career basically followed the coast from San Francisco to San Diego. I started at UC Santa Barbara, then moved up to the Bay Area to study at the Wright Institute in Berkeley. After that, I came back to Los Angeles for my fellowship at Wise & Healthy Aging in Santa Monica, where I worked closely with older adults, many of whom used Medicare, a plan I still accept today. In 2016, I opened my private practice, and since then, my work has taken me up and down the state in different roles and settings.

Today, I’m based in downtown Culver City, seeing clients in person and via telehealth across the state. While I’ve done a lot of work with older adults, my background is intentionally broad. Over the years, I’ve worked in schools, hospitals, and forensic settings, supporting people across all ages.

In private practice, I focus on anxiety concerns, LGBTQ-affirming therapies, matchmaking, and psychological testing & evaluation, and I typically work in focused 12-session chapters that give people structure while still leaving room for real growth. Because mental health touches so many lives, I’ve worked with a wide range of people and needs, from everyday busy professionals to more complex, high-stakes situations. For example, my experience includes threat assessment related to potential mass violence, as well as vocational and fitness-for-duty work with specialized populations, including members of the clergy.

I’m also in my 15th year in the field, and I’ve been teaching for about a third of that time, mostly graduate-level courses, adjunct at Pepperdine University. I genuinely enjoy training future therapists because it keeps me grounded in the fundamentals of the work. A lot is changing in the world and in the mental health space, especially with technology and AI, but the core of therapy is still human. It’s listening closely, helping people make sense of what they’re carrying, and reminding them they don’t have to do it alone.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh, it’s definitely not been a smooth road. The hardest part has been the business side of things, especially balancing that with a normal social life and maintaining meaningful relationships, which is all too necessary in times of adversity, like now. I’ve encountered all sorts of challenges—yes, even scams—because no one really taught me about marketing, taxes, or other business management skills, for example. But I learned. Throughout my education, I took on part-time jobs, structured around learning these business skills first-hand, and even managed a clinic for a few years. I’m grateful to have strong mentors from those times who continue to guide me. So yes, it’s been a bumpy road—there was even one time I nearly closed up shop!—but I’ve learned to navigate it all while somehow staying human through it.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about E-Psych Services?
I run a versatile private practice where I offer one-on-one therapy to a wide range of clients. I specialize in talk therapy, psychological testing, and teaching, which I have heard described as the “three T’s” of the field. To balance some of the heavier work I do with clients, I also co-host matchmaking events with my colleague, Dr. Nazanin Moali, host of the Sexology Podcast. I’m proud of that range because it allows me to help people in more specific dimensions of their lives. What sets me apart is that people often feel at ease quickly and start opening up sooner than they expected. Over time, things tend to click in a way that helps them understand their experience more clearly, and that clarity is often what stays with them. I’m currently accepting new clients for therapy and psychological testing, and if it feels like a good fit, I’d be glad to work together. The Love Lab matchmaking events I co-host with my colleague take place throughout the year.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I highly recommend mentorship because it is one of the things that truly sustains you. I found a mentor in a former professor, another in a former classmate who is now a colleague, and another in a former supervisor, all of whom are engaged in the field. While everyone has opinions, it is especially valuable to seek out those who are truly in the work you aspire to do. Ask them about their path and nurture a genuine relationship. In those early career years, it can be very helpful to have supervision and, ideally, your own therapy to support your growth. If you ever need an additional sounding board, I provide consultation and clinical supervision for early-career clinicians, but what matters most is finding support that genuinely fits you, even if it is not with me.

Pricing:

• I work with a variety of health insurance plans that may help cover the cost of therapy and psychological testing.
• For Love Lab matchmaking events, promotions and discount codes are always renewing and listed on the Love Lab website!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://drrichardespinoza.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epsychservicespc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dr-E-Clinical-Psychologist/100063669681661/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-richard-espinoza-dre/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@doctor.e
• Other: https://lalovelab.com/