Author Profile

Cat Beer, PhD

Practicing Clinician, KAT Specialist

Areas of Focus

Trauma, trauma-informed therapy — PTSD, PTSD treatment — Mood disorders — Anxiety, anxiety treatment — ADHD, ADHD treatment — Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) — Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) — Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) — Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) — Psychedelic integration

Professional Background

I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University in San Diego, with a concentration in forensic psychology and advanced training in trauma and PTSD treatment. During my doctoral training, I worked across high-acuity settings including inpatient hospitals, residential rehabilitation programs, forensic facilities, and the Veterans Affairs healthcare system, treating severe mental illness, complex trauma, and co-occurring conditions. In my final year of training at the San Diego VA Healthcare System/UCSD School of Medicine, I provided ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for veterans with treatment-resistant depression and PTSD. Witnessing the profound shifts that can occur in the therapy room deepened my commitment to thoughtful, intentional integration work. I have since presented research on psychedelic integration and recovery-oriented care at international conferences including MAPS and ALPS. Prior to entering clinical psychology, I worked in advertising, contributing to creative campaigns, conducting consumer research, and analyzing the psychological drivers of behavior. This early career strengthened my desire to understand human motivation, storytelling, and systems-level influence. This background continues to shape my clinical work, where I intentionally bring creativity and evidence-based practice to help clients re-write their own stories and access new growth.

Certifications

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Provider Certification – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Membership: San Diego Psychoanalytic Consultation Group American Psychological Association

Research Focus

1. Neuromodulation Clinic, San Diego VA Healthcare System

Collaborated with the lead psychologist within Ketamine clinic to explore the synergy between psychedelic treatments and recovery-oriented care, enhancing protocols for preparation and integration in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
Assisted a Postdoctoral Fellow to evaluate treatment outcomes by comparing weekly KAP and integration sessions to standard clinical procedures, contributing to advancements in neuromodulation interventions.

Presentations:

Beer, C., Perivoliotis, D., & Morland, L. (2025, October). From Insight to Integration: Sustaining transformation after psychedelic therapies with recovery-oriented and evidence-based practices. Poster presented at the Awareness Lectures on Psychedelics (ALPS) Conference, Geneva, Switzerland.
Perivoliotis, D., Beer, C., & Morland, L. (2025, June). From Insight to Integration: Sustaining transformation after psychedelic therapies with recovery-oriented and evidence-based practices. Poster presented at Psychedelic Science 2025, Denver, CO, United States.
Scheinblum, K., Perivoliotis, D., & Beer, C. (2025, June). Implementing Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Veterans with Treatment-Resistant Depression: A clinical pilot project at the VA San Diego Neuromodulation Clinic. Poster presented at Judd Symposium, University of California, San Diego, United States.

2. Doctoral Dissertation, Alliant International University

Studied specific mitigating and aggravating factors’ impact on jury members’ decision-making in juvenile “Life Without Parole” (LWOP) sentencing — Investigated the impact of academic achievement as a mitigating or aggravating factor for black vs. white adolescents. — Evaluated how jury members’ levels of conservativism and religiosity predict attitudes toward sentencing.

Presentation:

Beer, C., & Dalenberg, C. (2025, June). Judging juveniles: Public attitudes toward life without parole and the influence of race and academic achievement in a simulated homicide case. Poster presented at the Judd Symposium, University of California, San Diego, United States.

Personal Links

LinkedIn Publications

Specialization

As a practicing clinician (a post-doctoral fellow with Restore Psychology in San Diego, California), I specialize in working with trauma, PTSD, mood disorders, anxiety, and ADHD, particularly when symptoms are rooted in complex or relational trauma. I practice from an integrative framework that blends evidence-based modalities (CBT, ACT, DBT, CPT) with recovery-oriented, relational, and attachment-based approaches. My work also includes Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) and psychedelic integration, with a focus on translating insight into sustained functional and relational change.

Education

University of Notre Dame, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a Major in Marketing and Emphasis in Psychology Alliant International University, Master of Arts (MA) & Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)