Karen Mendez, MD | Child, Adolescent, & General Psychiatrist
Dr. Karen Mendez is a board-certified adult psychiatrist and board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist specializing in the evaluation and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as well as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma-related conditions, and reproductive mental health concerns across the lifespan. She is committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based, and developmentally informed psychiatric care tailored to the unique strengths and needs of each patient and family.
Dr. Mendez graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Psychobiology. She spent four years working at the UCLA Early Childhood Partial Hospitalization Program, where she provided evaluations, assessments, and therapeutic interventions for children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Working closely within a multidisciplinary team, she supported children in developing cognitive, academic, social, communication, and self-care skills through individualized behavioral and developmental interventions, including discrete trial training, pivotal response training, direct instruction, and applied behavioral analysis (ABA)-informed approaches.
Dr. Mendez earned her medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She completed her psychiatry internship at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center, followed by adult psychiatry residency training at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. She remained at UCLA to complete her fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry, where she served as Chief Fellow.
In addition to her specialty training, Dr. Mendez completed the National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry and is a certified facilitator of the Circle of Security International Early Intervention Program for Parents and Children, an attachment-based and reflective parenting model designed to strengthen parent-child relationships.
Her clinical approach is holistic, collaborative, and culturally sensitive, integrating evidence-based psychopharmacology with multiple psychotherapy modalities, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), structural family therapy, and psychodynamic psychotherapy. Dr. Mendez values partnering closely with patients, families, therapists, schools, and other interdisciplinary providers to support meaningful and lasting growth.
Originally from Lima, Dr. Mendez is fluent in Spanish. She lives in Westchester with her husband, two children, and their beloved large furry dog. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time at the beach, hiking, gardening, and doing crafts with her family.
Education & Training
B.S. in Psychobiology — University of California, Los Angeles
M.D. — David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Psychiatry Internship — Harbor–UCLA Medical Center
Adult Psychiatry Residency — UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior / UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship — UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior / UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital
Chief Fellow, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship
Completion of the National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry
Certified Facilitator — Circle of Security International Early Intervention Program for Parents and Children
License # A182575, California