Stephen Ball, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
PSY 21155
Dr. Stephen Ball is a Licensed Psychologist (PSY 21155) working in private practice. He has earned his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology: Los Angeles (or Alliant University). His degree emphasis was in Individual, Family and Child psychology with a special emphasis on children.
His academic training focused on "at risk youth," gay and lesbian issues, interventions with adolescents and interventions supporting parents of special needs children. Dr. Ball has also earned a Masters of Arts in Cross Cultural Counseling Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh where he focused his studies on working with African American adolescents involved with gangs.
His varied experience includes working with in-patient populations, the terminally ill, homeless youth, wilderness youth programs, and children with severe behavioral problems. Dr. Ball's clinical training and experience includes: Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, Wilkinsburg Middle School Counseling Center and private practice outpatient therapy. Dr. Ball is also currently teaching Clinical Interviewing at the California School of Professional Psychology.
Dr. Ball has a general psychotherapy practice working with children, adolescents and adults. Dr. Ball provides individual, group, family and couples therapy, as well as parent training and education for divorcing parents regarding effective co-parenting. He has experience working with various diagnoses such as Adjustment Disorder, ADHD, Aspergers, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Manic Depression, and other emotional-behavioral disorders. He performs full psychological assessments for both children and adults to assess attention deficit disorders, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, Aspergers, achievement ability and intelligence.
Dr. Ball's approach to therapy involves utilizing cognitive-behavioral interventions, and parental collaboration to help clients reach their goals. In his work with children and adolescents, Dr. Ball emphasizes a genuine and practical attitude toward therapy which builds rapport quickly and encourages children and teens to feel respected, safe and understood. He believes that children benefit most from consistent parenting and tries to instill an understanding of how an individual's context, interpersonal relationships, physiological responses, and environmental factors can influence problematic behavior.
He uses behavioral techniques with children to encourage them to construct novel ways to problem solve and overcome difficulties. Dr. Ball uses interpersonal therapy, parent training, therapeutic games, role-plays, and cognitive restructuring to help children and parents gain insight and confidence into how they are achieving their goals.
When working with adults or couples, Dr. Ball believes that an individual's problems must be understood within the context of their lifespan; this includes interpersonal experience, environmental factors, and emotional development. Each of these factors is seen to combine and influence current behaviors and feelings about the self. Understanding these influences is paramount to long-term change and can help clients identify how they can create healthy patterns of living.
Cognitive-Behavioral techniques are often utilized with clients to help create quantifiable change and a feeling of satisfaction with one's life.
To contact Dr. Ball please call 818.591-3000 ext. 113 or fill out the form below.