Jessica Allanson, PhD, MA

Jessica Allanson, PhD, MA, is a licensed clinical psychologist with the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program. She obtained her doctorate and master's degrees in clinical psychology from Sofia University in Palo Alto, Calif., and her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a concentration in industrial/organizational psychology. Dr. Allanson completed her postdoctoral fellowship with the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program here at UCSF; prior to her fellowship, she worked closely with the UCSF FSAP team for a number of years as the program director of Ohlhoff Outpatient Programs in San Francisco. Most recently, Dr. Allanson has been working as an independent clinical didactic trainer for clinicians and students in the healthcare fields, as well as working in a group private practice specializing in dialectical behavioral therapy.

From community mental health settings to professional wellness work, Dr. Allanson works from a humanistic-existential lens, focusing on the personal integration of adverse experiences with the grounded theory of behavioral change. She has chosen to specialize in addiction/recovery and workplace burnout, incorporating empirically validated behavioral interventions and industrial/organizational psychology strategies into her work. She also has worked extensively with grief and loss, early and complex trauma, depression, anxiety, early and long-term recovery of eating disorders, effective communication, and anger/emotion regulation. Dr. Allanson has a deep appreciation for the highly diverse community within UCSF, and has particular experience working with clients who identify as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as female-identified clients, to develop a sense of personal agency and effectiveness in their vocational and personal lives. Dr. Allanson has spent the majority of her training and professional years supporting clients and organizational teams as they find meaning, purpose, and direction for the next chapters of their lives. She looks forward to helping clients learn how to help themselves.