Natasha Thapar-Olmos

Associate Professor

Psychology Division, Online Psychology Division, Graduate School of Education and Psychology

WLA

Biography

Dr. Natasha Thapar-Olmos is a licensed clinical psychologist and is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology and Research Coordinator for the PsyD program at GSEP. Her scholarly interests include multicultural issues in clinical service delivery in South Asian and other Asian communities, peer support in the context of the recovery model, and the practice of cognitive-behavioral and third-wave approaches. She chairs doctoral student dissertations and teaches classes in the PsyD program, including research methods, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dissertation writing. As Research Coordinator for the PsyD program, she oversees the program’s dissertation course series and is a member of the Executive Committee of the PsyD program. From 2017-2021, Dr. Thapar-Olmos oversaw the Online Master's in Psychology programs at GSEP, and continues to build expertise in the effective use of technology in teaching.

Prior to and during her initial years at Pepperdine, she provided numerous trainings in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), differential diagnosis, and suicide prevention to licensed therapists working in correctional and community settings within the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. She has also served as a guest speaker for lay audiences on topics such as resilience and stress management. She maintains a small private practice in Los Angeles.

Dr. Thapar-Olmos' leadership experiences in professional psychology include serving as President of Section VI of APA’s Division 12 (Clinical Psychology of Ethnic Minorities), Communications Chair for the Asian American Psychological Association’s Division on South Asian Americans (DoSAA), and a fellow of the Leadership Development Institute of the Council of National Psychology Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests (CNPAAEMI). She is a fellow of APA’s Minority Fellowship Program, and in 2020 she was selected to participate in APA's Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology. In 2017, she received the Howard A. White Teaching Award, Pepperdine's highest honor for teaching faculty.

Education

PhD, University of California
MA, University of California
BA, University of Southern California