Clinical psychologist & forensic evaluator

Clarity where there was confusion.

Dr. Bahareh Talei writes court-ready psychological evaluations for immigration and legal cases, and provides assessment and therapy for individuals and families.

Licensed in California, Psy 21252. More than twenty years in practice. Consultations in English, Farsi, Armenian, and Spanish.

Dr. Bahareh Talei standing on Wall Street in New York, the spire of Trinity Church rising behind her.
Wall Street, New York
On air

CNBC · Fox Business

In print

Psychology Today

In the classroom

Pepperdine University

The idea

Anxiety is not a thought problem. It is a heart‑rate problem.

It's the idea at the center of her book, Name It to Tame It!™ The body often leads the mind, and learning to steady it is a skill you can practice. It complements therapy; it doesn't replace it.

Stop managing the mind. Regulate the body. The mind follows.

Cover of Name It to Tame It! The Owner's Manual by Dr. Bahareh Talei.
Her book

Name It to Tame It!™
The Owner's Manual

A clinical companion on self-regulation, and the second book in the series.

The practice

Two kinds of work,
held to the same standard.

For attorneys & legal teams

Forensic & legal evaluation

Court-ready psychological evaluations, documented clearly and thoroughly, in English, Farsi, Armenian, and Spanish.

Asylum
I-589
Persecution and fear of future persecution.
Cancellation of removal
EOIR-42B
Family hardship in deportation proceedings.
VAWA
I-360
Abuse by a spouse or partner.
T & U visas
Victims of crime
Trafficking and victims of qualifying crimes.
Medical disability exception
N-648
Naturalization testing exceptions.
Mitigation & disability
SSD / PI
Sentencing, long-term disability, Social Security.
For individuals & families

Assessment & therapy

Evaluation and psychotherapy for children, teens, and adults, with reports written in plain language you can actually use.

Psychological & neuropsychological testing
Neurodivergence, learning differences, emotional regulation.
Complex, overlapping presentations
Careful diagnosis where ADHD, autism, and trauma intersect.
Individual psychotherapy
Adults, adolescents, and children.
Couples & family therapy
Conflict, connection, and meaning in relationships.
Culturally responsive care
Honoring identity, language, and lived experience.
Multilingual sessions
English, Farsi, Armenian, Spanish, and more with interpreters.
81.6%

In a widely cited 2021 study, asylum seekers who had a forensic psychological evaluation were granted relief far more often than the national average of 42.4%.

Published 2021 research on forensic evaluation outcomes. An evaluation informs a case; it does not decide it. Every case is different.

About

She reads the whole person, not just the paperwork.

Dr. Bahareh Talei is a licensed clinical psychologist, educator, and forensic evaluator. Over more than two decades she has worked with thousands of clients, building a practice around one conviction: people deserve clarity where there has only been confusion, and a fair hearing where there has only been doubt.

She teaches in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University, and has contributed to CNBC and Fox Business. As a first-generation immigrant, she works to make assessment culturally responsive, so a person is understood on their own terms rather than measured against a narrow idea of normal.

She owns Psych Eval Inc., founded the Diagnostic & Counseling Center in Agoura Hills, and founded the Hive of Hope nonprofit, which helps people reach quality mental health care regardless of what they can pay.

Educator
Adjunct Faculty, Pepperdine University — graduate courses in psychotherapy and assessment.
Founder
Hive of Hope — a 501(c)(3) widening access to mental health care.
Director
Psych Eval Inc. (forensic and legal assessment). Co-Director, Diagnostic & Counseling Center.
Advisory
Advisory Board, EXPOSE — education, mental health, and youth.
How she works

The approach.

A good evaluation uncovers strengths, makes sense of experiences that never quite added up, and hands a person something concrete to move forward with.

What she keeps coming back to is a particular moment: relief replacing self-doubt, confusion turning into clarity, shame softening into acceptance.

Assessment isn't a verdict. It's a map.

Her reports draw on several sources of data and a full reading of the person, and they're built to complement care, informing treatment and legal decisions rather than standing in for them.

Culturally responsive

Understanding people on their own terms, not a standardized idea of normal.

Holistic and precise

Several data sources at once, especially where ADHD, autism, and trauma overlap.

Clinically careful

Clear about what the data shows, and about what it doesn't.

“Exceptionally precise diagnostics. Clients are consistently satisfied with the clarity and care they receive. The team is exceptional.”
Sharon Volner, LMFT · Chief Clinical Officer
Contact

Get in touch.

DrB@DrB.Contact
Practice
By appointment
Languages
English · Farsi · Armenian · Spanish

Attorney referrals and case inquiries welcome. Additional languages available with certified interpreters.

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