Dr. Stephanie Paravicini
Clinical Psychologist | Specialist in Early Infant and Parent Mental Health | Reflective Practice Facilitator
My name is Stephanie, and if I were to begin with what matters most to me, it would be this: I was fortunate to grow up on three continents, speaking three languages. This experience has profoundly shaped my deep curiosity about human stories and development, my appreciation for the role of cultural meaning-making, and my understanding of how environmental context, caregiving practices, and genetic influences interact in brain development—both in early childhood and throughout the lifespan.
Through both my personal journey and professional training, I have come to hold a fundamental belief: healing and optimal development unfold within our relationships. This guiding principle is at the heart of my work—as a psychotherapist, consultant, trainer, and reflective practitioner. My primary goal is to foster a safe, trusting, consistent, and reliable relational connection with all my clients—whether they are individuals, families, groups, or organizations.
Throughout my career, I have worked extensively in community mental health and social service organizations, with a particular emphasis on trauma, adversity, and their impacts on mental, physical, and developmental health. While I continue to provide direct services to families and individuals, my focus over the past decade has shifted toward supporting community-based organizations through consultation, reflective facilitation, training, and capacity-building initiatives.
Supporting direct service staff deepens our shared understanding of how clients’ experiences shape their engagement with services—and how our own experiences as providers influence the quality of those interactions. This process of reflection fosters more responsive care, promotes professional growth, and ultimately improves outcomes for the families and communities we serve. It also contributes to reducing burnout and vicarious trauma among providers, creating healthier systems of care for all.
Education & trAINING
I hold an MA in Psychology from the Institut Catholique de Paris and a Psy.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology. My training includes pre- and post-doctoral internships at UC Davis Medical Center, a post-doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Psychiatry at UCSF General Hospital, and a postgraduate fellowship in Parent-Infant Mental Health from UC Davis Extension. I am fluent in English, French and Spanish.
MA in Clinical Psychology – Institut Catholique de Paris, France – 1993
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology – California School of Professional Psychology – 1999
UCSF – San Francisco General Hospital – Pediatric Psychiatry Fellowship – 2000-2002
UC Davis Infant Parent Mental Health Post Graduate Fellowship 2012
Erikson Institute Fussy Baby Specialist Certification 2014
Brazelton Institute Touchpoints Trainer Certification 2015
Brazelton Institute Newborn Behavioral Observation Trainer Certification 2015
Bruce Perry's Neurosequential Model Trainer and Mentor Certification 2019
California Endorsed Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist
California Endorsed Reflective Practice Mentor
Reflective Practice Mentor (Clinical Focus) through the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health