A clinical psychologist since 2011, Karla Espinosa de los Monteros, PhD, specializes in health psychology, which focuses on how social, psychological and biological factors work together to influence health and illness. She leads the Diabetes Behavioral Health Integration Program at the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, which provides psychological support to people living with diabetes.
She is also a strong advocate for mental health integration in medical settings and strongly believes that addressing the emotional and psychological needs of people living with chronic illnesses is critical to the efficacy of health care interventions.
Her research interests include understanding how social and cultural factors impact health and well-being. In recent years, she has become interested in how evidence-based psychological treatments can be adapted to support patients feeling burned out by diabetes and therefore become more engaged in their self-care and improve their overall quality of life.
Dr. Espinosa de los Monteros has published articles in peer-reviewed psychology and public health journals, taught health psychology and biopsychology at the undergraduate level, and leads trainings and seminars for health professionals.
She is a proud mom and wife who enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, jumping rope and playing fetch with the family dog.
