Ryan N. Sharma, PsyD, ABPP

About

Dr. Sharma received his MA in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University and his PsyD in clinical psychology from the University of Denver. He is currently Assistant Professor and the Director of Clinical Training in the PsyD Program.  His areas of professional interest include clinical training, multicultural psychology and ethnic identity development, behavioral therapies, and treatments for anxiety disorders. 

Education

University of Denver, Doctor of Psychology (2006)

Specialty Focus: Behavioral Therapy

Specialty Focus: Multicultural Psychology

Pepperdine University, Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology (2002)

Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy

Michigan State University, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Additional Major: Religious Studies

Expertise

Dr. Sharma holds a private practice specializing in the behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders, particularly exposure and response prevention and acceptance and commitment therapy as applied to phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic. He is board certified by the American Board of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology and was recently elected to their Board of Directors.  Additionally, Dr. Sharma is the contract psychologist for the Oxnard Fire Department and specializes in working with firefighters and first responders.

Dr. Sharma has focused study and scholarship in the area of multicultural psychology. In addition to multiple professional presentations on the topic, Dr. Sharma works at the community level to increase cultural competence, including being a co-facilitator of cross-racial diversity dialogues, consulting with organizations seeking to improve their internal diversity and staff relations, and implementing trainings designed to increase the cultural sensitivity of service delivery. Dr. Sharma’s scholarship revolves around several topics within multicultural psychology, including ethnic and social identity development, factors impacting stereotyping and prejudice, and socio-demographic disparities in mental health care access.

Dr. Sharma also has experience providing consultation to community-based organizations including the development and implementation of program evaluation methodology and assistance in grant applications.  He was also the founder of a consultation group that helped organizations increase cultural competence and diversify their workforces.  He was the co-principal investigator of a grant funded to replicate an experiential graduate course in program evaluation, which led to continued interest in practice-based participatory research.  He also has specific pre-and post-doctoral training in clinical supervision and has been supervising graduate students at various levels.

Publications

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Sharma, R. N., Casas, R. N., Crawford, N. M., & Mills, L. N. (2017, March 23). Geographic Distribution of California Mental Health Professionals in Relation to Sociodemographic Characteristics. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000147

Sharma, R. N. (2015). Experiential Exposure to the Supervision Competency
in Graduate Education. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 9 (2), 183-186. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tep0000078

PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS AT PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS

Sharma, R. N., Wyatt, R. (2024, January).  Firefighters are an underserved population?  An example of applied cultural humility in meeting a community need.  Presented at the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology Midwinter Conference, Denver, CO.

Odom, S., Sharma, R. N., Green, K., & Hamilton, A. (Chair). (2022, December). Behavioral health and the fire service.  Presented at Cal Cities Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar, Monterey, CA.  

Sharma, R. N. (2022, August).  Professionalism.  Presented at the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology Summer Meeting, Online.

Wyatt, R., & Sharma, R. N. (2022, January). DCT training and consultation: Engaging students in developing professional behavior, attitudes and communications. Presented at the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology Midwinter Conference, Online.

O’Banion, M., & Sharma, R. N. (2022, January). Re-defining, decolonizing and developing guidelines for professionalism. Presented at the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology Midwinter Conference, Online.  

Sharma, R. N. (2018).  An experiential introduction to relational frame theory.  Presented at the Association of Contextual Behavioral Science World Conference, Montreal, Canada.

Sharma, R. N., Casas, R. N., & Crawford, N. M. (2015, April). Geographic distribution of Californian psychologists in relation to socio-demographic variables. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the California Psychological Association, San Diego, CA.

Sharma, R. N., Jackson, L., Seigel, L., Krishnamurthy, R., & DeLoach, C. (chair) (2014, January). Panel presentation on religious and spiritual perspectives on social justice work. Presented at the National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology Midwinter Conference, New Orleans, LA.

Sharma, R. N. & Rudestam, K. (2013, January). Cross-generational relationships in higher education: How the digital age is forcing the issue. Presented at the National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology Midwinter Conference, Nassau, Bahamas.

Rohde-Brown, J., & Sharma, R. (2012, January). Outcome assessment for student performance in practicum: Developing forms graded in complexity based on academic year. Presented at the National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology Midwinter Conference, New Orleans, LA.

Rohde-Brown, J., & Sharma, R. (2012, January). Outcome assessment for student performance in practicum: Developing forms graded in complexity based on academic year. Poster presented at the National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology Midwinter Conference, New Orleans, LA.

Bates-Freed, B., Sharma, R., Harway, M., & Fox, D. (2012). Work interrupted: Assessing the impact of work-related distress on psychological adjustment to cancer. Poster presented at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society 9th Annual Conference, Miami, FL.

Sharma, R. N. (chair) (2008, August). Panel discussion on LGBT families. Presented at Frontiers in Family Psychology: Lesbian and Gay Couples and Families, Santa Barbara, CA.

Alvarez, A., Chun, K., Masuda, G. Patel, N, Sharma, R., & Takemoto, M. (chair) (2006, March). Invited panel – intersecting identities. Presented at the Asian American Psychological Association 2nd Southern California Regional Conference, Long Beach, CA.

Sharma, R. N. (2006, March). Considering an alternative to the ethnic identity model. Poster presented at the Asian American Psychological Association 2nd Southern California Regional Conference, Long Beach, CA.