Post-Doctoral Fellow

AKurup@mednet.ucla.edu

Dr. Kurup is the first-year LGBTQ+ Youth, Trauma, Resilience, and Community Education Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Division of Population Behavioral Health.  She provides youth, young adults, and families with clinical care grounded in LGBTQ-identity affirmation, from a framework of trauma-informed care using principles of third-wave CBT (e.g., DBT, ACT).

Dr. Kurup received their PhD in Clinical Psychological Sciences from Purdue University. They completed their predoctoral internship at The University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, VT. Her clinical and research work revolve around psychosocial wellbeing for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. Dr. Kurup previously trained in two multidisciplinary gender health clinics, one housed in Indiana University Health in Indianapolis, IN, and the other housed in The University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, VT. In addition, they have received broad clinical training providing evidence-based treatment to young people with a range of clinical concerns including anxiety, depression and mood difficulties, trauma, obsessions and compulsions, ADHD, challenges with sleep, minority stress related to LGBTQ+ identities and other social identities, and coping with complex medical conditions, as well as diagnostic and neuropsychological assessment. Her research is also aimed to investigate youth wellbeing related to digital communication use (e.g., social media, text messaging). Dr. Kurup’s approach to therapy is highly collaborative and they strive to create a therapeutic environment that is warm, empowering, and validating.