Dr. Josh Hedshot

D R. J O S H

I help people break lifelong patterns, not just understand them.

I’m a Licensed Psychologist in Beverly Hills (PSY 31895) specializing in high impact and high-functioning people who look capable on the outside but carry complex histories, intense emotions, or unresolved trauma. Many come to me after years of therapy because they want depth, direction, and a therapist who won’t collude with avoidance. For nearly 20 years, I’ve worked at the intersection of trauma, identity, relationships, and high-pressure distress, drawing from psychodynamic therapy, contextual trauma theory, attachment science, and direct, honest feedback. I don’t sit back, I work alongside you.

I’ve trained and practiced in hospitals, universities, community mental health, and private practice, helping clients navigate identity, family systems, addiction, compulsive behaviors, and the emotional demands of high-stakes lives.

WHAT SETS MY WORK APART

  • Direct, warm, no-nonsense feedback

  • Depth-oriented trauma and identity work

  • Tools that translate into your actual daily life

  • Work that creates change between sessions, not only in them

  • Specialization in clients who are high-functioning but internally overwhelmed

  • Comfort navigating complicated family systems, cultural identity, and LGBTQ+ experiences

  • What consistently drives my work: Helping people dismantle the emotional armor they’ve relied on—and outgrown

TREATMENT APPROACHES

PSYCHODYNAMIC

Psychodynamic work accesses unconscious mind to uncover patterns from past experiences. It can help you gain insight into how these influence your relationships today, and ways in which these unresolved patterns impact self-worth.

 

CBT

CBT helps you identify and reframe negative thought patterns to develop healthier behaviors and responses. It’s a practicala approach designed to address specific challenges like anxiety, depression, and stress.

 

DBT

DBT focuses on building skills in mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. It’s effective for those experiencing intense emotions, relationship difficulties, or injurious behaviors.

SPECIFIC TRAININGS

CONTEXTUAL TRAUMA

The Contextual Trauma Theory model views trauma as a complex experience shaped by an individual's personal history, relationships, cultural background, and environment. It emphasizes how these contexts influence how trauma is experienced and healed within a broader system. Contextual trauma teaches unlearned skills.

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a client-centered, collaborative approach designed to help individuals overcome ambivalence and find their own motivation for change. It emphasizes empathy and the exploration of a person's values and goals. Commitment evolves.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Trained in the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2), the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-IV), the Rorshach Inkblot Test, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Other measures are used as well.