Linda A. Yerzley, RN, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist

Linda A. Yerzley is a licensed clinical psychologist with master's and doctor's degrees in clinical psychology and a background as a registered nurse.

To her practice of psychology, Dr. Yerzley brings 15 years of nursing experience, including direct patient care, critical care, psychiatric nursing, case management, utilization review and nursing administration, and an additional ten years of experience in psychotherapy and assessment with individuals, couples and groups. She is particularly interested in neuropsychology, the relationship between behavior and skills and brain structures and systems, and in health psychology, the relationship between behavioral factors and illness. Her approach is behavior-oriented and emphasizes helping the patient understand the physiologic effects of psychological problems (mind-body relationship). She has found biofeedback to be an effective adjunctive technique. She has also developed and conducted seminars about various health topics, communications skills, parenting skills and assertiveness training.

A research study (see Abstract) she conducted investigated early attachment experience as a predictor of restenosis after coronary angioplasty. The study found significantly higher levels of avoidance and anxiety in a group of people who had experienced restenosis than the levels in a second group of patients who had not, supporting the hypothesis that poor (perceived or real) early attachment experiences are strongly correlated with the occurrence of restenosis following coronary artery angioplasty.

In addition to her interests in health psychology and neuropsychology, Dr. Yerzley specializes in conditions such as ADD/ADHD (child and adult), Asperger's syndrome, anxiety disorders such as PTSD, mood disorders such as major depressive disorder, relational problems, pain management and the psychological implications of illness.

Dr. Yerzley is a member of the clinical staff at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank and at Sherman Oaks Hospital.