About Process of Change Psychology Center
Hi, and welcome! I’m Dr. Medina Daniels, a trained behavioral scientist and licensed psychologist based in Los Angeles, California.
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I created this psychology center and practice to offer evidence-based, culturally responsive therapy and self-help educational tools that honor the whole person—mind, body, identity, and context. Throughout our clinical services and products, the mission is to make therapy and therapeutic knowledge accessible, authentic, fun, and effective for a wide diversity of folks. ​We are a match for you if you are feeling stuck or are unsure of how to get out from under your difficult emotions and thoughts. Our speciality areas include anxiety, OCD, trauma, mood disorders, addictions, and stress and life transitions.
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In a nutshell, our clinical services and educational products are designed to help people get unstuck, feel more alive, and reconnect with their values, which we believe can be done even in the midst of difficult thoughts and emotions.
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Process of Change's Core Commitments:
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Evidence-based clinical care that integrates body and mind
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Cultural humility and anti-oppressive practices
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Authentic connection over clinical detachment
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Practical tools you can actually use in real life
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Courage over comfort—growth happens at the edge
About Dr. Johnna Medina Daniels
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“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Bio and Professional Journey
My journey in the field of psychology began at Stanford University, where I double-majored in Psychology (health and development) and Art Practice (oil painting)—a combination that continues to inform how I practice: rigorous yet relational, evidence-based yet deeply human.
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My path into clinical psychology began with two years of research at the VA Menlo Park, studying PTSD and substance use in veterans. This experience clarified my commitment to being proficient in both research and clinical practice. I earned my M.A. from SMU and my Ph.D. from UT Austin in 2017, where my dissertation focused on exercise and yoga-based interventions for anxiety and addictive behaviors—work that remains central to my clinical approach today.
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After graduate school, I completed a biobehavioral research training fellowship at Stanford Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, deepening my expertise in mind-body interventions (including self-hypnosis) and the pathophysiological mechanisms of stress and medical illness (such as dysregulated cortisol rhythms). During this time, I refined my clinical skills in addiction medicine, dual-diagnosis treatment, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I joined the clinical faculty of Stanford's Addiction Medicine/Dual-Diagnosis Clinic in 2019 while simultaneously launching a small private practice in San Francisco's Sunset District.
In 2020, amid the pandemic and significant personal transitions, I gained clarity about what mattered most. I made the decision to leave academic medicine, return to Los Angeles to reconnect with my roots, and focus on building the practice I had been envisioning. That pivotal choice led me to create the Process of Change—a practice grounded in authenticity, evidence-based care, and the courage to refresh the therapeutic space with some fun and creativity. ​
I identify as a BIPOC clinical psychologist and 4th-generation Mexican American. I see myself as both scientist and artist—someone who values precision and creativity, evidence and intuition, structure and spontaneity. Outside of my clinical work, I enjoy life in Los Angeles with my family—my husband, our 1-year-old son, and our two senior dogs. I continue my own practice of yoga, which remains both a personal anchor and a clinical passion that informs my mind-body approach to therapy.
Identity and Personal Interests
In my research, I've co-authored over 15 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.
You can review my NIH bibliography here, and see an overview of my academic background and clinical proficiencies here.
Education and Training
2017
Ph.D.
Clinical Psychology / Clinical Science
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), Department of Psychology
2013
M.A.
Psychology
Southern Methodist University
2017-2019
Postdoctoral Fellowship
NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship Stanford University School of Medicine
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2016-2017
Predoctoral Internship in Psychology​
Bruce Carter VA Medical Center
Miami, FL
2009
Undergraduate
B.A. Psychology
B.A. Art Practice
Stanford University
Los Angeles, CA