Meet Stacy Bemis, PsyD
Dr. Stacy Bemis is a licensed clinical psychologist based in Orange County, California. Below, she shares her approach to therapy and offers insight into her clinical training, professional journey, and areas of interest.
If you’re considering working with Dr. Bemis, she offers a complimentary 15-minute phone call to answer any questions you may have and give you a sense of what it may be like to work together.
About
My path to becoming a psychologist was not always a straight course. Due to my longstanding interest in art, I initially left the University of Southern California (USC) to attend Parsons School of Design in New York City before realizing that another direction was calling me home. After a year at Parsons, I returned to USC, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Psychology. What began as a desire to better understand myself, my family, and the complexities of human behavior ultimately became a meaningful career dedicated to helping others navigate their own lives.
During my doctoral training, I explored many areas of psychology and worked with diverse populations across a variety of settings, including neuropsychological assessment, evaluations for ADHD and autism spectrum disorder, forensic evaluations, juvenile competency evaluations, and psychotherapy for individuals experiencing serious mental illness. Each experience became another port along my journey, broadening my perspective and helping me discover where I wanted to anchor my professional focus.
I ultimately found my course in the treatment of severe mental illness. I completed my APA-accredited internship at Metropolitan State Hospital, where I received specialized training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for adult inpatients with borderline personality disorder.
This experience inspired me to pursue an APA-accredited postdoctoral fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where I served as Assistant Clinical Director, supervised graduate students, and further developed my training in evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, standard outpatient DBT, Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Today, through Bemis Psychology, I provide individual psychotherapy to adults and conduct court-ordered competency evaluations pursuant to California Penal Code § 1368. My clinical interests include depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders.
Perhaps because my own path was not always a straight line, I understand that life does not always follow the course we imagined. Sometimes we encounter unexpected currents, lose our bearings, or realize that the direction we have been traveling no longer serves us. Sometimes we find ourselves lost at sea, needing to explore new waters before discovering where we want to go. Changing course is not a sign that you have failed—it can be the beginning of discovering where you truly want to go.
As a psychologist, my role is not to steer your life for you, but to help you find your bearings, understand the waters you are navigating, and develop the skills and confidence to chart a course that is more aligned with your values.
My Approach
Beginning therapy often means sharing some of your deepest vulnerabilities with another person. I do not take that trust lightly. I strive to create a safe, compassionate, and nonjudgmental space where you can feel comfortable being honest, exploring difficult experiences, and deepening your understanding of yourself.
Therapy is a space to be seen, heard, and understood—but it can also be a place where meaningful change begins. I believe you deserve high-quality, evidence-based care that goes beyond simply managing symptoms. Meaningful change is about more than feeling better in the moment; it can mean breaking patterns that no longer serve you, building healthier relationships, developing new ways to respond to life’s challenges, and gaining a deeper understanding of yourself. It can mean recognizing your inherent worth, reconnecting with what matters most, and developing the confidence to move forward with greater clarity and purpose.
Through our work, you will gain practical skills, develop new perspectives, and build the capacity to navigate challenges more effectively. My approach combines proven therapeutic methods with practical tools to help you become more empowered, resilient, and capable of creating lasting change. Therapy can be a transformative process—one that not only helps you navigate difficult seasons, but also supports you in building a life that feels more meaningful, authentic, and reflective of who you are.