Ruben Martinez, PhD

Ruben G. Martinez is a clinical psychologist working to improve large systems of care for youth experiencing mental health problems. His research sits at the intersection of clinical and implementation sciences, and his research is heavily informed by his clinical experiences. Dr. Martinez's implementation research focuses on implementing and optimizing measurement-based care and other Evidence-Based practices (EBPs) through practical implementation methods, His clinical research relates to the therapy process — the behaviors and processes that happen in therapy that lead clients to change and improve — particularly in EBPs such as cognitive behavioral therapy.

Dr. Martinez is passionate about teaching and clinical work. He earned his PhD at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020 and completed his predoctoral residency and postdoctoral fellowship at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. While not currently practicing, he has experience working across multiple levels of care — from primary care to inpatient psychiatric units. He mainly specializes in the treatment of childhood anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder and severe and co-occurring psychiatric issues. Clinically, he teaches about measurement-based care, culturally compassionate anxiety treatment, case conceptualization, Evidence-Based assessment, and iatrogenic medical trauma. He frequently gives invited didactics and has served as a clinical and adjunct instructor in psychiatric and university settings.