Madhur Kulkarni, PhD

she/her

About me

“My goal is to help you get unstuck and create a more fulfilling life. I will help you to identify/overcome obstacles, build on your unique strengths, and teach you new skills needed for long-term change. My approach integrates a warm, thoughtful, and direct style with well-researched, therapeutic techniques. I have a strong background in treating trauma/post-traumatic stress (e.g., family, community violence, first responders, unexpected deaths, war, race-based trauma) and substance use/addiction.
I can help you address a wide range of other concerns, including anxiety, depression, anger, grief, managing daily stress, and relationship difficulties. I also enjoy working with culturally diverse clients struggling with discrimination and/or facing other cross-cultural stressors.”

Dr. Kulkarni is a Clinical Psychologist at the Veteran Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in the Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Clinical Team, where she delivers specialized treatment to clients with post-traumatic stress disorders and co-occurring conditions, such as depressed mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders.  Her treatment approach also often incorporates Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Prolonged Exposure therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD.  Dr. Kulkarni’s past research on PTSD, substance misuse, suicide prevention, and the difficulties related to various types of trauma exposure (i.e., child abuse, domestic violence, war, and police-duty) inform her treatment approach. Additionally, her previous clinical and research experience focused on culturally diverse patients has sensitized her to the importance of cultural factors when working with clients from multiple backgrounds (e.g., ethnicity, sexuality, socio-economic status, gender). 

Clinics I work in

General, Trauma Recovery Clinic

Training and Experience

Graduate School: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Internship: VA Palo Alto Health Care System
Post-doctoral Fellowship: Stanford University – Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; VA Palo Alto Health Care System

License

26959