Meet Dr. Andrea Brard | Clinical Psychologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Andrea Brard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Andrea, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My practice is dedicated to supporting children, teens, young adults, and adults with autism in building emotional regulation, confidence, independence, and stronger day-to-day functioning. I specialize in working with neurodivergent individuals and helping families navigate the behavioral, social, emotional, and parenting challenges that often accompany autism spectrum disorder. I also treat commonly co-occurring concerns such as anxiety, OCD, ADHD, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral difficulties, using practical, individualized strategies tailored to each person and family’s unique needs.

As a UCLA-trained Clinical Psychologist, I provide compassionate, evidence-based care with the goal of helping clients feel more confident, emotionally regulated, and successful both at home and in school. I also collaborate with parents, schools, and other providers to ensure that progress extends beyond the therapy room and into daily life. My hope is that through this work, families not only experience symptom relief, but also gain the tools, understanding, and support needed to create lasting positive change and a greater sense of well-being within their communities.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets my practice apart is my specialized training in treating complex mental health presentations, particularly when concerns such as anxiety, OCD, emotional dysregulation, or behavioral challenges co-occur with autism or other neurodevelopmental differences. I also highly value parent collaboration because therapy is often most effective when parents feel supported and equipped with practical tools they can use at home to help their child succeed.

I’m especially passionate about working with complex cases where families may feel stuck or discouraged because previous therapy has not been effective. I’m very outcomes-driven, which often means being flexible, creative, and willing to think beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. Building my practice taught me the importance of persistence, adaptability, and continual growth.

What I want the world to know is that people do not have to simply continue living with overwhelming struggles or assume that nothing will help. My goal is always to help clients and families feel understood, supported, and hopeful while working toward meaningful, lasting change.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I may be biased because I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but I genuinely think you could spend weeks here and still not experience everything the city has to offer. If my best friend were visiting for a week, I’d want the trip to feel like a mix of amazing food, culture, adventure, and those classic LA moments that make you feel like you’re in a movie.

We would definitely spend a lot of time eating our way through the city because LA has some of the best food in the world. One night might be a Michelin-rated restaurant with an incredible tasting menu, and the next could be tacos from a tiny hole-in-the-wall spot that somehow ends up being even more memorable. I’d plan beach days with long lunches by the ocean in Santa Monica or Venice, museum visits during the daytime, and salsa dancing at night because LA has such a fun social dance scene.

I think that’s what makes Los Angeles so special — you can have world-class art, incredible food, the beach, live music, and fascinating people from all over the world all in the same city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to give a shoutout to my fellowship mentor, Anna Lau, at University of California, Los Angeles. She played an important role in my professional development by providing me with exceptional training, mentorship, and guidance during my time at UCLA. Her support helped shape the way I approach clinical work today, particularly my commitment to evidence-based care, thoughtful collaboration, and providing high-quality support to children, teens, and families. I’m very grateful for the opportunities and learning experiences I gained through that training.

Website: https://www.drandreabrard.com/

Image Credits
Kate White