- Psy.D. Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology
- MA. Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology
- MA General Psychology, Pepperdine University
- BA Design, Psychology, and Afrikaans, Brigham Young University
- Licensed Psychologist in CA, IL, and UT since 2000
Dr. Christopher Tolen is a licensed Clinical Psychologist. He started his mental health career in 1991 and eventually earned his Doctorate in psychology in 1999. Throughout his career, he has worked decades in the support of adolescents, young adults, and families. He has focused his profession with a commitment to evidence-based methods and practices.
Dr. Tolen is trained in Brainspotting, Trauma-Focused CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and Applied Behavioral Analysis. He has served as a therapist, program director, clinical director, supervising psychologist, an APA internship director, and an Executive Director. He has experience working in outpatient therapy, corrections, residential treatment, and wilderness therapy. He is the founder of two successful businesses including an outpatient therapy program and an aftercare transition program. As a clinical psychologist, he has provided psychological testing evaluations for youth and young adults across the country and in multiple settings including schools, homes, therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, and wilderness therapy programs.
Dr. Tolen was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico and lived his childhood in both Sitka, Alaska and Santa Fe. He is the son of two public school teachers and was raised to appreciate and value culture, exploration, adventure, and family. His travels and aftercare therapy work have taken him to nearly every state in the union, to the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Africa. He and his wife have been married since 1994, and are the proud parents of four children and a growing number of grandchildren. He and his wife have two sons with autism, one of whom completed wilderness therapy. In his free time, he enjoys sports, reading, movies, travel, spending time with his family, and singing barbershop.