Christine Gerchow, PHD

Christine Gerchow, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist (PSY 29762) and UC Berkeley Ph.D. with a trailblazing and transformative career as a psychologist, supervisor, health services administrator, nonprofit board member, and university lecturer.

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Dr. Gerchow is an esteemed expert in adolescent psychology and transitional age youth.

Clinical and leadership experience:

Dr. Gerchow served as a psychologist and team lead at John A. Davis Juvenile Hall in Contra Costa County, Supervising Psychologist of Contra Costa County’s Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) and as the Director of Juvenile Justice Health Services in Alameda County. Currently, Dr. Gerchow works as a psychologist on the Telemental Health team at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

Certifications:

Dr. Gerchow holds certifications as a correctional health care professional (CCHP), qualified medical evaluator (QME), and credentialed school psychologist. She also has a certificate in First Responder Psychology from the Wright Institute.

Elected and appointed roles:

In 2023, Dr. Gerchow was elected to the California Psychological Association (CPA) Board of Directors for Division 1 – Clinical and Professional Practice. She served as Chair in 2025 and will continue as Past Chair in 2026. Previously, Dr. Gerchow served on Contra Costa County’s Racial Justice Task Force and on UC Berkeley’s Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Student Mental Health.

Publications and teaching:

Dr. Gerchow contributes her specialized knowledge of psychology through articles, book chapters, conference keynotes, and professional presentations. She has also served as a lecturer in developmental psychology and consultation at UC Berkeley.

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Dr. Gerchow earned her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, a master’s degree from the University of Southern California (Order of Arête), and a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University, where she was elected and served as student body president.

Dr. Gerchow’s experience positions her as a leading provider of psychological services, including expert youthful-offender and diversion evaluations and the development and delivery of interventions for justice-system-involved youth, teens, and adults.

TESTIMONIALS

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There are very few people who I would recommend enthusiastically and without reservations when it comes to advising and providing support to youth. Dr. Christine Gerchow is at the top of that short list. Her ability to relate to youth and their families, understand the nature of the issues, and develop useful solutions is unparalleled.

Frank Worrell

Distinguished Professor, University of California, Berkeley. Former President, American Psychological Association (2022)

Christine has the creative mind, methodological rigor and unstinting work discipline of the best Berkeley trained human scientists. She would be natural for top academic or public policy positions (where her skills and engaging personality are badly needed). Yet it is her quite unusual capacity for empathetic understanding of complex relationships…

Jonathan Simon

Lance Robbins Professor of Criminal Justice Law. UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall)

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