About the Author: Ramani Durvasula

Dr. Ramani Durvasula (“Dr. Ramani”) is Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles and a licensed clinical psychologist. She is also co-host and featured therapist on Oxygen’s docuseries “My Shopping Addiction.” Dr. Durvasula completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Connecticut. She earned her master’s and doctorate in clinical psychology at UCLA, and completed her clinical internship at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. The American Association of University Women awarded her the 2003 Emerging Scholar Award. In 2012, she was the recipient of the Outstanding Professor Award from California State University Los Angeles in recognition of her exceptional record of teaching, scholarship, mentorship and university service. She has published over 30 peer reviewed articles and chapters in neuropsychology, clinical psychology and health psychology, and presented 85 research papers at conferences in the US and around the world. In addition, she is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Los Angeles.

Dr. Durvasula has been widely featured on a variety of television programming including Bravo’s THINtervention as well as on the Dr. Oz Show, the Today Show, Dr. Drew’s LifeChangers, Dr. Drew on HLN, the Jeff Probst Show, Anderson, Nancy Grace, Good Morning America, the History Channel, CNN, E! True Hollywood Story, E! Investigates, the Joy Behar Show, Fox, KCBS News, Entertainment Tonight, the Insider, the Cooking Channel, and FitTV. Her work and expert opinion have been cited in numerous media outlets including Marie Claire, Glamour, Maxim, Prevention, Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, the New York Daily News, Details, the LA Times, Self, More, Redbook, Allure, and various internet media. Dr. Durvasula is a contributor and guest expert for WebMD, an expert contributor to Sharecare, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Ganley Foundation and the Dr. Oz Show.

For the past 15 years Dr. Durvasula has conducted research on a variety of issues including the neuropsychiatric aspects of HIV, sexual risk behaviors, substance use, psychosocial factors and health, eating disorders, and health behaviors including eating, preventative health, and sexuality and her research has been and is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health. She was the chair of the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Psychology and AIDS, and is presently the Vice Chair elect of the APA’s Committee on Women and Psychology. More recently, Dr. Durvasula has been exploring the role of mental health in the media, and exploring global issues such as the health issues faced by trafficked girls and women, with a special focus on women living with HIV/AIDS. Her teaching encompasses a wide range of topics including introductory psychology, psychopathology, research design, health psychology, clinical psychology, assessment, and substance use.

Dr. Durvasula resides in Los Angeles with her two daughters, Maya and Shanti. Her spare moments in Los Angeles are spent with her daughters, exquisitely patient friends, and her partner Bill Pruitt, an Emmy-award winning producer. She is an avid (albeit average) musician, traveler and adventuress who loves playing the piano for her children, traveling to odd corners of the planet, hiking, scuba diving, camping, eclipses, trudging up mountains, full moons, and anything else that doesn’t require a roof over her head.