Dr. John Timothy Carey is a licensed California clinical psychologist (PSY21563) with more than two decades of clinical experience, including nearly 19 years with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). His professional experience encompasses psychological and diagnostic evaluations, assessment of psychological functioning and risk, crisis intervention, and treatment of individuals with complex mental health conditions across correctional, community mental health, and outpatient settings.
Dr. Carey began his academic training at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in June 1997. He subsequently earned a Master of Arts in Existential Phenomenological Psychology from Duquesne University in August 1998. Following his relocation to California, he pursued graduate studies at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, earning a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology in August 2003 and a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology in June 2005. His clinical training and early professional experience included work in residential mental health treatment, community counseling, substance abuse services, and child and adolescent mental health.
In July 2007, Dr. Carey joined the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), where he has served as a clinical psychologist for nearly two decades. He initially worked at Deuel Vocational Institution through 2012 within the Correctional Clinical Case Management System (CCCMS) and Enhanced Outpatient Program. Since 2012, he has served at California Medical Facility in Vacaville.
Throughout his CDCR career, Dr. Carey has conducted a broad range of clinical and diagnostic evaluations, including assessments of psychological functioning, suicide risk, cognitive functioning, and intellectual disability. His evaluation experience also includes assessing individuals’ suitability for different levels of mental health care, symptom presentation and consistency, and functional abilities, including their capacity to participate in treatment programming and activities of daily living. In addition to his assessment work, he has provided crisis intervention, clinical consultation, and group therapy to individuals presenting with complex psychiatric conditions and behavioral challenges.
In addition to his public service, Dr. Carey provided outpatient psychotherapy at Psychiatric Alternatives and Wellness Center in San Francisco from 2019 to 2021. Since September 2021, he has maintained an outpatient psychotherapy practice through RULA Mental Health, and since February 2026, has also provided outpatient services through Headway. His clinical work with adults incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic, and Gestalt approaches.
Dr. Carey’s professional background reflects a broad foundation in clinical psychology, psychological and diagnostic evaluation, and the assessment of complex psychological presentations and functional abilities. His experience across correctional, institutional, and community-based settings informs his approach to understanding psychological functioning, clinical needs, and the impact of mental health conditions on daily life.