Max Maisel, PHD
Max Maisel, PhD is a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (e.g., tics/Tourette’s, Pure-O presentations, obsessional rumination, sensorimotor OCD, and body-focused repetitive behaviors) who blends compassion with clarity and evidence-based strategies to help people reclaim lives that feel meaningful and whole.
As the founder and clinical director of Beachfront Anxiety Specialists in Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, and online, Max leads a boutique practice devoted to precision care, prioritizing not just symptom reduction, but durable psychological flexibility, relational connection, and values-driven living. He specializes in integrating change-focused evidence-based practices such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), CBT, and Meta-Cognitive Therapy (MCT), all strategies that empower clients to interrupt unhelpful cycles without becoming stuck in avoidance or reassurance-seeking.
Max earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Brigham Young University’s APA-accredited doctoral program and completed his pre-doctoral internship at California State University, Northridge, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at Loyola Marymount University. Across more than a decade of clinical work, he has treated people of all ages, from children to adults, in diverse clinical settings including university counseling centers, community mental health, specialized anxiety and OCD clinics, veteran health systems, and residential treatment programs.
Max has a deep clinical focus on OCD subtypes that are often misunderstood or under-recognized. This includes sensorimotor OCD (obsessive focus on internal sensations), relationship OCD (ROCD), Tourettic OCD (the often tricky interaction between OCD and tics/Tourette syndrome) and body-focused repetitive behaviors such as hair-pulling and skin-picking. Through his writing, workshops, and media appearances, he works to increase awareness of these presentations and help clinicians and clients alike approach them in compassionate, evidence-grounded ways.
In addition to his clinical work, he is passionate about his role as a speaker and trainer who has presented on evidence-based treatment for anxiety and OCD to doctoral programs, professional associations, and clinical training forums, and he regularly contributes to magazines and podcasts as a mental health expert, including Your Anxiety Toolkit and No Supervision. He also provides supervision and consultation to clinicians and post-doctoral fellows, and serves as a contracted consultant with The Next Level Consulting, supporting clinicians and treatment centers across the country.
Max’s work is informed not only by science, but by a belief that therapy is a relationship before it is a technique, and that meaningful change happens when people learn how to engage fear and discomfort without letting them dictate their lives. He helps clients identify what matters most to them and supports them in stepping toward those values even when internal experience feels overwhelming.
Max maintains active professional affiliations with the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), where he serves in leadership roles and continues to advocate for behavior-analytic, context-driven approaches to psychological care.
Outside of clinical work, Max enjoys exploring nature with his family, bingeing on the latest series (Netflix & Hulu), playing video games, hanging out with his two cats, and playing tennis throughout the South Bay, pursuits that remind him that growth often happens outside of comfort zones.
Therapy with Dr. Max, PhD
Online or in-person. I also offer extended session times which are often appropriate for clients seeking relief from OCD, as it allows for enough time to practice behavior change strategies in session. Typically, meetings are weekly or bi-weekly.
50 mins | $275 | Get started