About Me

Annabel Kady, C.Phil., M.A., is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research and clinical interests focus on advancing interventions for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs), particularly among underserved populations.

Her research examines mindfulness- and self-compassion-based interventions as scalable adjunctive treatments for PTSD and SUDs. She is particularly interested in identifying for whom these interventions are most effective, the mechanisms through which they support trauma recovery, and which treatment components patients find most meaningful. Her dissertation uses quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) among unhoused women receiving residential SUD treatment. Across three studies, her work examines early life adversity as a moderator of MBSR response, emotion regulation and self-compassion as potential mechanisms of MSC-related PTSD improvement, and participants’ perspectives on how MSC supports PTSD and SUD recovery.

Clinically, Annabel is committed to delivering evidence-based, culturally responsive care for trauma-exposed individuals with co-occurring concerns. Her graduate training has included Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and brief psychodynamic interventions. Her research training informs her clinical approach by fostering attention to the mechanisms underlying clients’ difficulties and how clients engage with specific treatment components. Her long-term goal is to develop and evaluate accessible interventions that improve treatment engagement and outcomes for individuals with co-occurring PTSD and SUDs.