Brian D. Wexler, PhD

Brian Wexler, PhD, is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with a background in health psychology, family and child issues, and forensic psychology.  He completed post-graduate training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Dr. Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy.

Dr. Wexler was the first psychologist to join a team of primary care providers at Eisenhower Health.  As a core faculty member and the Director of Behavioral Health with the Eisenhower Family Medicine Residency Program, Dr. Wexler coordinates the Behavioral Health, Community Medicine, and Wellness curriculum.  He is actively advancing an integrated health care model and collaborating and consulting with physicians on a daily basis.  He completed a fellowship as a Behavioral Science/Family Systems Educator with the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine, and he is a founding member and a team leader with the Coachella Valley Street Medicine Outreach Team.

Dr. Wexler completed his doctoral education in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego with a focus on Health Psychology and Family/Child psychology; he also completed a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at Pepperdine University, and double majored as an undergraduate student at UC Irvine. 

When asked about his approach to treatment, Dr. Wexler explains, “My emphasis is on cognitive behavioral psychology, which is essentially the recognition that ‘how we think about our experience contributes to how we feel and how we act’.  My goal is to help patients learn how to integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) skills with the goal of optimizing health.  Teaching concepts of health psychology and mindfulness are extraordinarily valuable.”  Regarding his teamwork with primary care, he shares, “Many people don’t realize that our primary care physicians are often the first to learn about behavioral health challenges presented by our patients.  They commonly experience depression, anxiety, stress, or issues that affect health and lifestyle.  I collaborate with colleagues to help our patients learn how to more effectively manage and resolve these issues.”  

As a native of Palm Springs, Dr. Wexler has a love for the outdoors, travels and treks near and far, and looks for innovative ways to integrate psychology into health care.  Dr. Wexler provides patient care in Palm Springs and La Quinta.