About Dr. Mariela G. Shibley
Dr. Mariela G. Shibley, a native of Argentina, is a clinical and forensic psychologist, a psychoanalyst, and the owner of Shibley Psychology in San Diego, California. She specializes in issues around acculturation, immigration, and trauma and is a leading expert in conducting psychological evaluations for USCIS and Immigration Court.
Since 2007, she has conducted and supervised over 2,000 such evaluations and has provided court testimony, training, and education on immigration and mental health. She is a regular guest speaker at conferences of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the author of Conducting Immigration Evaluations: A Practical Guide for Mental Health Professionals, published by Routledge in 2022.
As an immigrant herself, Mariela intimately understands the fear, uncertainty, and challenges of navigating the U.S. immigration system. Her journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic when she expanded her practice to train other mental health professionals in conducting immigration evaluations. Initially a way to sustain her practice during uncertain times, her training programs have since evolved into a mission-driven effort to elevate the quality and accessibility of immigration evaluations nationwide.
Mariela's training programs serve a dual purpose: to equip professionals with the skills to provide impactful evaluations and to maintain accessibility for underserved communities by keeping her own evaluation fees reasonable. These hands-on, personalized training sessions not only teach technical skills but also instill confidence and a deep understanding of the systemic issues that immigrants face.
She believes that collective action is key to leveling the playing field against the challenges posed by the U.S. immigration system. Through her clinical practice, training programs, and advocacy, Dr. Shibley is empowering a network of skilled practitioners to create meaningful change and ensure justice for individuals and families navigating the complexities of immigration.
Dr. Shibley supervises both licensed and unlicensed mental health professionals within her private practice and is adjunct faculty at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University.
She is also the Director of Mental Health Services at the University of California San Diego Student-Run Free Clinic Project and the Founder and Executive Director of Immigration Psychology Partnerships, a nonprofit that provides affordable immigration evaluations for those with limited financial means.
Dr. Shibley is on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Psychological Association, where she is also an active member of the Forensic Committee and the former chairperson of the Ethics Committee, and she is the Candidate Director at Large on the Board of Directors of the American Psychoanalytic Association.