Meet Wendi Benalt, M.D.

Wendi Benalt, MD, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist at Adelpha Psychiatric Group in Encino, California.

Dr. Benalt graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied biology, psychology, and neuroscience. She went on to pursue her medical education at UCLA, where she graduated second in her class and served as co-president of the University’s chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.

A passion for women’s health led Dr. Benalt to complete a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania and a surgical fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Through this work, she had the enormous privilege of walking beside patients as they experienced the greatest joys and tragedies that life had to offer, and in doing so, she discovered that her passion wasn’t for surgery but for the human connection that comes with taking care of patients. She left OBGYN and, after a lot of soul-searching, returned to UCLA, where she completed her psychiatry residency and served as the Chief Resident of Reproductive Psychiatry.

Dr. Benalt enjoys treating patients with diverse mental health issues, using an approach that integrates targeted psychotherapy and medication management. She is particularly interested in women’s mental health (conditions specific to the menstrual cycle, infertility, pregnancy, the postpartum period, and the menopausal transition) and LGBTQ+ issues. She has experience with multiple psychotherapeutic modalities, including psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, and Gestalt therapies.

Dr. Benalt is a member of the Volunteer Clinical Faculty at UCLA, where she supervises residents and fellows in reproductive psychiatry at the Women’s Life Center.