Bio

Dr. Altamirano is a Clinical Psychologist at Stanford University’s INSPIRE Training Program, specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp). She works in both outpatient and inpatient settings, with primary clinical appointments at the INSPIRE Clinic, which focuses on early psychosis, and ALMA Clinic, which serves Spanish-speaking individuals of Latin American background experiencing anxiety and mood disorders. As a native Spanish speaker, Dr. Altamirano blends her expertise in psychotic-spectrum disorders with an understanding of the cultural influences shaping Latinx/a/o clinical presentations.

Dr. Altamirano's main research and clinical interests center on cultural adaptations to psychosocial treatments for psychotic-spectrum disorders. As part of the EPI-CAL initiative, she serves as a CBTp trainer for community clinicians and provides ongoing consultation, contributing to the development of a network of early psychosis programs across California. Through Stanford’s INSPIRE Training Program, she also delivers CBTp training and consultation that extends beyond California.

Dr. Altamirano is a dedicated educator and mentor. She co-teaches the undergraduate course "Destigmatizing Psychosis: I Thought I Heard My Name," and is working to expand this course into community and graduate student settings. She serves as an academic mentor and postdoctoral supervisor within the Stanford Clinical Psychology Fellowship program, and advises graduate students in the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium.

She additionally serves as the Chair of the Psychosis and Schizophrenia Spectrum Special Interest Group (PASS SIG) at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) and as the co-chair of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion team at the North America CBTp Network. Reflecting her commitment to educational equity, Dr. Altamirano is also a Board member of the South County California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP), where she supports efforts to promote higher education opportunities for underserved students—a mission informed by her own experience navigating the K-12 to higher education pipeline as a Cal-SOAP alumna. Her dedication to expanding access extends internationally: she co-taught a version of the "Destigmatizing Psychosis" course in Mexico, mentors visiting international research interns, and is actively working to develop CBTp training in Mexico, reflecting her commitment to expanding culturally responsive, evidence-based mental health care across borders. Students and colleagues interested in these efforts are encouraged to reach out.

Clinical Focus

  • Clinical Psychology

Academic Appointments

  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

  • Chair, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Psychosis and Schizophrenia Spectrum Special Interest Group (PASS SIG) (2026 - Present)
  • Co-Chair, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion team at the North America CBTp Network (NACBTp) (2025 - Present)
  • Board Member, South County California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) (2024 - Present)

Professional Education

  • Fellowship: Stanford University Adult Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023) CA
  • Internship: Sacramento VA Medical Center Psychology Training Program (2022) CA
  • PhD Training: University of Miami Office of the Registrar (2022) FL

Contact

  • Clinical (Primary)  Department of Psychiatry 401 Quarry Rd Stanford, CA 94305 (650) 723-2269 (fax)

Additional Clinical Info

Additional Info

Links

2025-26 Courses

All Publications

  • 'I Thought I Heard My Name', an Undergraduate Class Aimed at Destigmatizing Psychosis Chari, S., Altamirano, O. WILEY. 2025

    View details for Web of Science ID 001718326500164

  • Emergency Psychiatric Assistance: Black Individuals' Perceptions of Police and Other Factors That Influence Mental Health Service Seeking PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY-RESEARCH AND PRACTICE Altamirano, O., de Mamani, A. 2024; 55 (3): 278-288

    View details for DOI 10.1037/pro0000571

    View details for Web of Science ID 001350329800005

  • A Pilot Study to Assess the Feasibility and Efficacy of a Transdiagnostic, Religiously/Spiritually-Integrated, Culturally Informed Therapy SPIRITUALITY IN CLINICAL PRACTICE de Mamani, A., Lopez, D., McLaughlin, M. M., Ahmad, S., Altamirano, O. 2023; 10 (3): 233-244

    View details for DOI 10.1037/scp0000308

    View details for Web of Science ID 000884484400001

  • The association between perceived racial discrimination and subclinical symptoms of psychosis JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH Lopez, D., Altamirano, O., Weisman de Mamani, A. 2022; 31 (1): 14-21

    Abstract

    Schizophrenia is one of the most disabling disorders with the poorest outcomes. Cross-cultural research indicates an association between perceived racial discrimination and depression, anxiety, general psychological distress, and psychotic-spectrum disorders. Studies also find that coping moderates the relationship between discrimination and depression. Assessing subclinical symptoms may be useful in prevention efforts.The study aims to (1) assess if perceived racial discrimination is associated with psychosis subclinical symptoms among a non-clinical sample and (2) examine the role of maladaptive coping and depression, anxiety, and stress.The sample consisted of 261 ethnic minority undergraduate students. A structural equation model using a subclinical psychosis latent variable within a moderated mediation model assessed relationships between racial discrimination, maladaptive coping, depression, anxiety, and stress, and subclinical psychosis.Perceived racial discrimination was associated with greater subclinical symptoms of psychosis through increased depression, anxiety, and stress at greater levels of maladaptive coping.Knowing risk factors that can be targeted, such as perceived discrimination and maladaptive coping, may have implications for vulnerable populations.

    View details for DOI 10.1080/09638237.2020.1793120

    View details for Web of Science ID 000548940500001

    View details for PubMedID 32662709

  • Risk and Resiliency Factors Related to Dementia Caregiver Mental HealthPalabras clave(sic)(sic)(sic) FAMILY PROCESS Altamirano, O., Weisman de Mamani, A. 2021; 60 (3): 904-919

    Abstract

    Prevalence rates for dementia are expected to rise exponentially as the elderly population rises. With this comes a corresponding increase in the number of family members who will become dementia caregivers. Caregivers of people with dementia often experience a deterioration in mental health. Identifying factors that relate to caregiver mental health is necessary to develop appropriate interventions. The current study explored how family functioning (measured with a latent variable that includes family cohesion, family balance, and family communication), caregiver expressed emotion (EE), and patient symptom severity related to caregiver mental health (measured with a latent variable that includes depression, anxiety, and stress). Participants included 107 dementia caregivers. The following specific hypotheses were tested: lower levels of both (1) EE and (2) patient symptom severity, and (3) higher levels of family functioning would be related to better caregiver mental health. Results produced a well-fitting model: X2 (18) = 14.858, p = .672; CFI = 1.00; RMSEA = .00; SRMR = .037. Moreover, results indicated that better family functioning (Ɣ = -3.54, SE = 1.34, p = .008), lower levels of caregiver EE (β = .36, SE = 0.07, p < .01), and higher patient symptom severity (β = -3.03, SE = 0.88, p = .001) were related to better caregiver mental health. Results from this study suggest that efforts to bolster family functioning (i.e., enhance communication, promote cohesion, encourage flexibility) could help improve caregiver mental health.

    View details for DOI 10.1111/famp.12569

    View details for Web of Science ID 000545408800001

    View details for PubMedID 32619332

  • Pediatric Posttraumatic Stress Altamirano, O., Carrion, V. G. edited by Noll, J. G., Shalev SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG. 2018: 71–88

    View details for DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-72589-5_6

    View details for Web of Science ID 000447921900006

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7918-4273