Dr. Dee Gaines

Dee Gaines is very unique.

A daughter to a war hero and head-of-homicide police detective Italian father, and an accomplished Yemenite Artist mother, Dee relocated from Israel to the United States at the age of 20, married to an American. Though she has had many years of experience in dance, martial arts, and music, Dee wanted to pursuit higher education. While holding 3 jobs and no car, in a foreign country, she completed her UCLA education in business economics and accounting, and was hired by a top-4 firm, Deloitte.

She quickly realized that people, not numbers, were her main interest, and she became a hypnotherapist, signed up to a full-time PhD program. She married her soul-mate, rabbi, martial artist (see movie "Super Fights") and Chinese Medicine practitioner, Brandon Gaines. Together they have 3 beautiful children (ages 6,4, and 2), all whom Dr. Dee gave birth to during the full-time PhD 6-year program that she completed in 5 years. Now the power couple lectures and teaches in universities, synagogues, and churches, and is embarking on a career in motivational speaking, incorporating the physical arts, science, medicine, psychology, and spirituality.

Dr. Gaines earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and neuropsychology. Dr. Gaines has research experience in neuropsychology related to memory, aging, executive functioning, and children. She has clinical experience in forensic and substance abuse settings with juvenile offenders, parents, and the severely mentally ill, conducting neuropsychological assessments and psychotherapy.

Presently, Dr. Gaines conducts research in neuropsychology and nuclear medicine at the Veterans Health Affairs of Greater Los Angeles with veterans returning from the recent Iraq and Afghanistan wars who are suffering from traumatic brain injury and PTSD. Dr. Gaines has conducted neuropsychological testing for over 150 veterans diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury and PTSD in the past year and received an award for this completed study.

Dr. Gaines is also a clinician trainee at the UCLA Longevity Center in which she is heading a program in developing and implementing patented a treatment method incorporating various techniques (art, neuroscience, imagery, Tai Chi, music, and mindfulness) in memory rehabilitation with patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment and early dementia. Dr. Gaines is also a part-time researcher in a project related to enhancement of assessment methods at the UCLA Neuropsychiatry clinic.