Clinical and forensic psychologist Carren J. Stika, PhD holds California Psychology License PSY 13613 and practices at 3821 Front Street in Hillcrest. Stika earned her doctorate from Syracuse University in 1989 and is fluent in American Sign Language, an accessibility specialization rare among the Hillcrest psychology bench that includes Elizabeth W. Twamley, PHD. Her published research includes the development and psychometric evaluation of a health-related quality of life instrument for adults with adult-onset hearing loss, a niche that informs her direct-ASL work with Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. The forensic side of the practice covers psychological evaluations and expert testimony, a scope distinct from strictly clinical caseloads such as the one run by Dr. Melissa E. Munoz. The most involved engagements combine standardized psychological assessment, ongoing psychotherapy, and forensic report-writing for adult clients with hearing loss who need ASL-direct evaluation rather than interpreter-mediated sessions.