Dr. Stacy T. Watnick is a licensed clinical psychologist with a diverse range of experience and expertise. She’s been working in the field for over 20 years at a variety of agencies and community centers, as well as in private practice. She has been a consultant to the United States Coast Guard, the San Diego Domestic Violence Council, the Director of Clinical Services for the Relationship Training Institute, Clinical Director of Professional Community Services, and the Health Services Training Coordinator for The Center, a full service organization supporting the LGBTQIA+ community of San Diego. Dr. Watnick has supervised pre-doctoral, post-doctoral, MFT and social work interns. She regularly presents at conferences, and has been a guest on local and national television programs in her areas of expertise.

Dr. Watnick has a private practice in South Park, a vibrant neighborhood in central San Diego. She has extensive clinical experience working with substance abuse, trauma, domestic violence, divorce, LGBTQIA+/GSRD issues, and overall sexual health.

Outside of her professional role, she volunteers in alternative sexuality communities, including BDSM, kink, fetish and non-monogamy relationship circles, leading a wide variety of workshops and discussions. She has particular expertise in the soft skills of BDSM play, such as scene design and power-aware negotiation, as well as the intricacies of the rope community.

And a more personal note from Dr. Watnick…

Not long ago I restarted my life after divorce. When it came time to reinstate my maiden name, I realized that I couldn’t simply return to Stacy Beth Watnick. I wasn’t that person anymore. I couldn’t keep Stacy W. Buhbe because I wasn’t that person either, though it would have been easier professionally to keep my married name. No, I needed something else. I had learned and grown so much through the divorce. I needed a name that represented that process and redefined me as the woman I have become today.

I chose Stacy Tikvah Watnick because it incorporated all the parts of me. Stacy is my given first name, and is the name people closest to me use. Watnick is my family name, and represents a carrying forward of tradition, ideas, connection and culture that I value. I chose Tikvah as my middle name because it means “hope” in Hebrew. It signifies a conscious choice to focus on my hopes and dreams going forward, and allows me to carry a positive, growth-oriented frame of mind in my moniker every day.

I bring that hope with me into my work with clients, my relationships with my colleagues, volunteer work in the kink community, and time with my family and friends. I value building safe spaces. I believe they are essential and rare, and treasure every opportunity I have to help create them.