Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Rula Razek Klee
“It was so enriching and humbling to be a young parent in graduate school. I was learning about child development and attachment theory in classes while experiencing the transition to parenthood and all that brings with it at home,” explained Dr. Rula Razek Klee, a graduate of the Wright Institute’s Clinical Psychology program and current part-time core faculty member in the Wright Institute’s Counseling Psychology program. “I felt like my training as a psychologist was informed by this simultaneous process of becoming a mother, raising young children, working clinically with children and adults, and developing myself as a parent.” Overall, Dr. Klee feels that the experience made her a better parent and a better therapist.
Dr. Klee was raised in the midwest as the eldest daughter of two physicians. From an early age, she assumed that she would follow her parents’ path to medical school, but she developed a love of literature and writing and was inspired to pursue that passion in her undergraduate studies at Stanford University. “Literature, art, and social theory fascinated me, and they offered tangible ways for me to understand people, culture, and politics. I find that there are many parallels with the work that I do now,” she shared. “Reading a novel involves a kind of empathy. You are seeing the world through someone else’s eyes and developing a deep understanding of their story and perspective, which is what we do as therapists.”
After graduating, Dr. Klee moved to New York and worked as a writer and editor for several years, including as a weekly columnist for USA Weekend magazine, where she wrote about technology and the internet. In 2002, Dr. Klee returned to Stanford to complete her Ph.D. and pursue an academic career in literature and cultural theory. Returning to Stanford’s campus felt like going home, but after completing her master’s degree, Dr. Klee decided to make a career pivot. “It was a very difficult decision at the time, but I was questioning whether I wanted to dedicate myself to a full-time academic career,” she explained. “I realized that while I loved teaching, reading, and writing, I disliked the solitary aspects of literary research and wanted a more service-driven career where I could directly engage and help people in meaningful ways.”
During her time at Stanford, Dr. Klee taught a freshman writing course that was an eye-opening experience and ultimately planted the seeds for her decision to become a psychologist. “I was teaching first year college students who were going through this huge transition, and some of them had pretty significant mental health struggles,” she reflected. “As a writing instructor, I met with each student regularly to discuss their work, and these individual meetings often evolved into discussions about the students’ lives. They were preoccupied with questions related to identity, independence, and finding a path in life. At the same time, they were experiencing pressures from parents and peers, and putting a tremendous amount of pressure on themselves.” Dr. Klee realized that while she enjoyed facilitating the students’ academic development, she also found meaning in supporting them personally. This discovery planted the seed for her to pursue a career in psychology.
After deciding to make this shift, Dr. Klee earned a post-baccalaureate certificate in psychology from Columbia University. The program allowed her to take prerequisite psychology courses while simultaneously working in a lab as a research assistant. While there, Dr. Klee was first introduced to psychodynamic theory and research. “I attended a fascinating lecture by Dr. Beatrice Beebe, a psychoanalyst known for her research on early attachment processes,” Dr. Klee recalled. “Dr. Beebe was studying the building blocks of infant attachment by video taping early interactions between babies and their caregivers. Her work particularly resonated with me because I was pregnant with my first child at the time and already very involved in the psychological transition to parenthood.” When Dr. Klee started to research doctoral programs, she sought a program with a psychodynamic focus and discovered the Wright Institute. “I felt drawn to the Wright in part because of its psychodynamic roots,” she explained. “The social justice mission of ‘clinicians to society’ also deeply resonated with my interest in the cultural and social, connecting back to my previous academic work.”
Before enrolling at the Wright Institute, Dr. Klee volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in the dependency court system. “CASAs serve as mentors and advocates for foster children who are often impacted by adverse childhood events and systemic injustice. Through that work, I began to learn how to connect with children and families, work within systems, and cultivate an attitude of cultural humility,” she recalled. “It was an honor to be allowed into people’s lives, and it helped confirm that I was on the right career path.”
Dr. Klee enrolled in the doctoral Clinical Psychology program at the Wright Institute when her children were in preschool. Although pursuing her doctorate as a young parent presented a daunting challenge, Dr. Klee was excited to begin her studies. She felt that the Wright was a place where being a caregiver and a student was valued, and she particularly appreciated the support she received from professors and from other students in the student caregivers group.
At the Wright, Dr. Klee’s first year practicum placement was at an elementary school in East Oakland. Throughout her subsequent training experiences, child therapy, parenting support, and trauma treatment became common threads in her work. When it came time for internship, Dr. Klee earned a position at West Coast Children’s Clinic in Oakland, where she worked with youth and families experiencing severe stressors such as interpersonal trauma, community violence, and caregiving disruption. “Because it was often difficult for clients to travel to the clinic for sessions, the philosophy was to meet the clients where they were, which was incredibly rewarding and presented new challenges,” she shared. “Part of the challenge was maintaining the therapeutic frame while working in people’s homes, schools, or other locations in the community.”
Dr. Klee went on to complete her postdoctoral residency at the Wright Institute Assessment Service. While there she provided comprehensive psychological assessments and supervised doctoral trainees under the supervision of Dr. Kinshasa Bennett, a highly valued teacher and mentor. Dr. Klee additionally spent four years as a psychological assistant in the private practice of Dr. Leighko Toyoshima Yap, an influential supervisor and treasured mentor. While working with adults and children in Dr. Yap’s practice, Dr. Klee was able to build a client base as she learned the nuts and bolts of what running your own practice entails. Once she got licensed, Dr. Klee transitioned to her own private practice in the Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland.
In her private practice, Dr. Klee currently provides psychotherapy for adults, teens, and children who are experiencing mood and anxiety disorders, attachment and relationship difficulties, life stage transitions, trauma, grief, and parenting concerns. She also provides child and adolescent psychological assessments using a collaborative model. “Keeping up with training is really important to me as a practitioner,” she shared. “Even though I work primarily from a relational psychodynamic standpoint, I like to have a broad survey of the field and understand a variety of treatment approaches.” Dr. Klee has pursued post-licensure training in emotion-focused therapy, perinatal mental health, divorce and co-parenting consultation, and a wide range of child and adolescent therapy modalities, including behavioral approaches, in order to provide clients with the strategies and tools they need to support their mental health.
In the fall of 2021, Dr. Klee returned to the Wright Institute as an adjunct professor in the Counseling program. “I heard from a colleague that they were looking for someone to teach Individual and Family Development,” she recalled. “I love developmental psychology, so I came back to teach that course.” Since then, Dr. Klee has taught several courses in both the Clinical and Counseling programs, and stepped into the role of part-time core faculty in the Counseling program in the Spring of 2025. Thus far, in addition to Individual and Family Development, Dr. Klee has taught Clinical Assessment and Measures, Common Therapeutic Factors, and Couples and Intimate Partners Counseling. “I’m excited to have more opportunities to develop new courses, advise students individually, and get involved with curriculum development at the Wright,” she shared.
Based on her experiences at the Wright Institute as both a student and a professor, Dr. Klee has some words of wisdom to share with current students. “My advice is to remain open to different placements, pursue a wide array of experiences and learn about different areas of the field,” she explained. “I didn’t initially think that I wanted to work with children or conduct assessments, but my academic and practicum experiences exposed me to those areas of the field.” Her second piece of advice is to make meaningful connections with faculty, staff, and other students during your time in graduate school. “I am in several consultation groups with people I met at the Wright Institute during my training, and we continue to meet weekly to discuss clinical and professional development concerns,” she shared. “Being in private practice can feel isolating, so it’s wonderful to have the support of a professional community that includes these longstanding relationships.” She frequently reminds her students of the importance of building a network of colleagues that you can lean on for resources, referrals, and advice.
Looking to the future, Dr. Klee’s primary goal is to continue learning and growing as a clinician. “I am a lifelong student at heart, and I love that our field provides so many opportunities for new learning and development,” she explained. “It continues to excite me and keep me going.” She plans to continue teaching in her role as a core faculty member in the Wright Institute’s Counseling program while also working in private practice, as she greatly enjoys the balance of the two.