Miranda Pinckert, PhD

For decades, I have studied how humans communicate, form connections, and navigate mental health. Today, I apply that deep clinical architecture to two distinct pillars: treating individuals in clinical practice and advising AI engineering teams on human-centered interaction models.

AI & PRODUCT CONSULTING

I partner with AI engineering labs, digital health startups, and research teams to build algorithmically sound, clinically safe, and human-centered technology.

Core Capabilities

  • AI-Human Interaction & Guardrails: Evaluating conversational outputs to ensure empathetic alignment, linguistic accuracy, and robust clinical safety boundaries.

  • Psychometric Scale Development: Building proprietary assessment models, behavioral data architecture, and custom scoring frameworks for algorithmic profiling.

  • Product Advisory & UX Design: Collaborating directly with software developers and product teams to translate clinical workflows into intuitive user dashboards.

Strategic Experience

Advisory Council Member

  • Served as a clinical subject matter expert on a Thoughtful Expert Council for a conversational AI platform.

  • Evaluated model outputs to ensure strict adherence to safety guardrails, empathy protocols, and evidence-based communication frameworks.

Clinical Consultant & SME | Stanford University Ecosystem Project (2021)

  • Provided targeted clinical consultation to a joint graduate research initiative crossing the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) and the Mental Health Technology & Innovation Hub.

  • Collaborated on UX/UI design frameworks by identifying core workflow barriers, clinical preferences, and usability requirements for digital health applications.

Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder | XylaFriends (2019-2023)

  • Co-founded a behavioral science startup, transforming complex relational psychology into a scalable, consumer-facing algorithmic compatibility platform.

  • Developed proprietary psychometric models, scoring frameworks, and data collection pipelines to drive automated user matching.

Clinical Foundation

Licensed Clinical Psychologist | Private practice & Wellspring Psychology Group (2017-present)

  • Apply advanced behavioral interventions to optimize behavior change, emotional regulation, and therapeutic communication patterns.

  • Synthesize real-world insights on human interaction to advise tech teams on realistic user needs, clinician workflows, and systemic privacy requirements.

Evidence-Based Clinical Practice

Providing collaborative, insightful, and culturally responsive cognitive and behavioral therapy for adolescents, adults, and couples.

Clinical Focus

  • Evidence-Based Modalities: Integrating tailored cognitive interventions to optimize emotional regulation, mindfulness, and behavioral change.

  • Life Transitions & Identity: Navigating major identity shifts, career evolution, and age-related life adjustments.

  • Specialized Cognitive Assessments: Providing robust cognitive baseline assessments and clinical diagnostic evaluations for older adults and aging populations. Supplying initial screening for ADHD.

FormatIn-person / Telehealth (Secure, HIPAA-compliant video sessions)
PopulationAdolescents, Adults & Couples
AvailabilityAccepting new clients for consultation and baseline assessments