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Kenneth Fineman

After graduation from LA high I attended UCLA. As an undergraduate, I majored in psychology and was a member of the fencing team. In order to practice at home, I bought my first foil and helmet from Jeff Donfeld’s younger brother. As a senior, I qualified for and fenced in the U.S. Nationals. My competitive fencing at UCLA and tennis at LA High (under Coach Hank Pollard) generated my interest in sports psychology. I later enjoyed working with world class and Olympic athletes (under Coach Bill Toomey) to increase their performance using biofeedback and hypnosis. My work in hypnosis allowed me to do some consulting in the movie industry. My most interesting consultation involved hypnotizing the cast of the Exorcist, including Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, Max Von Sydow and Linda Blair.
While at UCLA I picked up a BA, 2 MAs and a Ph.D. While taking social dance classes at UCLA, I met my wife Doreen (Fairfax ’66). She was a math major at UCLA, but eventually switched to psychology. We have been married 41 years and have two daughters, 35 and 32. Doreen teaches ballroom and Latin dancing and distributes XOWII. She is also a licensed insurance agent. She got me back into ballroom dancing many years after we graduated from UCLA. Every Saturday night, after she teaches a ballroom class, the two of us DJ the largest ballroom/Latin dance in Orange County. Ballroom dancing has turned out to be a surprising avocation for me when you consider that I learned my first (swing) dance steps from Mary Feliciano at the LA High after-school program to prepare non-dancers for our senior prom.
I am currently a Associate Clinical Professor of Medical Psychology at California Irvine School of Medicine. I am still in full-time private practice in Clinical and Forensic Psychology in Fountain Valley (central Orange County). In my forensic practice, I evaluate and treat children and adults with criminal, civil, custody or bonding issues. In my clinical practice I have specialized over the years in a number of psychological areas, including behavior therapy, pain reduction, sexual issues and arson. With regard to arson, I work with other countries in the development of their anti-arson programs. I also consult with the U.S. Department of Justice, FEMA, the FBI and various state and local agencies concerned with adults and children who set fires. I have developed and continue to work on arson assessment instruments for FEMA and the Department of Justice. I teach medical students and psychiatry residents at UCI.

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