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P lain ti ff -A p p ellan t R an d all K . L ub in (“L u b in ”) ap p ea ls th e d istrict co u rt’s ju d g m e n t up h o ld in g th e C o m m is s io n e ro f S o c ia l S e c u r ity ’s d e n ia l o f h is ap p lic a tio n f

o rd is ab ilityin s u r a n c e b e n e f its u n d e rT itle I I o f

th e S o c ia l S e c u r ity A c t . W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on pur s ua ntt o 28 U . S . C . § 1291, a nd w e r e ve r s e a nd r e m a n df o rf u rth e rp r o c e e d in g s .

“ W e r e vi e w de novo adi s tr i c tc ourt ’ s j udgm e ntuphol di ng the de ni a l of soci alse curi ty benef

i t s. ” B e rr

yv . A s tr ue , 6 2 2 F .3 d1 2 2 8 , 1 2 3 1 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) . W e “ se tas i de a deni alof benefi t s onl y i f i ti s notsupp ort ed by subst ant i alevi dence or i s bas ed on l egalerror. ” I d. ( quot i ng B r ayv . C om m ’ rof Soc . Se c . A dm i n. , 554 F . 3d 12 19 , 12 22 (9th C i r. 20 09 )) . 1. L ubi n c l a i m s the A L Jf a i l e d t o pr ovi de “ c l e a ra nd c onvi nc i ng” r e a s ons f or r e je c tin g th e u n c o n tr a d ic te do p in io n o f L u b in ’s tr e a tin g p h y s ic ia n , D r . M e c h lin g . See L es terv. Cha ter , 81 F . 3d 821, 830 ( 9th C i r . 1995) ( “ [ W ] he r e the tr e a t i ng doc t or ’ s opi ni on i s notc ontr a di c t e d bya nothe rdoc t or , i tm a ybe r e j e c t e d onl yf

or ‘clearan dco n v in cin g ’ rea so n s.”) . W e a g re e. T h e A L J r ejec tedD r. M ec h li n g ’s a s s e s s m e n t o f

L u b in ’s m e n ta l h e a lth a n dm e n ta l r e s idu a l f u n c tio n a l c ap a c ity b e c au s e it w a s n o t s up p o rte db yD r . M e c h lin g ’s tr e a tm e n t n o te s a n db e c au s e L u b in d idn o t r e q u ir e o rs e e ka g g r e s s iv e tr e a tm e n t. F i r s t , D r . M e c hl i ng’ s opi ni on tha tL ubi n w a s unf i tf orw ork due t o m a

j or3

depres si on and acut e anx i ety, and h eras se ss m entof L ub i n’ s m ent alre si du al f unc t i ona l c apa c i ty , a r e w e l l doc um e nt e d i n he rnot e s . B e tw e e n J a nua ry2005 a nd D ec em ber 200 6, D r. M ec hl i ng di agno se d L ub i n w i th m aj or depres si on , atypi ca l d e p r e s s io n , a n da c u te a n x ie ty . S h e p r e s c r ib e dn u m e r o u s a n ti- a n x ie tya n da n tide pr e s s i on m e di c a t i ons . A f t e ry e a r s of

tr e a t i ng L ubi n f

ora nxi e ty , de pr e s s i on, a nd s tr e s s , D r . M e c hl i ng c om pl e t e d am e nt a l r e s i dua l f unc t i ona l c apa c i tya s s e s s m e nt a n df o u n dL u b in m o d e r a te ly - to - m a rk e d lylim ite din a lm o s t a ll a r e a s . A s the ph ys i ci an w ho tre at ed L ub i n for depress i on and anx i ety, D r. M ec hl i ng w as e s pe c i a l l yqua l i f

i e d t o de t e rm i ne L ubi n’ s m e nt a l f unc t i ona l c apa c i tya nd lim ita tio n s . See L es ter , 81 F . 3d a t833 ( “ T he tr e a t i ng phy s i c i a n’ s c ont i nui ng re l at i on shi p w i th the cl ai m antm akes hi m [or her ] es peci al l y qual i fi ed . . . t o form a n o v e r a ll c o n c lu s io n a s to f u n c tio n a l c ap a c itie s a n dlim ita tio n s , a s w e ll a s to p r e s c r ib e o rap p r o v e th e o v e r a ll c o u r s e o f tr e a tm e n t.” ) . S e c o n d , L u b in s o u g h t tr e a tm e n t f r o m D r . M e c h lin g , b u t h e w a s u n ab le to a f f o r da d d itio n a l th e r ap y . L u b in ’s f a ilu r e to s e e ktr e a tm e n t b e c au s e o f a n in ab ility to af fo rd itis n o t a clea r a n dco n v in cin g re as o n to re ject D r. M ec h li n g ’s a s s e s s m e n ts . Sm olen v. Cha ter , 8 0 F .3 d1 2 7 3 , 1 2 8 4 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 6 ) . F i na l l y , a l though L ubi n di d nots e e k e m e r ge nc yi nt e rve nt i on f orhi s ongoi ng de pr e s s i on a nd a nxi e ty , he f r e que nt l ys oughthe l p f

r om D r . M e c hl i ng. D e s pi t e the4

num be rof

m e di c a t i ons he w a s t a ki ng a nd hi s f r e que ntvi s i t s t o D r . M e c hl i ng, L u b in c o n tin u e dto e x p e r ie n c e f r e q u e n t, r e c u rr e n t, a n dd e b ilita tin g b o u ts o f a n x ie ty a n dd e p r e s s io n . T hu s, the A L J’ s r ea sons for r ej ec t i ng D r. M ec hl i ng ’ s opi ni on w er e notcl ear a nd c onvi nc i ng. 2. T h e A L J al so erred i n rej ect i n g th e u n co n trad i ct edo p i n i o n o f D r. S h i el d s, L u b in ’s e x a m in in g p s y c h o lo g is t, w ith o u t g iv in g c le a ra n dc o n v in c in g r e a s o n s . See L es ter , 81 F . 3d a t830. T he A L Jr e j e c t e d D r . S hi e l ds ’ s a s s e s s m e ntbe c aus e i t : ( 1) w as base d o n L ub i n’ s s ubj ec t i ve re po rt s thatthe A L J f ou nd un re l i abl e; (2) l ac ked obj ec t i ve supp ortfr om a tre at i ng psyc ho l og i stor psyc hi atri st ; and (3) w as i n co n si st en tw i th th e o b serv at i o n s d o cu m en t edb y th e d i sab i l i ty i n v est i g at o rs. F i r s t , que s t i oni ng the c r e di bi l i tyof L ubi n’ s c om pl a i nt s i s notac l e a ra nd c o n v in c in g r e a s o n to r e

je c t D r . S h ie ld s ’s o p in io n . See R yan v. C om m ’rof

So c. Sec. , 52 8 F . 3d 11 94 , 11 99 -120 0 (9th C i r. 20 08 ) ( “ [A ] n A L J does notprov i de cl ear a nd c onvi nc i ng r e a s ons f orr e j e c t i ng a n e xa m i ni ng phy s i c i a n’ s opi ni on by que s t i oni ng the c r e di bi l i tyof the pa t i e nt ’ s c om pl a i nt s w he r e the doc t ordoe s not d i s c r e d i tth o s e c o m p l a i n t s a n ds up p o rt s h i s u l t i m a t e o p i n i o n wi th h i s o wn obs e rva t i ons . ” ) . D r . S hi e l ds , al i c e ns e d ps y c hol ogi s t , f ound L ubi n c r e di bl e , a nd nothi ng i n the r e c or d s ugge s t s tha tD r . S hi e l ds r e l i e d on L ubi n’ s s ubj e c t i ve5

c om pl a i nt s m or e he a vi l ytha n on hi s ow n c l i ni c a l obs e rva t i ons i n r e a c hi ng the concl usi on thatL ub i n exh i bi t ed “ a s ever e l evelof depres si on and anx i ety; ” w as un abl e t o m ai nt ai n p er si st ence and p ac e f or 8 h ou rs a day , 5 d ay s aw ee k; and h ad p r o b le m s w ith c o n c e n tr a tio n . S ec on d, as a l i ce nsed psyc ho l og i st , D r. S hi el ds i s an “ ac ce pt abl e m edi ca l s o u r c e [ ]” w ith in th e m e a n in g o f 2 0 C .F .R . § 4 1 6 .9 1 3 ( a ) ; atr e a tin g p s y c h o lo g is t is no tnece ss ary t o est abl i sh di sabi l i ty. M oreover, D r. S hi el ds’ s opi ni on w as c o n s is te n t w ith tr e a tin g p h y s ic ia n D r . M e c h lin g ’s o b s e rv a tio n s . F i nal l y, D r. S hi el ds’ s m edi ca l op i ni on i s gi ven m ore w ei gh tthan the bri ef ob se rvat i on s docum ent ed by the no n-tre at i ng , no n-exam i ni ng , no n-m edi ca l d is ab ilityin v e s tig a to r s . See 20 C . F . R . §§ 40 4. 15 27 , 41 6. 92 7 (the op i ni on of an accep t ab l e m ed i cal so u rce i s g i v en m o re w ei g h tth an th ato f n o n -m ed i cal so u rces, a s d e f in e din 2 0 C .F .R . § § 4 0 4 .1 5 1 3 ( d ) , 4 1 6 .9 1 3 ( d ) ) . T hu s, the A L J di d n otprov i de cl ear andconv i nci ng re as on s f or re j ec t i ng D r. S h ie ld s ’s o p in io n . 3. A lth o u g h th e A L Jf o u n dth a t L u b in s u f

f e r e dm o d e r a te d if

f ic u ltie s in m a in ta in in g c o n c e n tr a tio n , p e r s is te n c e , o rp a c e , th e A L Je rr e db yn o t in c lu d in g th is l i m i t at i on i n the re si du alfunct i on alcapaci ty det erm i nat i on or i n the hypo thet i ca l que s t i on t o the voc a t i ona l e xpe rt . T he A L Jm us ti nc l ude a l l r e s tr i c t i ons i n the6

r e s idu a l f

u n c tio n a l c ap a c ityd e te rm in a tio n a n dth e h yp o th e tic a l q u e s tio n p o s e dto the vo ca t i on alexpert , i ncl ud i ng m od er at e l i m i t at i on s i n con ce ntra t i on , pers i st ence , orpa c e . 20 C . F . R . §§ 404. 1545, 416. 945; M ag al lan es v. B ow en , 881 F . 2d 747, 756 ( 9th C i r . 1989) . L i m i t i ng L ubi n “ t o one t o thr e e s t e p t a s ks due t o pa i n a nd pr e s c r i pt i on drug/m a r i

j ua naus e ” di d notc aptur e the l i m i t a t i on i n c onc e ntr a t i on, pe r s i s t e nc e , or p a c e f o u n db yth e A L J . T h e w o rkd e s c r ib e db yth e v o c a tio n a l e x p e rt m a ys till r e q u ir e th e s p e e dan dc o n c e n tr a tio n L u b in la c k s . See B ri nk v. C om m ’rSo c. Sec. A dm i n. , 34 3 F ed. A pp x. 21 1, 21 2 (9th C i r. 20 09 ) ( un pu bl i shed). T he hypo thet i ca l que s t i on s houl d ha ve i nc l ude d L ubi n’ s m ode r a t e l i m i t a t i ons i n c onc e ntr a t i on, p e r s is te n c e , o rp a c e . B e c aus e the A L J ’ s hypothe t i c a l que s t i on t o the voc a t i ona l e xpe rtdi d not r e f l e c ta l l of

L ubi n’ s l i m i t a t i ons , “ the e xpe rt ’ s t e s t i m onyha s no e vi de nt i a ryva l ue t o sup po rta f

i nd i ng that[L ub i n] can p er form j ob s i n the nat i on alec on om y. ” D eL orm e v . Sul l i v an , 92 4 F . 2d 84 1, 85 0 (9th C i r. 19 91 ). 4. F i na l l y , the A L Je rr e d i n r e j e c t i ng L ubi n’ s w i f

e ’ s l a yw i tne s s t e s t i m ony w ith o u t g iv in g g e rm a n e r e a s o n s f o rd o in g s o . See L ew is v . Apf el , 236 F . 3d 503, 511 ( 9th C i r . 2001) ( “ L a yt e s t i m onya s t o ac l a i m a nt ’ s s y m pt om s i s c om pe t e nt evi dence thatan A L J m ustt ake i nt o acc ou nt , un l es s he or s he express l y det erm i nes7

t o di s r e ga r d s uc h t e s t i m onya nd gi ve s r e a s ons ge rm a ne t o e a c h w i tne s s f ordoi ng so . ”). T h e A L J d i dn o trej ectM rs. L u b i n ’ s t est i m o n y; th e A L J referred t o M rs. L u b in ’s te s tim o n yo n lyto d is c o u n t L u b in ’s te s tim o n y . N everthel es s, the error w as harm l es s bec ause M rs . L ub i n’ s t es t i m on y w as s u b s ta n tia lly , if

n o t e x a c tly , th e s a m e a s L u b in ’s . Se e Mol i na v . A s tr ue , 674 F . 3d 1104, 1121- 22 ( 9th C i r . 2012) . O n r e m a nd, how e ve r , w e s ugge s tthe A L J“ t i e the reaso n i n g o f [th e] cred i b i l i ty d et erm i n at i o n s t o th e p art i cu l ar w i tn esses w h o se t es t i m on y [ the A L J] re

j ec t [s ] . ” V

ale nt i ne v . C om m ’ rSoc . Se c . A dm i n. , 574 F . 3d 6 8 5 , 6 9 4 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 9 ) . W e r e v e r s e a n dr e m a n dto th e d is tr ic t c o u rt w ith in s tru c tio n s to r e m a n dto the A L J f

or further procee di ng s c on si st entw i th thi s dec i si on . W e do n otre ac h L u b in ’s o th e rc la im s o f

e rr o r . R E V E R S E D a n d R E M A N D E D fo r fu rth er p ro ceed i n g s.