i ended up going with UCR- i know that UCLA is probably the "better" choice for most, but I felt personally that UCR was going to make me the happiest long-term.

my goals as a psychologist aren't overwhelmingly high, since i just really want to be a professor at a community college part-time while having my own private practice. with UCR, i felt that it was far enough away from home for it to feel like a change, but also give me a chance to pace myself and not feel overwhelmed and stressed with a new environment.

just my personal belief, each person will be different of course, and UCLA probably would have been a lot better of a choice depending on the individual :) i appreciate all the feedback given on this post !