My interests in depression follow mostly from the work of Zindel Segal, John Teasdale, and Martin Seligman. My perspective on depression is largely influenced by the cognitive behavioral theories (e.g., Helplessness theory, Beck, Lewinsohn, etc.) and more recently, emotion approaches. After graduate school, I completed a postdoc with Rick Heimberg at Temple University with an anxiety emphasis--particularly with respect to social anxiety and GAD. Although my research and psychotherapy training in the anxiety disorders also comes from a fairly orthodox CBT perspective, with respect to GAD, my approach has broadened substantially, to include work that is hard to characterize, but definitely includes elements of experiential, emotion-focused therapy (e.g., Greenberg, Safran, etc.), acceptance (e.g., Hayes), and mindfulness (e.g., Kabat-Zinn, etc.). My approach to GAD is most akin to the work of Tom Borkovec.
Presently, we are embarking on several projects:
- Development of a new treatment for GAD that is informed by findings in affective science and in a principled fashion combines elements from traditional and contemporary behavioral models, Borkovec’s avoidance model of worry, and mindfulness conceptualizations of psychopathology (with Douglas Mennin [Yale] and Rick Heimberg [Temple]). This project is funded by the NIMH.
- Elucidation of the neural correlates of treatment change in GAD following treatment of emotion regulation therapy (with Douglas Mennin & Amit Etkin [Stanford])
- Comparison of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and progressive muscle relaxation on unmedicated hypertension (with Joel
W. Hughes-PI). This project was funded by NCCAM.
- Development of an acute treatment for major depressive disorder combining elements of mindfulness based cognitive therapy and behavioral activation (with Arin Connell & Joseph Calebrese [CWRU], Wil Cunningham [OSU], Madhukar Trivedi [UT-Southwestern Medical School], Zindel Segal [CAMH], and Sona Dimidjian [CU]
- Development of a multi-faceted measure of rumination and self-relection (with Shauna Clen & Susan Nolen-Hoeksema [Yale])
- Evaluating physiological correlates of explanatory flexibility using an emotional evocation challenge procedure (with Jessica Flynn & Joel Hughes).
- Dissertation research of Eftihia Linardatos examining accuracy of facial emotion recognition in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
- Dissertation research of Brittain Lamoureux examining risk and resiliency factors for PTSD symptoms in innner city women [with Stevan Hobfoll].
- Examination of autonomic physiology and objective behavioral indices that may differentiate GAD from MDD (with Jessica Flynn, Joel Hughes, & Douglas Mennin). This research is funded by the Ohio Board of Regents.
- Examination of the neural correlates of affective labeling, an index of implicit emotion regulation, in MDD (with Wil Cunningham, Arin Connell, & David Creswell [CMU])
- Examination of the electroencephalographic and attention correlates of affective labeling in MDD (with Natasha Kalaida & Arin Connell)
- Examination of the neural correlates of approach and avoidance motivations in healthy controls and GAD participants (with Jessica Flynn, Wil Cunningham, & Douglas Mennin).