About

I am a researcher, entrepreneur, clinical psychologist, and psychotherapy trainer in Portland, Oregon.

Research and writing background: I have been conducting research on shame, self-criticism, stigma, and the interpersonal functions of emotion, particularly in the context of addiction, since 2002. More recently I have become involved in research in psychedelic science and MDMA-assisted therapy and planning what is likely to be the first clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in the Pacific NW. I have been a co-investigator, consultant, therapist, and trainer on grants funded by the National Institutes of Health. I have also published on the training and dissemination of evidence-based therapies and numerous longitudinal, cross-sectional, and intervention studies including the first randomized trial of an intervention focused on helping people with shame in addiction (in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology). I have also been an investigator on studies of mindfulness-based relapse prevention and emotion-focused therapy. I am co-author of two books on ACT: Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, one of the best-selling ACT books for therapists, and Values in Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Helping Clients Explore Values, Increase Psychological Flexibility, and Live a More Meaningful Life with Dr. Jenna LeJeune. You can see a full list of my chapters and articles here and my books here.

Business background: I enjoy creating new organizations and starting new initiatives and businesses. I have built and run small businesses since 2002. I was an early contributor to the development of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science and chaired the first ACT Summer Training Institute in 2004. In 2007, I co-founded (along with Jenna LeJeune, Ph.D.) the Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, & Training Center—a research and training clinic based on a social enterprise model that uses business revenue to fund scientific researchI have created numerous websites and currently blog at ACT with compassion—a blog for therapists interested in bringing more compassion and effectiveness to their work with highly self-critical clients. I also have a podcast called The Research Matters Podcast, where I interview leading researchers to understand how they are so effective at what they do. As part of addressing the barriers to practice-based research, I helped co-found a nonprofit which hosts a federally funded IRB, called the Behavioral Health Research Collective. I am also on the board of Thru My Eyes, a 501(c)3 charity that provides legacy videos for people who are facing life threatening-illnesses.

Psychotherapy Training Background: Since 1998, I have studied Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) including 4 years as an early career professional working with Steve Hayes at the University of Nevada, Reno. I am a peer-reviewed ACT trainer, former chair of the ACT Training Committee, and former president of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. I have also received intensive training in Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy and conduct research on its mechanisms of action.

Training Services: I provide training through portlandpsychotherapytraining.com on a variety of topics, including through our seminar series, Therapy and Research in Psychedelic Science (TRIPS).

***If you are looking for individual therapy, I am not currently accepting new clients. I recommend checking out our other therapists at Portland Psychotherapy. **