Jeffrey S. Berman
Director
Phone: (901) 678-2974
Office: 354

Throughout its history as a discipline, clinical psychology has been closely associated with research on psychotherapy. This tradition of the scientific study of psychological disorder and training in psychotherapy research and practice continues at the University of Memphis. A special feature of our clinical program is this designated research area involving students and faculty in the pursuit of psychotherapeutic acumen and expertise. Faculty and students in the Psychotherapy Research area collaborate to examine elements of psychotherapy that lead to a greater understanding of the workings of the personal change process.

Participants in the Psychotherapy Research area are committed to improving understanding of psychotherapy process and outcome using a range of quantitative and qualitative methods. They study both the experience of psychological distress and the enhancement of human potential. Psychotherapy research projects being pursued by research teams focus on positive and negative treatment outcome, psychotherapy process, the workings of narrative processes and silence in psychotherapy, significant therapy moments for therapists and clients, differences in clients' and therapists' experiences of therapy, the role of between-session homework in improvement,  and interventions for for traumatized and bereaved people, among other topics. In addition to these broad interests, a number of faculty and students share a particular focus on constructivist, experiential, and cognitive therapies, offering advanced training in these areas.

Graduate students in this specialty are encouraged to develop competencies as psychotherapists as well as clinical researchers through enhanced coursework in applied as well as scientific aspects of clinical psychology. The program is structured so that students' research and clinical skills augment one another to produce clinicians who can integrate outcome research into their practice and researchers with a greater sensitivity to psychotherapy process. To this end, students are expected to establish a close mentoring relationship with a faculty member in the area as they develop their unique research interests.

Meeting Schedule

The Psychotherapy Research area has limited meeting space. If you are interested in attending, please contact Dr. Berman for more information.

Faculty

Primary Affiliates
Jeffrey S. Berman, Ph.D.
J. Gayle Beck, Ph.D.
Meghan McDevitt-Murphy, Ph.D.
Robert A. Neimeyer, Ph.D.

Secondary Affiliates
Andrew Meyers, Ph.D.
James G. Murphy, Ph.D.