Susan Orsillo, PhD

Professor
Department of Psychology

Phone: 617-305-1924
Fax: 617-367-2924
Email: sorsillo@suffolk.edu
Office: Donahue Building, 636E

 

 

Education

  • PhD, University at Albany, SUNY
  • MA, University at Albany, SUNY
  • BA, University at Albany, SUNY

Internship: Tufts University School of Medicine/Boston Department of Veterans Affairs Psychology Internship Consortium; Postdoctoral fellowship: National Center for PTSD: Behavioral Sciences Division Boston VA Healthcare System; Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Health Services Provider MA.

Specialty Areas

Acceptance and mindfulness; acceptance-based behavior therapy, anxiety disorders, evidence-based therapies, dissemination and implementation.

I am interested in developing, refining and disseminating acceptance-based behavioral approaches to improving psychological functioning, health and quality of life. Acceptance-based behavior therapy (ABBT) involves integrating acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches (such as ACT, MBCT, DBT and MBSR) with more traditionally behavioral approaches to therapy (e.g., psychoeducation, skills training, exposure therapy). My colleague Liz Roemer and I developed an ABBT to treat generalized anxiety disorder and we are currently completing an National Institute of Mental Health funded randomized control trial comparing this approach to applied relaxation. Future directions for this work include examining the efficacy of a self-directed version of the treatment and developing more effective methods of training and dissemination. I also collaborate with graduate students in my lab to develop acceptance-based behavioral approaches to target other problem areas. For example, we have developed programs aimed at decreasing relational aggression among middle schoolers, reducing the risk of sexual assault among college students, decreasing procrastination and improving body dissatisfaction. My second research interest involves experimentally examining the nature and parameters of the constructs we target with ABBT, including emotional avoidance, suppression, and the strategic withholding of emotion across several channels of responding including self-report, facial expression, psychophysiological responding and narrative expression.

Please click here to view the Acceptance, Mindfulness, and Emotion Lab's Research Web Page

Selected Publications

Fuchs, C., Lee, J.K., Roemer, L. & Orsillo, S.M. (in press). Clinical considerations in using acceptance- and mindfulness-based treatments with diverse populations. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.

Lundgren, J. D. & Orsillo, S.M. (in press). The science and practice of mentoring in psychology doctoral training. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

Roemer, L. & Orsillo, S.M. (in press). Mindfulness and acceptance-based behavioral treatment of anxiety. In C. K. Germer, R. D. Siegel, & P. R. Fulton (Eds). Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, 2nd Edition. New York: Guilford Press.

Roemer, L. & Orsillo, S.M. (2012). Acceptance-based behavior therapy in anxiety disorders. In C. Germer & R.D. Siegel (Eds.). Wisdom in Psychotherapy. New York: Guilford.

Orsillo, S.M. & Roemer, L., (2011). The mindful way through anxiety. New York: Guilford.

Courses Taught

PSYCH 718 - Research Methods and Ethics
PSYCH 721 - Evidence-Based Principles in Psychotherapy
PSYCH 779 - Acceptance & Mindfulness in Psychotherapy