PhD Clinical Psychology

Fielding Graduate University, 2006

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology
Institution: Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA
Specialization: Violence Prevention and Control
Dissertation: "Time Perspective and Impulsivity in Partner Violence"

The Foundation of Understanding

This PhD is not merely a credential—it's the disciplined scientific framework that supports an integrated understanding of human consciousness, suffering, and transformation. The doctoral training at Fielding provided rigorous foundations across the core knowledge areas of professional psychology while encouraging innovative synthesis across disciplines.

"Suffering arises when conditioned perspectives—arbitrary beliefs encoded through culture, language, and experience—capture attention in patterns that create unacceptable narratives about past, present, and future. Yet these perspectives can be recognized, deconstructed, and reconditioned through conversation, mindfulness, behavioral principles, and dissociative psychedelic states."

The PhD program at Fielding required mastery of twelve core Knowledge Areas (KAs), producing 33 papers, 4 presentations, and 12 learning contracts. Below, this academic work is reorganized into eight integrated knowledge domains that reflect the clinical synthesis developed through doctoral training and twenty years of practice.

Integrated Knowledge Domains

Eight domains organizing the academic work from twelve Fielding Knowledge Areas, integrating foundational training with specialized clinical applications.

DOMAIN 1

Cognitive & Affective Bases of Behavior

"How thinking and feeling actually work"

PSY706 papers on cognitive and affective bases of intimate partner violence, exploring how thoughts create feelings and systematic approaches to emotional regulation.

DOMAIN 2

Attention & Consciousness

"The spotlight that creates experience"

PSY748 papers on existential phenomenology, consciousness as synesthesia, and the contemplative dimensions of clinical psychology.

DOMAIN 3

Behavioral Foundations

"Development and biological bases"

PSY702 and PSY707 papers on developmental and biological bases of behavior, integrating neuroscience with lifespan development.

DOMAIN 4

Social & Relational

"Time perspective and interpersonal dynamics"

PSY705 papers on temporal perspective in partner violence and postmodern phenomenology of relationships.

DOMAIN 5

Clinical Assessment

"Diagnosis and evaluation"

PSY710 and PSY708 papers on psychological assessment of intimate partner violence offenders and psychopathology.

DOMAIN 6

Therapeutic Modalities

"Methods of transformation"

PSY4 papers on cognitive-analytic existentialism and KA19 on group psychotherapy, exploring therapeutic approaches and intervention strategies.

DOMAIN 7

Dissertation

"Original research contribution"

Doctoral dissertation and concentration papers on time perspective and impulsivity in partner violence, integrating multiple domains.

DOMAIN 8

Specialized Training

"Violence prevention and control"

Specialized concentration in partner violence prevention, applying clinical psychology to violence intervention and prevention programs.

Additional Academic Materials

Foundational coursework, professional development, and milestone assessments from the doctoral program.