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Castonguay Lab

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Students

Undergraduate Students

We enjoy mentoring undergraduate students to prepare them for graduate school and careers in psychology. However, we are not currently recruiting students to join our research team. If you have questions, please email CastonguayLabPSU@gmail.com

Prospective Graduate Students

Dr. Castonguay and the lab will not be accepting graduate student applications for the upcoming 2024-2025 application cycle of the Psychology program. Prospective applicants for future application cycles are encouraged to read words of advice below from Dr. Castonguay, as well as visit his faculty page:

The applicants we interview are primarily individuals with experience or strong interest in the most up-to-date statistical analyses with large datasets (e.g., multilevel modeling, machine learning), research methods (e.g., additive or qualitative designs), and data visualization. Our top priority is to welcome a new student with these quantitative skills and/or goals, and who will be excited to help us continue our research on both the process and outcome of psychotherapy. A plus would be to also have interest/experience in conducting rigorous qualitative analyses. Such methodological pluralism is a philosophy that guides our exploration of the complexity of therapeutic change.

Undergraduate Students

We enjoy mentoring undergraduate students to prepare them for graduate school and careers in psychology. However, we are not currently recruiting students to join our research team. If you have questions, please email CastonguayLabPSU@gmail.com

Prospective Graduate Students

Dr. Castonguay and the lab will not be accepting graduate student applications for the upcoming 2024-2025 application cycle of the Psychology program. Prospective applicants for future application cycles are encouraged to read words of advice below from Dr. Castonguay, as well as visit his faculty page:

The applicants we interview are primarily individuals with experience or strong interest in the most up-to-date statistical analyses with large datasets (e.g., multilevel modeling, machine learning), research methods (e.g., additive or qualitative designs), and data visualization. Our top priority is to welcome a new student with these quantitative skills and/or goals, and who will be excited to help us continue our research on both the process and outcome of psychotherapy. A plus would be to also have interest/experience in conducting rigorous qualitative analyses. Such methodological pluralism is a philosophy that guides our exploration of the complexity of therapeutic change.

Current Graduate Students

Katie Davis, M.S., Sixth Year

Katie Davis, M.S., Sixth Year

kad6082@psu.edu

She/Her/Hers

I earned my B.S. in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2017 and then transitioned into a clinical research assistant position at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA. I began my graduate studies at Penn State in 2019. Currently, I am interested in process and outcome research in psychotherapy with a specific focus on common factors such as therapeutic alliance across populations. My master’s thesis examined how suicidality impacts the therapeutic relationship for college students of marginalized status. I’m also currently investigating at-risk and underserved clinical populations in the context of dyadic relationships. My research perspective is transtheoretical and therapeutically egalitarian! When I’m not conducting research, you can find me bicycling, listening to audiobook memoirs, or achieving a fragile combination of the two.

Current study spotlight: In addition to the above, I have investigated how different modalities of therapy (i.e. in-person or teletherapy) compare for clients who are marginalized on the basis of gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other variables.

Natalie Pottschmidt, M.S., Sixth Year

Natalie Pottschmidt, M.S., Sixth Year

nrp5229@psu.edu

She/Her/Hers

I graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2017 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and then worked as a project coordinator at the University of Iowa studying the genetics of autism. Since arriving at Penn State in 2019, I have become increasingly interested in research that embraces the complexity of personalizing the assessment and practice of psychotherapy to each client through multiple methods, multidimensional measurement, and multiple stakeholder perspectives. My master’s thesis project investigated the effects of sleep difficulties, using the reports of both client and clinician, on college counseling center client outcomes. I’m currently working on my dissertation, which investigates the feasibility and acceptability of a personalized outcome measure to better understand individual client change in therapy. Outside of academia, I love being outside, spending time with my cats (Blu and Sophie), playing all kinds of games, and making crafts!

Hongjun (Michael) Tan, M.S., Fourth Year

Hongjun (Michael) Tan, M.S., Fourth Year

hjt5173@psu.edu

He/Him/His

I graduated with my B.S. in Psychology from Furman University in 2017 and my M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University in 2020. After graduation, I worked as a clinical research coordinator at the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a teaching assistant and research assistant at Johns Hopkins School of Education. Broadly speaking, I am interested in studying psychotherapy process and outcome, therapist effects in psychotherapy, and the integration of clinical science and practice. In my spare time, I enjoy outdoors and exercising, quality times with friends, video games, and sitcoms. I also love music, and I can play several musical instruments. Open to fill in (almost) any role in a band!

Current study spotlight: I am currently excited about my upcoming project exploring the relationship between therapeutic interventions from various theoretical orientations and therapeutic alliance quality, rupture, and repair. Additionally, I am planning to examine whether specific client interpersonal characteristics could moderate the relationship between these variables.

Emily Beattie, B.A., Second Year

Emily Beattie, B.A., Second Year

ehb5143@psu.edu

She/Her/Hers

I graduated from Emory University in the Spring of 2021 with a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in quantitative methods. For two years, I worked as a research assistant at the Trauma Research Consortium at Baylor Scott & White Health in Waco, TX. Broadly speaking, I am interested in examining which treatment factors predict better treatment outcome, with the goal of optimizing treatment for a diverse set of populations. Outside of academia, I enjoy playing with my adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Wilson), going for runs around State College, cheering for the New England Patriots, and baking overly complicated recipes.

Current study spotlight: I am currently interested in examining the relationship between treatment attendance and outcome, and how this potential relationship is affected by financial stress.

Serena Chen, B.A., First Year

Serena Chen, B.A., First Year

szc6168@psu.edu

She/Her/Hers

I received my B.A. in Psychology with a double major in Philosophy at Adelphi University, where I was Lab Manager of Dr. Jacques Barber’s Psychotherapy Research Lab. After graduation, I received additional training at Penn State under Drs. Nur Hani Zainal and Michelle Newman. Most recently, I worked as a full-time research assistant at the Weill Cornell Medicine Institute for Geriatric Psychiatry working on neuroimaging clinical trials for mood disorders in older adults. I am interested in researching how we can make psychotherapy better for individuals from underserved and marginalized communities. I am an avid consumer of bubble tea and like to spend time with my pet rats, Bartholomew, Bernoulli, and Xavier!

Current study spotlight: I’m examining the effects of discrimination on suicidal ideation at the beginning and end of treatment using a statistical method that models intersectionality. The goal of the project is to identify which clients may need longer courses of psychotherapy to address residual symptoms.

Previous Graduate Students and Post Doctoral Fellows

Ryan Kilcullen, Ph.D. (2024) – Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Dever Carney, Ph.D. (2022) – Faculty at The Chicago School at Washington DC

Rebecca Janis, Ph.D. (2020) – Data Analyst, Center for Collegiate Mental Health

Henry Xiao, Ph.D. (2020) – Senior Staff Psychologist at Penn State CAPS

Soo Jeong Youn, Ph.D. (2017) – Director of Evaluation at the Community Psychiatry PRIDE research lab at Massachusetts General Hospital

Andrew MacAleavey, Ph.D. (2015) – Instructor of Psychology at Weill Cornell Medical College

Sam Nordberg, Ph.D. (2013) – Medical Director, Behavioral Health Informatics and Innovation at Atrius Health

James Boswell, Ph.D. (2011) – Assistant Professor at University of Albany-SUNY

Dana Nelson, Ph.D. (2008) – In private practice

Sanno Zack, Ph.D. (2007) – Adjunct Clinical Professor at Palo Alto University

Martin Grosse Holtforth, Ph.D., Post Doctoral Fellow (2003-2005) – Associate Professor at University of Bern, Switzerland

Mike Constantino, Ph.D. (2002) – Professor at UMass Amherst