FAQs

I suggest reading our lab manual to see if my mentorship style and expectations align with what you would like to get out of graduate school. If you have specific questions that are not answered here or in the lab manual, please email me. You don’t have to email to say that you’re applying to the lab—it won’t affect your chances in any way.

Because I cannot meet with every applicant, out of fairness, I will not meet with any applicant. You are welcome to email me to express interest, but it will have zero impact on your application. Most of your questions about the lab will likely be answered in our lab manual.

Our research is constantly evolving based on members’ interests, availability of new methodology, ongoing collaborations, etc. However, the purpose of our research is relatively constant: to improve well-being and alleviate suffering. Any topics that contribute to this aim are fair game. Please explore the Research pages for more information on our mission and current projects.

I receive (too) many emails and don’t have the bandwidth to reply to every single one. I usually prioritize emails, so I’m more likely to reply to those that require an urgent response (e.g., clinical issues) or that contain specific questions. My non-response is not a sign of disinterest, so if you are interested in working with me, please still apply to our Ph.D. program.

In terms of research interests, broadly speaking, someone who wants to do intervention research focused on processes of change, treatment personalization, and/or minoritized groups would be a good fit. If you have specific interest in OCD, perfectionism, acceptance and commitment therapy, process-based therapy, or applying LLMs to clinical research, we will also likely find some overlap. Because this is a research-oriented lab, if you are primarily interested in clinical work (or even 50/50), you would not be a good fit for the lab. In addition, someone who shares similar values to the ones listed in the lab manual will probably find the work we do meaningful.

These questions are answered in detail in the Expectations section of our lab manual.

I use a scoring rubric to evaluate applicants. Criteria I consider include fit with respect to research interests and mentorship style, critical thinking skills, and interpersonal skills. Ultimately, fit is the most important factor I weigh, especially in the first round of review, so strong applicants whose interests do not align with our lab research will likely not be invited for interviews.

For information on program sequence, course requirements, funding, etc., refer to the program brochure. In short, the Ph.D. program is designed to take 6 years, with 5 years on campus and a 1-year predoctoral internship. Students are guaranteed funding for the 5 years through Graduate Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Research Assistantships, Graduate Fellowships, and Agency Placements (the stipend is $26,000 over 12 months for 2026–2027).

If you still have questions related to the lab, take a look at our lab manual. If the manual doesn’t answer your questions or you have questions about the application process, please send me an email.