Lisa Najavits

Lisa M. Najavits, PhD is Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (Worcester, MA) and Director of Treatment Innovations. She was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School (McLean Hospital) for 25 years and Boston University School of Medicine (VA Boston) for 12 years. She specializes in the development of new counseling models for trauma and addiction, clinical trials research, and community-based care. She is author of over 200 professional publications, as well as the books Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse; Finding Your Best Self: Recovery from Addiction, Trauma, or Both; A Woman's Addiction Workbook; and the upcoming Creating Change: A Past-Focused Treatment for Trauma and Addiction. She served as president of the Society of Addiction Psychology of the American Psychological Association; and has consulted widely on public health efforts in trauma and addiction both nationally and internationally, including the National Institutes of Health, the Surgeon General, the United Nations, and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. She is on various advisory boards and has received awards including the Betty Ford Award of the Addiction Medical Education and Research Association; the Young Professional Award of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies; the Early Career Contribution Award of the Society for Psychotherapy Research; the Emerging Leadership Award of the American Psychological Association Committee on Women; and the Barnard College (Columbia University) Distinguished Alumna award. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Vanderbilt University and bachelor's degree with honors from Barnard College (Columbia University). She is a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts and conducts a psychotherapy practice.