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Making a Difference Today

New & Noteworthy

During Black History Month, ABCT is excited to showcase individuals making an impact in the field of CBT.

Tia Tyndal, MA, (she/her) is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the Catholic University of America under the mentorship of Dr. David Jobes. Her research aims to increase the accessibility of evidence-based suicide interventions for diverse and underserved populations, particularly for African American and LGBTQIA+ youth.

She has collaborated on research leveraging technology for novel research designs, such as an innovative mental health application for use in emergency departments with high suicide-risk populations, as well as helped design and implement research identifying key performance elements for suicide-specific interventions.

Previously, she worked on suicide intervention research across several sites including the Florida International University Center for Children and Families, the Nock Lab at Harvard University, and the Duke University Center for the Study of Suicide Prevention and Intervention. Tia is a McNair Scholar, a Leadership Alliance alumni, Francis C. Sumner awardee, and a Morgan T. Sammons Doctoral Student awardee. Currently, she is a Psychology Doctoral Intern at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles with a specialization in Adolescent Medicine.

She has a specific interest in suicidal and self-injurious behaviors, gender health, complex trauma, and comorbid medical and psychological diagnoses. In addition, she has served in various leadership and mentorship roles working to support and advocate for marginalized students both within and beyond her academic community.

She is the second recipient of the Francis C. Sumner award, receiving that honor in 2022.

The Francis C. Sumner Excellence Award is named in honor of Dr. Sumner, the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in psychology in 1920. Commonly referred to as the “Father of Black Psychology,” he is recognized as an American leader in education reform. The award is intended to recognize that Black and Indigenous practitioners and scholars are underrepresented in clinical psychology despite making important contributions to our field.

Check out our awards page to find out more about the Francis C. Sumner Award, as well as find out how to nominate yourself or a colleague that or one of our other ABCT Awards.

Related Information

Suggested Resources

What Is Cognitive Behavior Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a type of treatment that is based firmly on research findings.  It places emphasis on changing your cognitions (thoughts) or behaviors (actions) in order to effect change in how you feel. These approaches help people in achieving specific changes or goals.

Changes or goals might involve:

A way of acting: like smoking less or being more outgoing;
A way of feeling: like helping a person to be less scared, less depressed, or less anxious;
A way of thinking: like learning to problem-solve or get rid of self-defeating thoughts;
A way of dealing with physical or medical problems: like reducing back pain or helping a person stick to a doctor’s suggestions.

Cognitive behavioral therapists usually focus more on the current situation and its solution, rather than the past. They concentrate on a person’s views and beliefs about their life. CBT is an effective treatment for individuals, parents, children, couples, and families. The goal of CBT is to help people improve and gain more control over their lives by changing behaviors that don’t work well to ones that do.

How to Get Help

If you are looking for help, either for yourself or someone else, you may be tempted to call someone who advertises in a local publication or who comes up from a search of the Internet. You may, or may not, find a competent therapist in this manner. It is wise to check on the credentials of a psychotherapist. It is expected that competent therapists hold advanced academic degrees. They should be listed as members of professional organizations, such as the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies or the American Psychological Association. Of course, they should be licensed to practice in your state. You can find competent specialists who are affiliated with local universities or mental health facilities or who are listed on the websites of professional organizations. You may, of course, visit our website (www.abct.org) and click on “Find a CBT Therapist”

The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) is an interdisciplinary organization committed to the advancement of a scientific approach to the understanding and amelioration of problems of the human condition. These aims are achieved through the investigation and application of behavioral, cognitive, and other evidence-based principles to assessment, prevention, and treatment.