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Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology

Bio

Shireen Rizvi, PhD, ABPP, is a professor and Chair of the Department of Clinical Psychology in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. Dr. Rizvi received a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Washington where she studied borderline personality disorder and Dialectical Behavior Therapy for more than five years under the mentorship of Dr. Marsha Linehan. Dr. Rizvi completed her predoctoral clinical internship at the Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology and a NIMH postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for PTSD at the Boston VA Healthcare System. Following this fellowship, she was Assistant Professor of Psychology at the New School for Social Research in New York City from 2006-2009 before coming to GSAPP in 2009.

At GSAPP, Dr. Rizvi teaches courses related to cognitive behavioral therapy and DBT. She also directs the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic at Rutgers (DBT-RU) which is a research and training clinic for individuals with the borderline personality disorder and associated problems.

Dr. Rizvi is a professional member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP), and the American Psychological Association. She also is a founding member of the New York City Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Association. Furthermore, Dr. Rizvi is President of the Board of the International Society for the Improvement and Teaching of DBT (ISITDBT; www.isitdbt.net). Dr. Rizvi is board certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology and in Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Dr. Rizvi serves as a primary mentor to students in both the PsyD and PhD programs. In 2017, she was presented with the “Spotlight on a Mentor” award from ABCT.

Publication(s)

BOOKS & ARTICLES: 

A sample of publications (* indicates student co-author):

Oliveira, P.N.,* & Rizvi, S.L. (in press). Phone coaching in Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Frequency and relationship to client variables. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

Rizvi, S.L., & Sayrs, J.H.R (in press). Assessment-driven case formulation and treatment planning in Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Using principles to guide effective treatment. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.

Rizvi, S.L., Hughes, C.D.*, Hittman, A.D.*, & Vieira Oliveira, P.* (2017). Can trainees effectively deliver Dialectical Behavior Therapy for individuals with the borderline personality disorder? Outcomes from a training clinic. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73, 1599-1611.

Rizvi, S.L., Hughes, C.D.*, & Thomas, M.C.* (2016). The DBT Coach mobile application as an adjunct to treatment for suicidal and self-injuring individuals with borderline personality disorder: A preliminary evaluation and challenges to client utilization. Psychological Services, 13, 380-388.

Rizvi, S.L., Steffel, L.M.*, Carson Wong, A.* (2013). An overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for professional psychologists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 44, 73-80.

Course(s)

COURSE: 

Learning Theory and CB Foundations

Fundamentals of Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Practice

Interests

My research interests include improving outcomes, training, and dissemination of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for the treatment of complex and severe populations. I have received funding from the National Insitute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) for my research. My research has culminated in over 60 peer-reviewed articles and chapters.

A Promising Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder
Rutgers Today, October 15th 2010

Awards and Honors

2017 Spotlight on a Mentor Award, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 

2014 Rutgers University Presidential Fellowship for Teaching Excellence

2002 Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology, Dissertation Grant Award

2002 University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Dissertation Research Award