Tabatha Blount, PhD
Dr. Tabatha Blount is an Associate Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Blount specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD, Prolonged Exposure (PE), and COPE for dual diagnosis PTSD and Alcohol Abuse. Additionally, she has training in cognitive behavioral therapies for chronic pain. Since 2010, she has served as a research therapist for The STRONG STAR Consortium and The Consortium to alleviate PTSD studies examining PTSD treatments in post-911 active duty service members and veterans. She currently serves as the Director of Clinical Operations for STRONG STAR’s San Antonio location. Her interests include PTSD, chronic pain, family-based interventions, and behavioral treatments for tic disorders.
Carolina Clancy, PhD
Dr. Carolina Clancy is a clinical psychologist with the Durham (NC) VA Health Care System, where she serves as the Evidence Based Psychotherapy Coordinator, Fellowship Training Director, Cognitive Processing Therapy Trainer and Consultant, and Trauma Recovery Program clinician. In her clinical time, she provides Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Written Exposure Therapy (WET), Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Nightmares (CBT-N) to Veterans with PTSD. Dr. Clancy is licensed in the state of North Carolina and is board certified in Clinical Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Clancy is passionate about teaching, training, and mentoring and has provided training and consultation in CPT since 2012. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina and is fluent in Spanish.
Kirsten Dillon, PhD
Kirsten Dillon, PhD is a Research Psychologist at the Durham VA Health Care System and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of North Carolina. Dr. Dillon specializes in evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including cognitive processing therapy (CPT), prolonged exposure (PE), and written exposure therapy (WET). She has experience providing CPT consultation for research trials and training initiatives, as well as supervision to postdoctoral fellows at the Durham VA. Dr. Dillon’s research focuses on problematic anger, self-directed violence (e.g., suicide, nonsuicidal self-injury), and PTSD. She is currently developing and pilot testing mobile interventions to treat problematic anger and reduce suicide risk in veterans with PTSD. Her goal is to develop effective interventions that will overcome barriers that have thus far kept veterans from engaging in, or benefitting from, more traditional therapy services.
James Graham, PsyD
Dr. James M. Graham, PsyD, is an Associate Professor and clinical psychologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Graham serves as a research and clinical therapist for STRONG STAR at the Ft Cavazos research site, where he recently completed his postdoctoral fellowship, and also serves as a consultant for the STRONG STAR Training Initiative. Dr. Graham received his doctoral degree from William James College in Massachusetts. Dr. Graham’s clinical expertise are in cognitive and behavioral therapies for anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Maritza Grau-Magat, LCSW
Maritza Grau-Magat, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of California. She has worked as a CPT consultant with the STRONG STAR Training Initiative since 2018. She is the Evidence Based Psychotherapist Coordinator and Team Leader at the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System – Suicide Prevention High Risk Therapists Program. Previously she worked as the Tele Mental Health Coordinator in the PTSD Clinic in VA Puerto Rico. She received her MSW from Barry University and completed internships in The Broward County Mobile Crisis Unit and Child Care Connections in Florida. She is a former Director of Social Work at the State Psychiatric Hospital in PR and is a former President and Vice President of NASW, PR Chapter. In addition, she held a private practice for seven years, and was the Family and Community Specialist for Region IIB for Head Start where she trained supervisors and provided technical assistance to staff in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and throughout the United States. She has been a Regional CPT Provider, Trainer and Consultant since 2007 and has hundreds of successful CPT cases. Throughout her 35+ years as a social worker, she has worked in different states and very opposite scenarios that range from serving the medically indigent to working with inmates to advocating in Washington DC for Mental Health and Head Start Program.
Hunter Hansen, PsyD
Hunter Hansen, PsyD, LMFT, is an Adjunct Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice. Dr. Hansen specializes in Prolonged Exposure (PE) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has provided clinical services for several clinical research studies at the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. In addition, Dr. Hansen has extensive training in cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain management and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Dr. Hansen’s professional interests include treatment of PTSD, chronic pain, family-based therapies, depression, and anxiety.
Vanessa M. Jacoby, PhD, ABPP
Dr. Vanessa M. Jacoby is an Associate Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and Board Certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology. Dr. Jacoby is the program director for the Strong Families Support and Prevention Program on Ft. Cavazos, which provides evidence-based PTSD treatment to military parents with a focus on improving whole family relationships. Her research interests are in the developmental trajectory and improvement of treatments for PTSD and other trauma-related disorders. She specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD. Additionally, Dr. Jacoby has worked with trauma-exposed children and whole families utilizing Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).
Elisa M Medellin, LPC-S
Elisa M Medellin, LPC-S, is the Practice Manager of the Transitional Care Clinic, a community mental health clinic within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. Ms. Medellin is also a practicing clinician, specializing in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for the treatment of PTSD. She had provided clinical services for clinic research at the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD, as well in a clinic setting. Ms. Medellin interests include PTSD treatment, including CPT, Prolonged Exposure and Written Exposure Therapy.
John Moring, PhD, ABPP
Dr. John Moring is an Associate Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio, a licensed psychologist, and board certified in the Behavioral and Cognitive specialty by the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Moring completed his doctoral degree at the University of Wyoming and his clinical internship at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and San Diego VA. He completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship with STRONG STAR, and provided evidence-based psychotherapies for combat-related trauma and other military-related health conditions. He specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for post-traumatic headache, Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for PTSD, and Crisis Response Plan (CRP) for suicidality. Currently, his research focuses on the intersection between tinnitus and PTSD, and is funded through the Department of Defense (DoD) to investigate optimal treatment approaches for those with both disorders.
Laura Mowery, PsyD
Dr. Laura Mowery is a clinical psychologist at the Coatesville VA Medical center, where she works as a trauma specialist on the PTSD Clinical Team, serves as the Evidence Based Psychotherapy Coordinator and the VISN 4 Evidence Based Psychotherapy Coordinator Lead. In her clinical role, she provides Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET) to a complex population of Veterans with PTSD. She provides training to doctoral level interns on WET and is a WET Training consultant. Dr. Mowery also has a background in working with SMI populations, suicide prevention, and is additionally trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression (CBT-D), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). She is passionate about promoting evidence-based treatments and ensuring Veterans have access to EBPs across the VA continuum of care.
Nicolas Oakey-Frost, PhD
Dr. Nicolas Oakey-Frost is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. The primary focus of his fellowship is in suicide prevention, training, and implementation science. His role involves program evaluation, training, and research in support of the overall mission of the STRONG STAR Training Initiative (SSTI). Nick earned his PHD from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2024 and has been deeply involved in clinical intervention and research on suicide prevention since 2015. He has a depth of clinical experience in high acuity settings like inpatient psychiatry, delivering brief interventions to those suffering from suicidal thoughts. Nick has published in leading scientific journals on topics related to suicide risk assessment, suicide risk management, and transdiagnostic mechanisms that drive suicidal thoughts and behavior. He is committed to advancing best practices in suicide prevention and ensuring all people have access to evidence-based behavioral healthcare.
Melissa Peskin, PhD
Dr. Melissa Peskin is a clinical assistant professor of psychology in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and an assistant attending psychologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Peskin completed her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University and received a M.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Dublin, Trinity College. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she received training in the evidence-based assessment and treatment of trauma-related disorders. Dr. Peskin completed her clinical internship in the Trauma Recovery Center Division at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where she provided Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy to service members. Dr. Peskin spent 9 years on the faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine, where she conducted research on developing and improving the effectiveness of treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), served as treating psychologist on clinical research studies for individuals with PTSD, and developed a trauma rotation for psychiatry residents, postdoctoral fellows, and social workers to provide training in trauma-focused treatments.
Kristi E. Pruiksma, PhD
Dr. Kristi E. Pruiksma is an Associate Professor and licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Her clinical and research work focuses on evidence-based treatments for insomnia, nightmares, and PTSD. Her role includes supporting randomized clinical trials conducted by the STRONG STAR Research Consortium which focuses on evaluating treatment of combat-related (PTSD) and related conditions in active-duty military personnel and recently discharged veterans. Projects have included trials examining Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD (CPT); Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I); and Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy (ERRT). She is also a co-developer of web-based provider trainings for CBT for insomnia (www.cbtiweb.org) and for nightmares (www.cbtnightmaresweb.org – coming soon!).
Mark Sasvary, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Mark Sasvary is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UT Health San Antonio and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Dr. Sasvary is Chief Clinical Officer of Coordinated Behavioral Health Services which is an independent practice association comprised of 25 member agencies providing community behavioral health services in the Hudson Valley region of New York. Dr. Sasvary received his PhD in 2021 and his dissertation focused on evidence-based practices for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder for people with severe mental illness on Medicaid and receiving services in community mental health centers. Dr. Sasvary specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD and Exposure and Ritual Prevention for OCD. Dr. Sasvary has also worked with the STRONG STAR Consortium to coordinate training and provide clinical consultation.
Abby Seifert, PhD
Dr. Abby Seifert is a clinical psychologist with specialty training in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Her research focuses on collaborating with stakeholders to develop research and improve programming for active duty service members, veterans, and their family.
Bailee Schuhmann, PhD
Dr. Bailee Schuhmann is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Psychologist. She serves as an expert in evidence-based PTSD treatment who supports clinicians’ training and adherent delivery of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET) across research and clinical programs. She also serves as a Research Therapist on several clinical trials examining compressed and/or augmented treatment for individual and couple’s-based PTSD treatments. Her research and clinical interest include posttraumatic stress and resilience in first responder and military populations as well as program development and evaluation.
Sara Tiegreen, PhD
Dr. Sara Tiegreen is a clinical psychologist with the Durham (NC) VA Health Care System, where she serves as Assistant Outpatient Division Chief and oversees the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) in the General Mental Health sections of the Durham medical center and Raleigh community-based outpatient clinic. Dr. Tiegreen is licensed in the state of North Carolina and broadly specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with more specific interests and training in evidence-based psychotherapy protocols for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other complex trauma outcomes. Dr. Tiegreen has provided training and consultation in CPT for the past 12 years in both VA and community settings, across various levels of experience including graduate students, pre-doctoral interns, post-doctoral fellows, medical residents, and licensed independent professionals. One of her primary goals is to help other mental health professionals fall in love with CPT and all it can offer, while offering a fun, compassionate, and rewarding experience throughout the process.
Charity Truong, PsyD
Dr. Charity Truong is a Cognitive Processing Therapy Trainer and Consultant. She currently works as Director of Training and Continuing Education for Stress and Anxiety Service of NJ (SAS of NJ.) SAS of NJ is a specialized group practice that provides empirically supported treatments for PTSD, OCD, and anxiety disorders. In the past she served as a supervisor and instructor for doctoral students at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and was presented the Supervisor of the Year award in 2017. She is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist who has focused on the dissemination and use of empirically supported practices throughout her career. Her past experiences also include serving as the Chief of an Embedded Behavioral Health Clinic at Ft. Hood and Lead Psychologist at the Rutgers Counseling Center. Prior to this, she was as the Chief of Psychology at the Fort Hood, TX site for the STRONG STAR PTSD Research Consortium. Dr. Truong has published research focusing on dissemination of empirically supported treatments for PTSD and OCD. This includes the first outcome study examining the use of CPT in a University Counseling Center. She is a frequent presenter at local and national conferences.
Hannah Tyler, PhD, ABPP
Dr. Hannah Tyler is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Tyler is a licensed psychologist and is board certified in cognitive and behavioral psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. She has extensive experience providing trauma treatment for active-duty service members, veterans, and civilian community members. Dr. Tyler’s areas of expertise include providing treatment and clinical consultation in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Nightmares (CBT-I&N), Written Exposure Therapy (WET), and Crisis Response Planning for Suicide Prevention.