Members
Charissa Hosseini (Chair, Listserv Moderator) A recent graduate of Palo Alto University’s PhD program completed her pre-doctoral training at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center also known as the Loma Linda VA. Currently she is completing her post-doctoral residency at the San Francisco VA Medical Center within the Geropsychology Fellowship. Her research interest include adapting evidenced based practices for older adults as well as understanding the interaction between trauma and aging.
Leander Mitchell, PhD (Website Coordinator) is a Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist who completed her Doctor of Psychology and PhD at the University of Queensland (UQ). Leander is currently the Clinic Manager of the UQ Psychology Clinic where she has oversight of the training of postgraduate psychology trainees completing their first placement. She also sees patients privately both for therapy and assessment. Her research interests lie in working with people with Parkinson’s disease and dementia in particular, as well as the broader topics of memory and cognitive impairment in older adults. Her PhD looked at the topic of wisdom and is also an area she is keen to explore further.
Diana DiGasbarro, BA (Newsletter Editor) is a third year graduate student at the University of Louisville pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her clinical interests include assessment and therapy with older adults, especially people with dementia and their families. With regards to research, Diana is interested in bridging positive psychology with assessment and treatment for people with dementia, with an emphasis on identifying and encouraging strengths of people with dementia.
Danielle McDuffie, MA (Newsletter Editor) is a third year graduate student who completed her MA and is in the process of completing her PhD at the University of Alabama (UA). Danielle is currently working as a graduate student researcher and is involved in providing therapeutic services and neuropsychological assessments to older adults. Her research interests revolve heavily around minority aging, particularly amongst African American older adults. She is also interested in the intersections of bereavement, grief, religion, spirituality, and Positive Psychology among African Americans.
Patricia Bamonti, PhD (Social Media Overseer) is a staff psychologist in the Geriatric Mental Health Outpatient clinic at the Boston VA Healthcare System (VABHS) and an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from West Virginia University in 2015. She completed internship and a clinical fellowship specializing in geropsychology at the Milwaukee VAMC. She provides individual and group psychotherapy and serves as a major supervisor within the Geropsychology training program supervising psychology interns and fellows. Dr. Bamonti’s research is broadly focused on mitigating the impact of chronic illness and disability on mental health outcomes in older adults. Her current research is focused on comorbid mental health conditions in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and intervention development in this area. She currently serves as secretary for the Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs (CoPGPT) and the Social Media Overseer for SCG and Diplomatic Liaison between SCG 12/II and CoPGPT.
For further information regarding the Communications Committee, please contact Charissa Hosseini, Committee Chair: chosseini@paloaltou.edu
