Lily Assaad, PhD
I am a faculty member and licensed clinical psychologist in the University of Washington’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Before joining this department, I completed my Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Purdue University, residency at the University of Washington, and fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.
My research interests primarily center around romantic relationship functioning and personality disorder (PD) measurement. My line of PD research centers around how the use of a trait-based, dimensional approach to assessing and measuring PDs may increase construct validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy relating to PDs. My romantic relationship research centers around how romantic relationship functioning and interpersonal behaviors are associated with psychopathology diagnoses and symptoms.
As a clinician, I specialize in treating suicidality and self-harm using comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy; in treating PTSD using Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure; and in treating anxiety-related disorders using exposure therapies like Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD and Exposure for Social Anxiety. I am also passionate about providing couples’ therapy.
Education
Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 2024
Residency, University of Washington School of Medicine, 2023
Ph.D., Purdue University, 2023
M.S., University of Maryland, 2016
Scholarly Expertise
- Gender
- Global mental health
- LGBTQ+
- Psychosocial outcomes
- Racial/ethnic minorities
- Sexual orientation
- Suicide
- Moment-to-moment interpersonal behaviors
- Couples
- Romantic relationship functioning
Clinical Expertise
- Anxiety disorders/social phobias
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)
- Borderline personality disorder
- Inpatient psychiatry/psychology
- LGBTQ+
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Outpatient psychiatry/psychology
- Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders
- Suicidality and self destructive behaviors
- Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Behavioral Activation (BA)
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Collaborative Care / Integrated Care
- Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Exposure therapies
- Safety Assessments
- Safety Plan Intervention (SPI)
- Suicide prevention
- Couples Therapy
Teaching Philosophy
With 14 years of experience teaching at the university-level, I center my teaching around the creation of inclusive environments that equip students with the experiences, information, and skills needed to think critically, lead equitably, and communicate effectively. As a result of my commitment to teaching excellence at Purdue University, I received the Santagrossi Graduate Instructor Award and the College of Health and Human Sciences’ Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award in addition to being a finalist for the university-wide Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. Furthermore, I won the University of Delaware’s Most Valuable Professor award.
Overall, I employ three primary pedagogical approaches in my classrooms: (1) the use of a variety of teaching tools to support multiple avenues of comprehension and application while building on students’ curiosity; (2) the centering of diversity and inclusion in both curriculum and pedagogy to reflect students’ identities and teach to systemic issues of equity; and (3) the empowerment of students to think critically and effectively communicate by creating space for them to develop and express their opinions.
As a supervisor, I strive to be approachable and direct, balancing irreverence with formal education on EBTs. I take an egalitarian and validating approach to supervising my trainees to encourage their sense of safety in approaching me for help as well as their willingness to risk implementing difficult EBTs without fear of rejection and shame in the face of mistakes. I have used my clinical experience and teaching expertise to educate and supervise trainees to refine their DBT- and exposure-provision skills, including culturally conscious assessment and intervention. Currently, I supervise psychiatry residents in DBT provision and exposure treatments; am a preceptor for medical students; and supervise graduate students on both outpatient and inpatient evidence based treatment. Furthermore, I design and facilitate DBT workshops within academic institutions (e.g., at Penn Medicine) and at conferences (e.g., at ABCT).
Recent Publications
(2020 Aug)
J Pers Disord 34(4): 519-545
Assaad L, Lane S, Hopwood CJ, Durbin CE, Thomas KM
(2018 Apr)
J Pers 86(2): 147-157
Assaad L, Lemay EP Jr
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