Lizabeth
Roemer 
Psychology
Department--UMass/Boston
BA
(1989) Northwestern University
Ph.D. (1995)
Clinical Internship (1994-1995) Tufts University Medical School/Boston VA
Description of research: Dr. Roemer's research focuses on understanding how individuals respond to unwanted emotional experiences in ways that ameliorate or exacerbate their difficulties and applying this understanding to the treatment of anxiety disorders. In particular, she uses experimental paradigms to investigate the mechanisms and consequences of avoidance of and exposure to unwanted thoughts, feelings and memories. She also, in collaboration with Dr. Susan Orsillo, has developed an acceptance-based behavior therapy for generalized anxiety disorder and is currently investigating the efficacy of and mechanisms of change in this intervention. Her work is grounded in behavioral and experiential theories that posit that experiential avoidance or suppression of emotional responses leads to maladaptive consequences whereas acceptance of and exposure to emotions (along with present-moment awareness and mindfulness) lead to successful emotional processing and more flexible adaptation and growth.
CLICK HERE FOR DR. ROEMER'S RESEARCH WEBPAGE
Teaching:
Undergraduate Graduate
- Abnormal Psychology Research Methods in Clinical Psychology
- Personality Developmental Psychopathology II
- Psychology of emotion Cognitive-behavioral theory and therapy
- Psychological trauma
Selected publications:
Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S.M. (In press). An open-trial
investigation of an acceptance-based behavior therapy for generalized anxiety
disorder. Behavior Therapy.
Roemer, L., Salters-Pedneault, K., & Orsillo, S.M.
(2006). Incorporating mindfulness and acceptance-based strategies in the
treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. To appear in R. Baer (Ed.) Mindfulness
and acceptance-based interventions: Conceptualization, application, and
empirical support.
Orsillo, S.M., &
Roemer, L. (Eds.) (2005). Acceptance
and mindfulness-based approaches to anxiety: Conceptualization and Treatment.
Roemer, L., Salters, K., Raffa, S., & Orsillo, S.M. (2005). Fear and avoidance of internal experiences: Preliminary tests of a conceptual model. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 29, 71-88.
Gratz, K. L. & Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional assessment of
emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial
validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale.
Journal of Psychopathology and
Behavioral Assessment, 26, 41-54.
Roemer, L., & Salters, K.
(2004). A preliminary study of the
effects of directed suppression of rape-related material among rape survivors
using unobtrusive measures. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 32, 149-164.
Salters-Pedneault, K., Tull, M.T., & Roemer, L. (2004). The role of avoidance of emotional material in the
anxiety disorders. Applied and
Preventive Psychology, 11, 95-114.
Orsillo, S. M., Roemer, L., & Barlow, D. H. (2003). Integrating acceptance and mindfulness into existing cognitive-behavioral treatment for GAD: A case study. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 10, 223-230
Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2003). Mindfulness: A promising intervention strategy in need of further study. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 172-178.
Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S.M. (2002). Expanding our conceptualization of and treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: Integrating mindfulness/acceptance-based approaches with existing cognitive-behavioral models. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9, 54-68.
Roemer, L., Orsillo, S.M., & Barlow, D.H. (2002). Generalized anxiety
disorder. In D.H. Barlow, Anxiety and its disorders: The nature and
treatment of anxiety and panic (2nd ed) (pp. 477-515).
Roemer, L., Litz, B.T., Orsillo, S.M., & Wagner, A. W. (2001). A preliminary investigation of the role of strategic withholding of emotions in PTSD. Journal of Traumatic Stress,14, 143-150