By Jill Pease
The national conversation around mental health has shifted in recent years, becoming more open and visible. As treatment stigmas fall away and more people seek mental health support, Brendan Rich, Ph.D., believes the University of Florida can guide the response.
“There has been a societal change in our understanding of the importance of mental wellness, which is very encouraging for the field of psychology,” Rich said. “This is such an important time for our field and UF can be the leader in training the next generation of clinicians to meet the demand for mental health services.”
Rich joined the College of Public Health and Health Professions on August 3 as chair and Elizabeth H. Faulk Endowed Professor in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, the same department that trained him and sparked a passion for child psychology.
As a student in the department’s Ph.D. program in clinical and health psychology, Rich was mentored by internationally renowned child psychology faculty members including Stephen Boggs, Ph.D., and Sheila Eyberg, Ph.D., the creator of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for treatment of child behavior issues. During his clinical rotations in the department’s psychology practice and in rural clinics outside Gainesville, Rich began to reflect on the field’s wider responsibility.
“I was working with folks who had never met with a psychologist before,” he said. “It really got me thinking about how to be an ambassador for the field. It inspired me to make sure we’re doing a really good job of helping people understand the value of psychologists, not just from a mental health perspective, but an overall wellness perspective.”
After graduating from the program in 2003, Rich completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health before joining The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He most recently served as chair of the university’s Department of Psychology and director of the master’s program in psychological science. In his research, he explores the efficacy of a group therapy program for children with deficits in social skills and self-regulation.
“Dr. Rich brings a nationally recognized program of research in youth mental health and resilience-based interventions, along with an outstanding record of mentorship, program development and administrative leadership,” said Beth A. Virnig, Ph.D., M.P.H., dean of the college and Robert G. Frank Endowed Professor. “My sincere thanks to all members of the department for their role in the candidate search and to interim co-chairs Dr. Michael Marsiske and Dr. Lori Waxenberg whose steady guidance helped lay the foundation for the department’s next stage of success under Dr. Rich’s leadership.”
Rich has served in national leadership roles, including on the Board of Educational Affairs for the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives, and collaborated with faculty at numerous other graduate programs in clinical psychology.
“All of those experiences only reinforced the idea that UF really is the best,” Rich said. “For me, it’s continued to be the exemplar of what a clinical psychology program should offer.”
Rich sees an important opportunity for the department and the field to shape national conversations on the intersection of artificial intelligence and psychology; workforce expansion to meet patient needs; and strategies to increase access to mental health services. He also plans to continue building on the department’s strengths by facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations throughout campus and UF Health.
“We know that if we are fostering psychological wellness, that’s going to help with people’s medical and physical wellness,” Rich said. “I think the real strength of psychology is that we add value to every other field.”