Member Spotlight – Lea Taylor
APSARD Student Member Lea Taylor recently was awarded the American Psychological Association Division 53 Graduate Student Achievement Award in Clinical Practice. Lea is a fifth-year doctoral student in the APA-accredited Clinical Psychology doctoral program at Syracuse University under the supervision of Kevin Antshel, Ph.D. Her clinical work, community engagement, service, research, and training opportunities have focused on providing evidence-based treatment and assessment to youth with and without ADHD and their families, primarily focused on under served populations. Below, Lea discusses her work that led to the achievement.
“Early in my graduate career, I jumped into clinical work, aiming to gain a broad training in evidence-based practice. I began by coordinating Syracuse University’s ADHD assessment clinic, providing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to youth with a wide range of DSM-5 disorders. I also developed and facilitated a social skills training curriculum for youth with internalizing disorders as well as a behavioral parent training group curriculum as part of a randomized controlled trial specific to parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have comorbid ADHD. Finally, and more specific to ADHD, I have been trained on several CBT protocols for college students with ADHD (Safren, Solanto), skill-based interventions for adolescents (STAND, HOPS) and children (OST) with ADHD as well as behavioral parent training protocols (Incredible Years).
Later in my doctoral training, I moved from an outpatient setting to a residential treatment facility for children and adolescents, providing individual and group evidence-based therapy. I am part of the psychodiagnostic program at this site and conduct comprehensive assessments which provide evidence-based recommendations. In addition, I am training in how to provide evidence-based CBT at a concussion center, addressing the interplay between physical and psychological health while providing accessible evidence-based psychological treatment to those who may not otherwise seek it. I have been very fortunate to have had depth of ADHD training yet also the freedom to pursue additional areas of clinical interest. In this way, I have had both depth and breadth to my clinical training.
I am forever grateful to APSARD for a previous Student Travel Award (2019) and for continually nurturing my passion for clinical research. The annual conference has always been a highlight of my academic year and has enhanced my professional growth in many instrumental ways. Thank you!”
Lea’s primary advisor, Dr. Kevin Antshel adds, “In addition to her outstanding clinical skills and abilities to integrate science and practice, Lea’s contributions to the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology also extend into mentoring. During her five years in our program, Lea has mentored dozens of undergraduate students. She clearly loves working with students and the students feel the same way. In fact, I am convinced that one of the primary reasons that my research lab has launched multiple undergraduate research assistants into doctoral training programs is Lea Taylor.”
The APSARD membership consists of highly accomplished clinicians, researchers, academics, and scientists who are working hard every day to improve care for the millions of people with ADHD and related disorders world-wide. Occasionally, that work is recognized. When that happens, we are very happy to share the good news here, in the Member Spotlight. If you have a news of a professional accomplishment that you want to share here, please send it to