VITA

Debra Finnegan-Suler, Ph.D.

CenterPoint - EMDR and Life Enhancement Counseling

16 N. Franklin Street., Suite 303, Doylestown, PA 18901
(215) 340-0525 || debrafs@truecenterpoint.com

Education:

B.A. Psychology, State University of New York at Albany, 1976
Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1983

Honors:

- Alfred Noble Robinson Award for Outstanding Performance and Unusual Promise of Professional Achievement, Lehigh University, 1987
- B.A. Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa


Clinical Experience:

Clinical Director, CenterPoint - EMDR and Life Enhancement Counseling: CenterPoint is inaugurated April 1st, 2001! We join together to promote the life changing potential of EMDR and to provide a unique source of support and information in the pursuit of life enhancement goals.

Clinical Psychologist: Independent Practice, Doylestown, PA, Oct 1985 - present

-- Psychotherapy with Adults; specializing in wellness, trauma, dissociation, performance enhancement and difficult to diagnose problems with living, relationships, work, mood, etc.
--Integrating EMDR with Trauma and Critical Incident intervention methods
--Use of EMDR for Life Enhancement and optimal functioning
--Training of Mental Health Professionals in psychodynamic assessment and practical intervention strategies for psychotherapy

Adjunct Professor, LaSalle University, Dept of Psychology, Sept 1994 - Dec 1994
-- Taught Psych 350: Counseling Theories and Principles

Staff Psychologist, Lehigh University, Student Counseling Service, Jan 1984 - June 1988
-- Psychotherapy with university students and faculty
-- Supervisor of pre-doctoral psychology interns
-- Developed and taught Psychotherapy: Theory and Practice course for pre-doctoral psychology interns
-- Student Affairs Long-term Planning Task force

Post-Doctoral Psychologist (half-time): Princeton University, Student Counseling Center
Sept 1983- June 1984. Psychotherapy with university students

Intern (full-time) University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
July 1981-July 1982 -- Outpatient psychotherapy, Acute Inpatient multidisciplinary team, Day Treatment Program case manager
-- Supervised masters level interns in therapy training group

Post-doctoral Training and Professional Service: EMDR (Eye Movement/Bilateral Stimulation Desensitization and Reprocessing)

Regional Coordinator, EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), 2006- present

EMDRIA Certification in EMDR, 2001 to Present (EMDR is a therapy tool which enhances treatment of trauma and stress; it is also useful in the promotion of well-being in general).

Training in EMDR: Completed Level I Training, 1998; Completed Level II Training, 1998; Strategic Developmental Model Training, 2001; Member of EMDRIA (the EMDR International Association).

Post-doctoral Training and Study: Psychotherapy

Ongoing Case Conference and Study Group, Led by Nancy McWilliams, Ph.D., Graduate School for Applied Psychology, Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ and author of Psychoanalytic Diagnosis: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process , Guilford Press, (September 1987- March 1996)

Princeton Area Study Group for Dissociation and Multiple Personality, Led by Jeffrey Rutstein, Ph.D., Princeton, N.J., (September 1988 - July 1990)

Individual Supervision from Nancy McWilliams, Ph.D. Graduate School for Applied Psychology, Rutgers University and Training Analyst, IPNJ, (September 1984 - July 1987)

Princeton Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology, local affiliate of the Division of Psychoanalysis (Div 39) of the American Psychological Association, (September 1981 - June 1986)


Publications and Presentations

Finnegan-Suler, D. & Huffington, H. (2003). Exploring EMDR as an Integrative, Multimodal Psychotherapeutic Approach. Conference of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, Harrisburg, PA, June.

Finnegan-Suler, D. (1995) The Psychotherapy of Gender Related Disorders (paper presentation). Conference of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, Harrisburg, PA, June

Finnegan-Suler, D. (1994) The Inner World of the Long Term Therapist. (paper presentation) Conference of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, Harrisburg, PA, June.

Finnegan-Suler, D. (1988) The Reluctant Mama's Boy: Diagnosis and Treatment of the Schizoid Male (Program Chair). The Case of Cinderfella (paper presentation), Conference of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, Lancaster, PA , June.

Finnegan-Suler, D. (1988) Assessing Psychotherapeutic Interventions based on Object Relations Theory (paper presentation), Conference of the Eastern Psychological Association, Buffalo, NY, April.

Finnegan-Suler, D. (1987) Symposium on Object Relations Theory and Self Psychology in Psychotherapy (Program Organizer), Using Contemporary Psychoanalytic Technique in the Treatment of Identity Disturbance (paper presentation), Convention of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, Lancaster, PA, June.

Finnegan, D. and Suler, J. (1985) Psychological factors associated with improved health behaviors in post-coronary patients, Journal of Psychology, 119, 87- 94.

Epstein, N., Finnegan, D., Bythell, D. (1979) Irrational beliefs and perceptions of marital conflict, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47, 608- 610.


References:

Georgia Sloane, M.S. Anxiety and Agoraphobia Treatment Center, 112 Bala Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 (EMDRIA Approved Consultant, EMDR)

Nancy McWilliams, Ph.D., Faculty, Graduate School for Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Toni Rex, Ed.D. Past president, Pennsylvania Psychological Association and Private practice, 521 W. Butler Avenue, Chalfont, PA 18914

Andrew Edmiston, Ph.D., Former Director, Lehigh University Student Counseling Service (Retired), 3603 Sunrise Avenue, Allentown, PA18103

Howard Tennen, Ph.D. Director of Clinical Training, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Dept of Psychiatry, Division of Psychology, Health Center, Farmington, CT 06032