David Tolin, PhD, ABPP

My research is broadly in the area of the nature and treatment of anxiety- and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Much of that work has been in the area of hoarding disorder, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to clarify brain activity that contributes to hoarding behavior, and developing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) strategies to reduce hoarding behavior.

Other work has investigated the use of experimental therapeutics to enhance CBT response in a range of anxiety-related disorders. In particular, I have investigated the use of d-cycloserine, a partial agonist of the N-methyl D-ethyl aspartate (NMDA) receptor, demonstrating the impact of adding this compound to exposure-based CBT for obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and phobias.

More recent work has expanded to the use of CBT to reduce suicide risk among patients hospitalized following a suicide attempt. We have demonstrated the efficacy of a brief CBT protocol in reducing reattempts and psychiatric readmissions over a 6-month follow-up period.

As President of the Society of Clinical Psychology, I developed and disseminated a strategy for identifying empirically supported psychological treatment. Known colloquially as the “Tolin Criteria,” this strategy is currently being used to disseminate evidence-based practices to clinicians, policymakers, and the public.

Finally, I have been an outspoken commentator on the presence of pseudoscience in clinical psychology, particularly within the area of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder.