Rochelle I. Frank, Ph.D.

 In addition to my private practice, I am an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology in the Clinical Science Program at U. C. Berkeley and the UCSF School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and am an adjunct clinical supervisor at the Wright Institute.  I also have served on the adjunct faculties at Argosy University-San Francisco Bay Area Campus and Alliant University (formerly the California School of Professional Psychology), where I taught core coursework in psychological assessment and advanced seminars in cognitive behavioral therapy, other evidence-based treatments, and developmental psychopathology.  I currently provide clinical supervision and training in the delivery of evidence-based treatments to clinical psychology doctoral students and psychiatry fellows.  My clinical research has included the development of patient monitoring instruments and their use in facilitating emotion regulation and enhancing self-esteem in individuals with mood, anxiety, and trauma disorders.  My current interests include the role of transdiagnostic psychological mechanisms in the etiology and maintenance of emotional and behavioral disorders, and the the use of humor, metaphor and multimedia techniques in fostering patient and therapist "skillful creativity" to enhance evidence-based interventions and treatment outcomes.  These are reflected in my recent book, The transdiagnostic road map to case formulation and treatment planning: Practical guidance for clinical decision making (New Harbinger, 2014; http://www.amazon.com/Transdiagnostic-Road-Formulation-Treatment-Planning/dp/1608828956)  I am a member of the American Psychological Association, including Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) and (Section 3) the Society for a Science in Clinical Psychology, as well as Division 56 (Trauma Psychology).  I also am a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the California Psychological Association, and am a past president (and current member) of the Alameda County Psychological Association.

I began my career over 30 years ago as a volunteer counselor on an emergency room crisis team, which fueled my passion to help others and directed me toward a career in psychology.  Much of my professional life has been devoted to working with individuals with diagnostically complex and co-occurring disorders, and their families.  I provide both short- and long-term treatment interventions for a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, mood instability, self-harmful and parasuicidal behaviors, post-traumatic stress, dissociative reactions, and relationship and family conflicts.  I have worked in inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment programs, including facilitating patients' transitions across these settings. I believe in a "lifelong learning" approach to professional training and expertise, and I am committed to bringing the most effective treatments available to my work with patients. 

At the New York State Department of Mental Health, I was trained and certified by Boystown to facilitate development of social and parenting skills for adolescent inpatients and their families, as well as to train and supervise other staff in delivering these services.  In 2003 I completed the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Intensive Training sequence with Dr. Marsha Linehan, Dr. Alan Fruzzetti, and other Behavioral Tech clinicians.  My training in this area also includes Dr. Alec Miller's interactive workshops for applying DBT with adolescents and families.  DBT currently is the only treatment consistently proven in controlled research studies to reduce suicidal risk and self-harmful behaviors, and I have extensive experience doing individual DBT Therapy and Skills Training with adolescents and adults from diverse backgrounds.  I am certified by Dr. Edna Foa and associates at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Prolonged Exposure Therapy, which has empirical support for its efficacy in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  In May 2009 I completed an intensive training course in Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP), Dr. Jim McCullough's evidence-based treatment for chronic depression. I also have received training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) from Dr. Steven Hayes, and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) from Dr. Paul Gilbert.

My training and experience in inpatient, outpatient and residential treatment settings, along with serving as the Clinical Director of an intensive care management and behavioral health services agency in the San Francisco Department of Public Health, provided diverse opportunities to work with clinically complex, multiply challenged, and functionally impaired individuals and families.  I have worked collaboratively with school districts, human services agencies, and juvenile probation departments to develop effective treatment and system-wide reintegration plans that target symptom reduction, positive behavioral change, and reduction of individual and family risk factors.  I also participated on numerous policy, program development, training, and continuing quality improvement committees for both the public and private sectors, which enhanced my understanding of individuals' and families' needs, contributed to my strengths-based and family-focused philosophy of care, and honed my skills in providing effective and compassionate treatment to my patients and their families.