Some details about me:
Credentials: Doctorate of Psychology, Psy. D., Oregon Licensed Psychologist
Years of Experience: 30 years of working with people and groups, 18 years as a Licensed Psychologist
Client Feedback: See testimonials from my past clients
Hometown: Buffalo, New York
Ancestry: Irish through my father and Polish through my mother
Education: Columbia University in New York for my undergraduate and Antioch New England Graduate School for my doctorate
Family: I live with my 15-year-old daughter in Northeast Portland, Oregon, USA.
Awards & Honors: Fellow, American Psychological Association; National Register of Health Service Psychologists; Public Education Award Winner: Oregon Psychological Association
Videos: You can find videos of me speaking about my background and style, talking to the media about climate change, explaining links between psychology and nature, and informing the public about the mental health benefits of nature.
Recent Publications:
-
Doherty T. J., Lykins, A, (2023, In Press) “Mental Health Impacts” in B. Levy & J. Patz (Eds.) Climate Change and Public Health (2nd. Ed.). Oxford University Press
-
Clinical Psychology Responses to the Climate Crisis (2022) in G. Asmundson (Ed.) Comprehensive Clinical Psychology (2nd Ed.).
-
An Introduction to Outdoor Therapies (2020) in N. J. Harper & W. W. Dobud (Eds.) Outdoor Therapies: An Introduction to Practices, Possibilities, and Critical Perspectives.
- Individual impacts and resilience (2018) in Clayton & Manning (Eds.) Psychology and Climate Change.
- Theoretical and Empirical Foundations for Ecotherapy (2016) in M. Jordan & J. Hinds (Eds.) Ecotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice.
- Mental Health Impacts (2015) in J. Patz & B. S. Levy (Eds.) Climate Change and Public Health.
A Brief Bio:
About: Dr. Thomas J. Doherty is a psychologist from Portland, Oregon who specializes in applying an environmental perspective to mental health and well-being. Thomas provides individual and couples services through his business Sustainable Self, and also consults about climate change, health and wellbeing to groups and organizations.
Therapy Approach: Thomas Doherty’s approach with individuals is highly interactive and positively-focused. He integrates techniques that have been demonstrated to be effective into a unique plan for each client. A collaborative relationship with clear feedback is at the core of the work. See client testimonials.
Research and Teaching: Thomas Doherty is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and Past President of the Society for Environmental, Population and Conservation Psychology. He has multiple publications and professional presentations on nature, mental health and well-being; his groundbreaking paper on the psychological impacts of global climate change, co-authored by Susan Clayton has been cited over 800 times. Thomas Doherty was an adjunct professor at the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling in Portland where he founded one of the first environmentally-focused certificate programs for mental health counselors and therapists. Thomas was also the founding editor of the peer-reviewed interdisciplinary academic journal Ecopsychology.
Presentations and Workshops: Thomas Doherty has provided workshops and trainings for Stanford University Health Services, the US National Park Service, the Oregon and California Departments of Health, the New Zealand Department of Conservation, the American Psychological Association, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the National Renewable Energy Lab.
Background: Thomas is originally from Buffalo, New York and received his BA from Columbia University and Psy.D. in Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School. In addition to his psychology training, Thomas draws on his professional leadership experience and early career adventures as a wilderness therapy and professional whitewater rafting guide, and as an environmental advocate for Greenpeace. He lives in Portland with his daughter.
Listen to Thomas Doherty on his podcast Climate Change and Happiness.