Welles spent five years at Anxiety Specialists of Atlanta, where she started as a staff psychologist before being promoted to clinical director. During her tenure as director, the practice, which specializes in anxiety spectrum disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), doubled in size.

Shes proud of her time there and grateful to have worked with such a talented group of clinicians, and for all that she learned while navigating the unique challenges created as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the pandemic was challenging, some of the innovations that came out of it, like telemedicine, have been amazing, and were not only great for some patients, but to some extent better from a business perspective as well, Welles said. And I think its important to identify and get stakeholders behind some of the incredible technology out there that streamlines important documentation such as billing, clinical notes, and scheduling, and allows more efficient use of staff, faculty, and student time -- which ultimately benefits the patients.

We are truly at a crossroads when it comes to mental health, she added. The stigma in many ways has been lifted, and the need for mental health services has been highlighted everywhere, from professional sports to the entertainment industry, and younger generations are much more accepting of psychological therapy than ever before. People appreciate us, but were still under-resourced. So, being a part of a program that is contributing so much in terms of research and training is incredibly exciting, and aligns with my lifelong commitment to advocate for mental health parity in the medical industry.

Welles has been fascinated by human behavior for as long as she can remember. While an undergraduate, she took a psychology course that inspired her to pursue it as a career. Among other things, she loved that the field was a combination of science, medicine, and philosophy, as one of her professors described it while she was pursuing her doctorate in counseling psychology and school psychology at Florida State University.

Earlier in her career, Welles served as module lead of behavioral health at Kaiser Permanente Gwinnett Comprehensive Medical Center, an experience that led her to highly value the importance of collaborative care, which she believes is the future of behavioral health medicine. And her experiences in higher education, including serving as the assistant director of counseling and psychological services at 40,000-student Kennesaw State University in the Atlanta metro area, have prepared her well for the challenges of her new position.

Im a very analytical person, and can be introverted at times, but I really value connecting with other people and find helping people, in any way, incredibly rewarding, Welles said. And Im a huge believer in the importance of a liberal arts education and am excited our program is housed in that college at Penn State. Psychology is the science of human behavior its entire focus is on the human experience, making it generalizable to just about any chosen career, whether youre a teacher, an anthropologist, a lawyer, an artist, or a stockbroker.

Welles and her husband have four children, including one who will begin attending Penn State later this year. Though it was difficult leaving her patients and colleagues in Atlanta, shes incredibly excited about this new professional and personal chapter in her life.

Im really grateful to be working with such an incredible group of people, she said. Being able to be part of the clinical psychology programs future, and continuing to support a psychological clinic of excellence, where science and practice come together thats very exciting to me. I cant wait to get started.

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Theresa Welles named new director of Penn State Psychological ... - Pennsylvania State University