Kate Collison, Ph.D.

Dr. Kate Collison is the Madigan Family Clinical Research Postdoctoral Fellow at The Family Institute. She treats individuals and couples for a wide range of clinical problems and psychosocial stressors. Dr. Collison completed her clinical internship at Hines VA addressing common challenges such as posttraumatic stress, substance use, depression, anxiety and adjustment to major life changes and stressors. Prior to this, Dr. Collison worked in a university-affiliated therapy practice and women’s health clinic, where she treated perinatal and postpartum depression and anxiety and stress associated with life transitions.

Dr. Collison is trained in a variety of evidence-based treatments and often uses principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). These types of treatment are relatively time-limited and goals-focused, with the goal of helping individuals feel empowered and capable of using their strengths and skills to lead lives worth living. She emphasizes a collaborative approach that uses each individual’s values and goals as the starting point for their work together.

Dr. Collison received her M.S. and Ph.D. at Purdue University, where she worked with Dr. Donald Lynam studying personality measurement and personality constructs that tend to be related to antisocial behavior. Her research is focused on disordered personality traits, personality assessment, general aggression, and intimate partner violence. Dr. Collison’s most recent work has sought to bridge the gap between research on partner and non-partner aggression to understand the personality trait profiles of individuals who engage in these behaviors. She is excited to be working with Dr. Erika Lawrence at The Family Institute to evaluate the effectiveness of an ACT-based intervention targeting IPV.