Psychology

• Introduction to Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Trauma & Resilience

Michael J. Gawrysiak, Ph.D. University of Tennessee. Associate Professor. His research, teaching and clinical interests are organized around the study of in adult psychopathology (i.e., substance use disorders, posttraumatic stress), contemplative practices and mindfulness-based interventions, and studying brain (i.e., fMRI) and behavioral features of individuals struggling with psychiatric disorders. Currently, his work centers around the putative benefit of psychedelic drugs through his role as investigator on two clinical trials studying brain-behavioral changes among opioid use disorder patients participating in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy (PAT; psilocybin). He is also coordinating studies to investigate the long-term psychological changes among individuals that participate in legally delivered psilocybin/DMT through psychedelic service providers in Oregon, Colorado, and Mexico. 
Email: mgawrysiak@wcupa.edu 
Lab Webpage: BRAIN-MAP Lab Director

• Gawrysiak, M.J., S., Grassetti, S.N., Greeson, J., Shorey, R.C., & Baime, M.J. (In Press). The many facets of mindfulness and the prediction of change during Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
• Dumais, K., Franklin, T., Jagannathan, K., Hager, N., Gawrysiak, M., Betts, J.,…Wetherill, R., Sex differences in brain responses to smoking cues: Multi-site replication in new cohorts. Manuscript Accepted for publication.
• Shorey, R. C., Gawrysiak, M. J., Elmquist, J., Brem, M. J., Anderson, S., & Stuart, G. L. (In Press). Experiential avoidance, distress tolerance, and substance use cravings among adults in residential treatment for substance use disorders. Journal of Addictive Diseases.
• Shorey, R. C., Elmquist, J., Gawrysiak, M. J., Strauss, C., Haynes, E., Anderson, S., & Stuart, G. L. (In press). A randomized controlled trial of a mindfulness and acceptance group therapy for residential substance use patients. Substance Use & Misuse
• Reigier, P.S., Monge, Z.A., Franklin, T.R., Wetherill, R., Teitelman, A., Jagannathan, K., Suh, J.S., Wang, Z., Young, K., Gawrysiak, M.,…Childress, A.R., (In press). Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse are associated with a heightened limbic response to cocaine cues. Addiction Biology.
• Shorey, R., Elmquist, J., Gawrysiak, M., Anderson, S., & Stuart, G. (2016). The relationship between mindfulness and compulsive sexual behavior in a sample of men in treatment for substance use. Mindfulness, 1-8.
• Gawrysiak, M.J., Leong, S., Grassetti, S.N., Wei, M., & Baime, M.J. (2015). Dimensions of distress tolerance and the moderating effects on Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 1-9.
• Shorey, R. C., Gawrysiak, M. J., Anderson, S., & Stuart, G. L. (2015). Dispositional mindfulness, spirituality, and substance use in predicting depressive symptoms in a treatment seeking sample. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 71(4), 334-345.
• Goodson, J. T., Lefkowitz, C. M., Helstrom, A. W., & Gawrysiak, M. J. (2013). Outcomes of prolonged exposure therapy for veterans with PTSD. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 26, 419-425.
• Gawrysiak, M. J., Nicholas, C. R. N., & Hopko, D. R. (2009). Behavioral activation for moderately depressed university students: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56(3), 468-475.

• Teaching Philosophy: I believe that the role of the teacher is to present course material in a clear and interesting manner and to engage students in an interactive dialogue about the subject to be learned. In addition to testing and lecturing on course material, I believe it is essential that students develop their capacity to think critically and to learn to evaluate information with a scrupulous, skeptical, and curious attitude. My teaching philosophy therefore strives to encourage the development of students' critical thinking and curiosity both within and outside of the classroom.
• My Advice to Students: Take full advantage of your university experience! Attending college can be one of the most enriching experiences of your life! Talk to professors who you find interesting, make friends, feed your curiosity, participate in extra-curricular activities! Make the most of your time! Also....READ YOUR SYLLABUS!