Mary Alvord, PhD, on Building Resilience, Scaling Access, and Practice-Based Research in Real-World Settings
Release Date: 09/22/2025
Mary Alvord, PhD, on Building Resilience, Scaling Access, and Practice-Based Research in Real-World Settings
Research Matters Podcast
Dr. Mary Alvord is a clinical psychologist with over four decades of experience, known for her innovative work integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy with resilience training for youth. As founder of Alvord, Baker & Associates and the nonprofit Resilience Across Borders, Dr. Alvord has led a groundbreaking effort to merge clinical practice, research, and social impact. In this episode, she shares how her early experiences as the daughter of immigrants shaped her mission to provide equitable mental health support for underserved communities. We explore her transition from...
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Louis Castonguay, PhD, on Practice Research Networks, Mutual Respect in Science, and the Joy of Collaboration
Research Matters Podcast
Louis Castonguay, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Penn State University and a leading figure in contemporary psychotherapy research. With a career spanning decades, Dr. Castonguay has focused on what truly makes psychotherapy work—examining the variables that shape client outcomes, therapeutic relationships, and the process of change. But perhaps what sets him apart most is his leadership in Practice Research Networks (PRNs), collaborative research communities that unite clinicians, researchers, and stakeholders to study therapy as it actually happens in real-world settings....
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Dr. Jackie Persons on Integrating Research into Private Practice and Advancing CBT
Research Matters Podcast
Dr. Jacqueline (Jackie) Persons is a distinguished clinician, researcher, and Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She served as president of the Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (ABCT) in 1999 and currently works in private practice at the Oakland Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center. With over 35 years of experience, Dr. Persons is recognized globally for her pioneering work in integrating research into private practice, particularly in the areas of case formulation and measurement-based care. In this insightful conversation, we dive into Dr....
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Patricia Arean, PhD: Effective Strategies for Community Engagement and Digital Innovations in Mental Health Research.
Research Matters Podcast
Dr. Patricia Arean is is the Director of the Division of Services and Intervention Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), as well as a clinical researcher and former professor at the University of Washington’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Arean has focused her career on increasing access to mental health services for underserved communities. She has led multiple research initiatives, including the UW Alacrity Center, which aims to redesign psychosocial interventions for underserved populations, and the Creative...
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Tony Biglan, Ph.D., on balancing funding with following your true passions
Research Matters Podcast
Tony Biglan, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist at Oregon Research Institute and Co-Director of the Promise Neighborhood Research Consortium. For the past thirty years, he has conducted research in the development and prevention of child and adolescent problem behavior. He is a former president of the Society for Prevention Research and was a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Prevention.
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Dean McKay, Ph.D., A.B.B.P. on mental health in academia, getting into grad school, authorship, and personal planning
Research Matters Podcast
Dean McKay, Ph.D., A.B.B.P. is Professor of Psychology at Fordham University where he is a member of the clinical psychology doctoral program. His lab, Compulsive, Obsessive, and Anxiety Program (COAP) provides instruction to undergraduate, masters, and doctorate levels. Dr. McKay’s expertise is in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behavior, with his current focus being on Covid-19 related stress and anxiety.
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Steven C. Hayes, PhD, on controversy, his lab culture, and how political organizing can help you in science
Research Matters Podcast
Dr. Hayes is a Nevada Foundation Professor of Psychology in the Behavior Analysis Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. An author of 46 books and nearly 650 scientific articles, he is especially known for his work on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which is one of the most widely used and researched new methods of psychological intervention in the last 20 years.
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Jessica Borelli, Ph.D., on Work/Family Conflict, Gender Roles, and Intervention Research with Diverse Communities
Research Matters Podcast
Jessica Borelli, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine. She is a clinical psychologist specializing in the field of developmental psychopathology, and her research focuses on the links between close relationships, emotions, health, and development.
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James Kirby, PhD, and Jeffrey Kim, on incorporating physiological data in psychological research
Research Matters Podcast
James Kirby, Ph.D., is a researcher and senior lecturer at the University of Queensland in Australia, who studies the effects of kindness and compassion. Jeff Kim, a graduate student under Dr. Kirby, joins my discussion with Dr. Kirby on measuring and incorporating physiological data into their research. Today’s conversation is focused on measuring heart rate variability.
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Bethany Teachman, PhD, and Jeremy Eberle, on embracing an open-science mindset
Research Matters Podcast
My two guests today, Bethany Teachman, Ph.D. and director of the PACT lab at the University of Virginia, and Jeremy Eberle, a 4th-year graduate student in her lab share the steps they’ve taken to embrace the open-science mindset and open-science practices in their lab.
info_outlineDr. Mary Alvord is a clinical psychologist with over four decades of experience, known for her innovative work integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy with resilience training for youth. As founder of Alvord, Baker & Associates and the nonprofit Resilience Across Borders, Dr. Alvord has led a groundbreaking effort to merge clinical practice, research, and social impact.
In this episode, she shares how her early experiences as the daughter of immigrants shaped her mission to provide equitable mental health support for underserved communities. We explore her transition from private practice to conducting research in school-based and low-resource settings, her challenges navigating the grant and IRB systems, and her founding of a nonprofit to ensure long-term sustainability and scale.
Dr. Alvord discusses her emphasis on team collaboration, ethical imperatives for outcome research, and how she’s helping bridge the gap between evidence-based practice and community-based application.
In this episode, you’ll learn…
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Why Dr. Alvord created a nonprofit to sustain mental health research and services
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How early training in behavioral psychology inspired her lifelong research values
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The logistical and ethical challenges of conducting practice-based research in schools
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Strategies for integrating outcome research into clinical practice
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The importance of cultural responsiveness in designing and delivering mental health interventions
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How to create a team culture of collaboration and perseverance in the face of rejection
Tips from the episode:
On building resilient communities:
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Start with prevention and reach youth early — ideally within school settings
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Empower underserved communities by removing barriers to access
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Cultural relevance and linguistic inclusivity are essential in outreach materials
On sustaining research in real-world settings:
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Private practices can support research — if values and resources align
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Building partnerships with universities offers mutual benefits in research
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Establishing a nonprofit can open doors to grants and expand your impact
On leading a mission-driven team:
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Weekly research meetings foster continuity and shared vision
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Advisory boards and community members can help shape programs
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Perseverance is key — most grant applications and papers will face rejection, but the impact is worth it
Links from this Episode: https://alvordbaker.com/