Jen Beard obtained her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Louisville and earned both her B.S. in Psychology and M.A. in Psychological Sciences at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is currently a fellow in the department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
Dr. Beard’s training and interests focus of providing psychotherapy to the college student population. She is especially interested in issues surrounding college student development and first-year adjustment, as well as anxiety disorders and trauma. Her clinical training to date includes working in various community mental health agencies, a substance abuse treatment program, a group foster home, and multiple university counseling centers. She also is interested in supervision and training issues, and has enjoyed teaching positions at both University of Louisville and JMU. In BHT, Dr. Beard will be working on the SHUTi intervention, assisting in the screening and orientation of participants.
Outside of the office, Dr. Beard enjoys having time to do activities other than working on her dissertation, such as pilates, running, traveling, and reading that does not involve textbooks or journal articles. Most of all, though, she enjoys being with her husband and cats.