PSYC Clinical Professor Colleen Byrne Elected to Board of Industry’s Largest Credentialing Organization

Colleen Byrne, University of Maryland Department of Psychology (PSYC) Clinical Professor and Director of UMD’s Psychology Clinic, was recently elected to a five-year position on the National Register of Health Service Psychologists’ (NRHSP) Board of Directors.

Byrne, who has been a member of the NRHSP since 2016, was moved to apply for a position on the board given her positive experiences with the credentialing organization—the largest such organization for psychologists and psychology doctoral students.

“I came in as a member later in my career after I had seen the quality of what they were producing. I had really enjoyed taking part in their webinars and conferences, so when I saw what they were looking for in a psychology board member—they have psychologist and non-psychologist board members—I thought ‘That fits with what my career has been, and I might be able to provide a useful perspective.’”

Much of Byrne’s professional career has been spent at UMD. As is highlighted in a NRHSP news release about Byrne’s appointment, Byrne received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Emory University in 1998, and shortly thereafter, in 2001, joined UMD as the Psychology Clinic Director. In that role, Byrne is responsible for ensuring that doctoral students in UMD PSYC’s clinical psychology program are being appropriately trained in how to provide evidence-based psychotherapy and assessment.

Outside of UMD, however, Byrne has been an active and well-respected contributor to her respective field, serving on the Executive Committee for the Association of Psychology Training Clinics since 2005; as a consulting editor for the journal Training and Education in Professional Psychology; as a member of the Maryland Psychological Association; volunteer with the Pro Bono Counseling Project and the Medical Reserve Corps for the State of Virginia; and more. Byrne even recently received the 2023 Clinic Innovations award from the Association of Psychological Training Clinics, presented to the director of “a clinic that has been innovative in their training methodology(s), their technology, or the population they treat.”

“Colleen has been extremely active in a number of state and national efforts for psychologists, and this honor is yet another reflection of her dedication to, and standing within, the field of practicing psychologists,” said Michael Dougherty, PSYC Professor and Chair. “Her position on this board reflects positively on the department and the University of Maryland more broadly, and we're very proud to see her recognized in this way.”

Byrne will take part in NRHSP Board of Directors onboarding meeting in a few weeks, and is “excited” about that opportunity to meet with people coming to the field of psychology from backgrounds different from her own, including commercial business, private practice and even the legal system. 

Byrne is also looking forward to using her time on the Board of Directors to serve PSYC students in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

“Being a PSYC major gives you so many possibilities; there are a million things you can do with a psychology degree and only some of them involve direct client contact,” explained Byrne. “I am hoping to learn some things about the best ways to educate people about their options after undergrad if they want to continue to work with a psychology undergraduate degree.”

Published on Tue, Jan 24, 2023 - 11:27AM