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PTSD: National Center for PTSD

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Jennifer Schuster Wachen, PhD

   

Jennifer Schuster Wachen, PhD

Portrait of Jennifer Schuster Wachen, PhD

Clinical Research Psychologist

Women's Health Sciences Division

Email: Jennifer.Wachen@va.gov

Academic Appointment

Education

  • VA Boston Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship, Medical Psychology, Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • University of Connecticut, Clinical Psychology, MA and PhD

Expertise and Interests

  • Evaluation of treatment interventions (e.g., Cognitive Processing Therapy) for PTSD and comorbid conditions in active duty military and Veterans
  • Massed treatments for PTSD
  • Effects of trauma and PTSD on physical health and psychosocial functioning
  • Addressing moral injury in treatment for PTSD

Featured Publications

Wachen, J. S., & Galovski, T. E. (2025). Cognitive processing therapy for complex cases: Evidence-based strategies. New York, NY: Springer Publishers. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-87356-0

Wachen, J. S., Morris, K. L., Galovski, T. E., Dondanville, K. A., Resick, P. A., & Schwartz, C. (2024). Massed cognitive processing therapy for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: Study design and methodology of a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 136, 107405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2023.107405 PTSDpubs id1628204 (PDF)

Wachen, J. S., & Held, P. Special feature: Intensive delivery of cognitive behavioral therapies for anxiety, mood, and trauma-related disorders. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 30(3), 311-313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2022.06.004 PTSDpubs id1658118 (PDF)

Wachen, J. S., Mintz, J., LoSavio, S. T., Kennedy, J. E., Hale, W. J., Straud, C. L., Dondanville, K. A., Moring, J., Blankenship, A. E., Vandiver, R., Young-McCaughan, S., Yarvis, J. S., Peterson, A. L., Resick, P. A., & for the STRONG STAR Consortium (2022). The effect of prior head injury on outcomes in group and individual cognitive processing therapy with military personnel. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 35(6), 1684-1695. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22870 PTSDpubs id1614083 (PDF)

Wachen, J. S., Evans, W. R., Blankenship, A. E, & Jacoby, V. (2021). Cognitive processing therapy for moral injury. In J. Currier, K. Drescher, & J. Nieuwsma (Eds.) Addressing moral injury in clinical practice. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000204-009 PTSDpubs id1557449 (PDF)

Find a full list of my publications on PubMedLink will take you outside the VA website. VA is not responsible for the content of the linked site..

Key Projects

  • Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Self-directed Internet-based Cognitive Processing Therapy Intervention
  • Massed Cognitive Processing Therapy for Combat-related PTSD
  • Variable Length Cognitive Processing Therapy for Combat-related PTSD

Membership in Professional Societies

  • International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Public Education and Information Committee Chair
  • Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
  • American Psychological Association

Awards and Honors

  • Outstanding Research Achievement, Team Award (STRONG STAR), Military Health System Research Symposium, 2022
  • Recipient, NIH Loan Repayment Program, 2013 – 2016
  • Research Fellowship Award, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 2002 – 2006

Members of the press interested in scheduling an interview please see the contact for the media page.

PTSD Information Voice Mail: (802) 296-6300
Email: ncptsd@va.gov
Also see: VA Mental Health

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