My research is aimed at understanding how and for whom cognitive behavioral therapies work best, as a pathway to improving outcomes by adapting CBTs. I study potential change mechanisms and predictors of outcome, using sophisticated analytic frameworks. These findings provide the foundation for empirically-informed treatment adaptation research, with an emphasis on innovative, practical, and transdiagnostic strategies. Clinically, most of my work has involved cognitive therapy (CT) for depression and more recently prolonged exposure (PE) for PTSD for adult patients.  My work on mechanisms spans a variety of variables, with an emphasis on CBT homework and the therapeutic alliance as well as other transdiagnostic change processes. I frequently use observer-rated behavioral data, including psychotherapy processes and patient traits, to better understand questions of mechanism and outcome prediction.  I am also very interested in applying methods of studying predictors and processes of change with respect to student learning outcomes, in line with my interest in enhancing undergraduate educational experiences.

For a better picture of the kind of work I do, you may wish to look at some of my more recent peer-reviewed manuscripts, which you can find on the Publications page. However, because there’s usually a lag between project completion and publication, I’ve included some recent representative conference presentations and posters to indicate different avenues and questions related to three broad research questions that define my ongoing projects.

(1)  Investigating Key Change Processes in Prolonged Exposure Therapy & Cognitive Therapy

From the Publications page: 

  • Cooper, Clifton & Feeny (2017, Clinical Psychology Review). doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2017.07.003
  • Cooper, Zoellner, Roy-Byrne, Mavissakalian & Feeny (2017, Journal of Clinical & Consulting Psychology) doi: 10.1037/ccp0000220
  • Cooper, Kline, Graham, Bedard-Gilligan, Mello, Feeny & Zoellner (2017, Behavior Therapy). doi:10.1016/j.beth.2016.02.013
  • Conklin, Strunk & Cooper (in press, Cognitive Therapy and Research) doi: 10.1007/s10608-017-9873-6

(2)  Identifying Prognostic and Prescriptive Predictors of Treatment Outcome

From the Publications page: 

  • Strunk, Cooper, Ryan, Hollon & DeRubeis (2012, Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology) doi: 10.1037/a0029281
  • Braun, Strunk, Sasso & Cooper (2015, Behaviour Research & Therapy) doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2015.05.004

(3)  Developing Process- and Risk-Oriented Models of Psychotherapy Dropout

From the Publications page: 

  • Cooper, Kline, Baier, & Feeny (in press). doi: 10.1177/0145445518792251
  • Cooper & Conklin (2015, Clinical Psychology Review) doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.05.001
  • Cooper, Strunk, Ryan, DeRubeis, Hollon & Gallop (2016, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry) doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.06.005