Erin Sparapani, PhD
Director of QI, Clinical Assessment and Program Evaluation and Director of SAGE Program
Dr. Erin Sparapani is a full-time licensed psychologist and the Director of QI, Clinical Assessment, and Program Evaluation and the Director of SAGE Program at CBC. She has expertise and specialized training in the delivery of evidence-based treatments for anxiety, mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors, substance use, disordered eating, and personality disorders in adolescents and adults. She is certified in Prolonged Exposure therapy for PTSD. As Director of QI, Clinical Assessment, and Program Evaluation, Dr. Sparapani works to help CBC's team of therapists use ongoing clinical assessments to direct and improve the course of treatment with their clients. These assessments can also help to evaluate CBC's various programs with the goal of improving their outcomes over time.
Dr. Sparapani received her B.A. in Psychology from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from American University in Washington, D.C. While earning her doctorate, she was intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and worked in a private group practice for three years as an extern. As a psychology intern at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, affiliated with the University of Michigan, she received ongoing training in DBT, CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and couples therapy. While working in a specialized rotation with women veterans, she received intensive training in Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy to treat PTSD. As part of her internship year, Dr. Sparapani also participated in ongoing research to better understand the needs of women and LGBTQ veterans seeking services for PTSD, military sexual trauma, and suicidal behavior. Following her internship, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Seattle, WA, where she received advanced training in treating adolescents in DBT, including further training with Dr. Marsha Linehan (the DBT treatment developer).
Dr. Sparapani also enjoys working with adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum to apply emotion regulation skills and work on long-term goals as they seek greater independence. She also spent two years consulting to a Washington, D.C. school system to help address various students' learning and social-emotional challenges.
In addition to her clinical background, Dr. Sparapani has been a member of several research teams investigating rumination, body image dissatisfaction, military sexual trauma, and suicide in military service members, and has had her research published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national conferences. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association, Association of Psychological Science, and the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy.