Christina J. Taylor, Ph.D.
Dr. Christina J. Taylor graduated from Sacred Heart University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Religious Studies. She holds a Master of Arts in General Theoretical Psychology from the University of Missouri in Kansas City, and earned an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the Graduate Center of The City University of New York where she was privileged to work with Professor Stanley Milgram as her advisor. Dr. Milgram, renowned for his very important research on obedience to authority, left a legacy of mentoring doctoral students at the Graduate Center. Dr. Taylor was the last student to complete a doctorate under his guidance.
Dr. Taylor completed Postdoctoral study in Clinical Psychology at Hofstra University and served as a Research Psychologist on the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Multicenter Treatment Outcome Study on Panic Disorder at Yale University. She is a specialist in Cognitive Behavior Therapy for anxiety disorders and has special expertise in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Her book, OCD: A Workbook for Clinicians, Children and Teens, is described as an exceptional resource for helping children and teens to gain control over OCD.
Dr. Taylor combined her interests in Social and Clinical psychology in the courses that she taught, including Abnormal Psychology, Abnormal Psychology in Film, Advanced Research, Psychopathology, Positive Psychology in Literature and Film, and the Psychology of Women. She founded the Women’s Studies Interdisciplinary Minor in 1990 and served as the first Director of the program. She became Professor Emeritus in 2020.
Dr. Taylor maintains a clinical practice and provides training workshops for mental health professionals on cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD and anxiety disorders. She is an avid tennis player, cyclist, hiker, and day sailor. She is passionate about animals and the natural environment, maintaining her suburban yard as an officially designated National Wildlife Foundation Bird Friendly Habitat.
Research & Professional Interests
- Stigma of Mental Illness
- Women’s Issues
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Anxiety Disorders and OCD
Community Responsibilities
- Human Journey and Heart Challenges Hate Lectures
- Fairfield County OCD Support Group – Facilitate Monthly Meetings, First Church Congregational, Fairfield