College of Humanities and Social Sciences staff
Contact details +6449793625
Dr Ilana Seager van Dyk B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer - Clinical Psychology
Doctoral Co-Supervisor School of PsychologyDr Ilana Seager van Dyk (she/her) is a senior lecturer in clinical psychology at the Wellington campus and director of the PRIDE lab. Her research uses experimental and longitudinal methods to understand the social and emotional mechanisms underlying mental health disparities in populations under chronic stress (particularly LGBTQ+ people) during critical developmental transitions. As a clinical scientist, her ultimate goal is to translate these basic research findings into improved evidence-based clinical care for youth and their families.
Although born and raised in Aotearoa, Dr. Seager van Dyk trained in the United States, completing her B.A. in psychology and history of medicine at Yale University followed by two years of research training as a post-baccalaureate research coordinator at the University of Miami. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The Ohio State University, and completed a 12-month clinical residency at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Finally, Dr. Seager van Dyk was a postdoctoral associate at the Yale LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative, where she received several small grants (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy, Yale FLAGS) to develop an LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive behavioural group therapy for adolescents.
Dr. Seager van Dyk joined the School of Psychology in 2022. In addition to her research, she teaches post-graduate courses in the clinical psychology programme. She is involved in a number of professional activities, including serving as co-chair of the Sexual and Gender Minority Special Interest Group within the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), and serving on the editorial board of Behavior Therapy. She is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of New York, and has a passion for using evidence-based practice to assess and treat internalizing disorders in youth, as well as working with LGBTQ young people and their families.
Dr Ilana Seager van Dyk (she/her) is a senior lecturer in clinical psychology at the Wellington campus and director of the PRIDE lab. Her research uses experimental and longitudinal methods to understand the social and emotional mechanisms underlying mental health disparities in populations under chronic stress (particularly LGBTQ+ people) during critical developmental transitions. As a clinical scientist, her ultimate goal is to translate these basic research findings into improved evidence-based clinical care for youth and their families.
Professional
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts - Yale University (2012)
- Master of Arts - The Ohio State University (2016)
- Doctor of Philosophy - The Ohio State University (2020)
Certifications and Registrations
- Licence, Co-Supervisor, Massey University
Research Expertise
Research Interests
Broadly speaking, I am interested in understanding the social and emotional mechanisms underlying mental health disparities in populations under chronic stress (particularly LGBTQ+ people) across development. Thus, I am interested in research related to:
- LGBTQ+ mental health
- Evidence-based psychological assessment and intervention with youth and their families
- Emotion science / affective science
- Development (particularly childhood through young adulthood)
- Psychopathology (particularly internalizing symptoms)
- Human sexuality
Although less central to my research program, I am also interested in research about student development and mentorship in post-graduate psychology training programs.
Research Opportunities
- Rainbow affirming cognitive behaviour group therapy for youth (01/01/2024) We have been awarded a 3-year grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand to develop this affirming intervention - we need research assistants!
Thematics
Health and Well-being
Area of Expertise
Field of research codes
Clinical Sciences (110300):
Gender Psychology (170105):
Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology (170106):
Medical And Health Sciences (110000):
Psychiatry (incl. Psychotherapy) (110319):
Psychological Methodology, Design and Analysis (170110):
Psychology (170100):
Psychology And Cognitive Sciences (170000):
Social and Community Psychology (170113)
Keywords
LGBTQ+; Mental health; Youth; Emotion; Psychological wellbeing
Research Projects
Summary of Research Projects
| Position | Current | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Project Leader | 1 | 1 |
Current Projects
Project Title: Affirming Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Rainbow Youth and Whānau in Aotearoa
Date Range: 2024 - 2026
Funding Body: Health Research Council of New Zealand
Project Team:
- Dr Ilana Seager van Dyk - Project Leader
Research Outputs
Journal
[Journal article]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
[Journal article]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
[Journal article]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
[Journal article]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
[Journal article]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
Book
[Chapter]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
Conference
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
Other
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Seager van Dyk, I.
Teaching and Supervision
Teaching Statement
I primarily teach into the post-graduate clinical psychology programme on the Wellington campus, although I also teach workshops on clinical practice with LGBTQ+/Rainbow communities across the university.
Graduate Supervision Statement
I am passionate about mentoring emerging scholars in our field using a junior colleague model. I am interested in supervising post-graduate research on topics related to my research expertise in LGBTQ+/Rainbow mental health, affective science, child and adolescent psychology, parenting and families, and experimental and longitudinal methods. At the moment, the majority of the research opportunities in my lab are in the Rainbow/LGBTQIA+ space.
Dr Ilana Seager van Dyk is available for Masters and Doctorial supervision.
Summary of Doctoral Supervision
| Position | Current | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Co-supervisor | 3 | 0 |
Current Doctoral Supervision
Co-supervisor of:
-
Xiaofang Xiao
-
Doctor of Philosophy
How selfie behaviours impact romantic relationships -
Erani Motu
-
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Wairuatanga: Exploring the understanding and implementation of wairua-informed practice with rangatahi Māori in a youth forensic setting. -
Andrew Dodge
-
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
An Exploration into Gender and Generational Differences in Mental Health Literacy in Australasia