Cory J. Cascalheira

Doctoral Candidate in Counseling Psychology

Biography

Cory J. Cascalheira, BA, LSAA (he / they) is an NIH MBRS R25 RISE Fellow and a doctoral candidate in the Department of Counseling & Educational Psychology at New Mexico State University. His research program has three foci: (1) the examination of stress-based, multilevel determinants and mechanisms conferring risk for LGBTQ+ health disparities (e.g., substance misuse); (2) the use of computational methods (i.e., artificial intelligence) and big data to understand LGBTQ+ health behaviors and outcomes; and (3) the development of innovative interventions (e.g., digital health).

Clinically, he has experience delivering cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness-based, and relational-cultural interventions through individual and group modalities with people living with homelessness, addiction, recidivism, academic distress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, loss, and concerns about body image and identity development. Cory has worked in college counseling centers, community behavioral health settings, integrated primary care, and VA medical centers.

Education

PhD, Counseling Psychology, 2024
New Mexico State University
BA, Psychology, 2012
University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Skills

An avid R user since 2018, Cory uses R to conduct reproducible multilevel, latent variable, and artificial intelligence analyses and visualizations.

Python

A Python user since 2021, Cory uses Python to perform machine learning, deep neural networks, natural language processing, scrape the web, and download big data.

Author

Cory primarily writes for scientific audiences, but his research has been featured in popular outlets, such as podcasts, local and international newspapers, online magazines, and other outlets.

Therapist

Cory uses CBT, COPE, PE, CPT, MI, ACT, RCT, and other evidence-based practices to prevent client problems, stop client suffering, and contribute to client development. He has neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic assessment experience.

Educator

Cory uses an active learning, participatory approach to student education, and has developed GED classes for male inmates in the Muscogee County Jail and taught undergraduate classes in research and gender at New Mexico State University.

Advocate

Cory has served on the board of directors for LGBTQ+ non-profits and currently serves on a national science committee for Division 44 of the American Psychological Association.

Academic Experience

Research Extern

Hub for Health Intervention, Policy and Practice

Jul 2022 – Present University of California, Los Angeles

Assists in the design of a technology-delivered health promotion intervention to reduce HIV risk among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; disseminates findings.

RISE Fellow

Department of Counseling & Educational Psychology

Aug 2021 – Present New Mexico State University

Obtains grants; applies artificial intelligence and big data to the study of psychosocial stressors among LGBTQ+ adults; manages a large team of undergraduate students, doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and assistant professors in the creation of a large, qualitatively annotated database of social media posts; disseminates results.

Lab Manager

Minority Stress and Trauma Lab

Jan 2021 – May 2023 Syracuse University

Managed a large team of undergraduate students, postbaccalaureate research assistants, and graduate students; implemented multiple funded projects to understand how psychosocial stressors impact the development and course of PTSD symptoms and hazardous drinking among sexual minority women; assisted in funding acquisition; disseminated findings.

Research Extern

CONNECT Complex Systems and Health Disparities Research Program

Jan 2023 – May 2023 Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University

Gained grant experience; presented science to various stakeholder workshops; contributed to NIH-funded research; disseminated findings.

NICE Chair

Network for International Collaborative Exchange

May 2021 – May 2022 Psi Chi

Directed a large, cross-cultural investigation of social support across 20 countries and 50 laboratories with 5,000+ participants and 141 participating researchers.

Research Intern

Research Division

Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 Center for Positive Sexuality

Contributed to several projects related to (a) BDSM and (b) sexuality during COVID-19; disseminated findings.

Graduate Research Assistant

Department of Counseling & Educational Psychology

Aug 2019 – Aug 2021 New Mexico State University

Obtained grants; worked with assistant professors on projects related to LGBTQ+ health; trained and supervised undergraduate research assistants; disseminated results.

Volunteer Research Assistant

Department of Psychology

Jun 2018 – Jun 2019 Columbus State University

Worked on projects related to social psychology; completed training in univariate and multivariate statistics; attended local data science meetings.

Clinical Experience

Predoctoral Clinical Psychology Intern

VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle

Jul 2023 – Present VA Medical Center - Washington

Delivers CBT-D, COPE, and ACT to individual patients and facilitates CBT-SUD, DBT Skills, and interpersonal process groups in the Addiction Treatment Center; co-facilitates a LGBTQ+ support group; leads interprofessional team meetings; conducts case management, treatment planning, and assessment; plans seminars; contributes to grant-funded research on LGBTQ+ Veterans.

Health Services Student Trainee

El Paso VA Health Care System

Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 VA Medical Center - Texas

Worked with a home-based primary care (HBPC) team; provided behavioral consultation to an interdisciplinary team (IDT) at meetings; assessed cognitive decline in HBPC-enrolled veterans; attended workshops on CPT through the VA Talent Management System (TMS).

Behavioral Health Consultant

Memorial Medical Center, Family Medicine Center

Aug 2021 – Dec 2022 Primary Care Clinic - New Mexico

Provided behavioral health consultation on an integrated team of physicians, medical residents, nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, and trainees; administered and interpreted ADHD and psychodiagnostic assessments; consulted with patients on harm reduction and lifestyle medicine; provided brief psychotherapy using ACT, CBT, RCT, and CPT; worked with a variety of presenting concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, alcohol misuse, drug misuse, adjustment disorder, identity concerns, complex trauma, and gender dysphoria.

Graduate Clinical Supervisor

NMSU Community Mental Health & Wellness Clinic

Aug 2021 – Dec 2021 Departmental Clinic - New Mexico

Provided one-on-one supervision to two masters-level trainees and group supervision to three masters-level trainees; taught basic helping skills; used roleplay, interpersonal recall, video review, and written feedback to promote the growth of supervisees; used the Integrated Developmental Model (IDM), Discrimination Model, and CBT approach to clinical supervision.

Practicum Counselor

Aggie Health & Wellness Center

Aug 2021 – Aug 2021 University Counseling Center - New Mexico

Provided individual counseling to college students experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, racialized exclusion, motivational concerns, gender dysphoria, family dysfunction, eating concerns, and identity-related issues; primarily used assimilative integration (i.e., relational-cultural theory and acceptance and commitment therapy) and common factors to promote therapeutic change; provided ADHD assessments and wrote two integrated reports; co-facilitated an LGBTQ+ support group.

Clinical Intern

Zia Recovery Center

Mar 2020 – Dec 2020 Community Intensive Outpatient Center - New Mexico

Facilitated counseling groups for withdrawal management with cisgender men and women from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds using mindfulness-based relapse prevention, DBT skills training, and the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP); facilitated a supportive, expressive group on healthy relationships; co-facilitated groups (i.e., twelve-step, life skills) with a diverse team of behavioral health professionals using an Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) model.

Group Practicum Facilitator

NMSU Community Mental Health & Wellness Clinic

Jan 2020 – May 2020 Departmental Clinic - New Mexico

Facilitated one counseling group using interpersonal process techniques with five Mexican American cisgender women; co-facilitated two psychoeducational groups covering topics such as stress management, work–life balance, and college transition with a mixed-gender group of freshmen students; provided telehealth; adapted the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) curriculum to a condensed format; co-facilitated two MBSR groups for education specialists in training.

Practicum Counselor

NMSU Community Mental Health & Wellness Clinic

Aug 2019 – Dec 2020 Departmental Clinic - New Mexico

Conducted individual counseling with three clients per week using an integrated approach grounded in CBT, mindfulness-based theories, and interpersonal process; worked with presenting concerns ranging from poor boundaries, body image, stress management, academic distress, and relationship issues; administered the CCAPS to monitor symptoms across multiple domains.

Addictions Counselor-in-Training

SafeHouse Ministries

Jan 2018 – Jun 2019 Community Intensive Outpatient Center - Georgia

Facilitated CBT and 12-step groups; facilitated psychoeducation groups using the Matrix model, WRAP, and WHAM; wrote case notes in HMIS & weekly probation reports; administered drug screenings (urine analyses, breathalyzers); consulted with professionals to improve client services; performed screening, assessment, orientation, and intake of clients; created GED curriculum for social studies and language arts; tutored inmates at the Muscogee County Jail; performed a qualitative evaluation of the ministry, using ATLAS.ti 8 to analyze client narratives, delivering a final report to the executives and board members.