Jacqueline B. Persons, Ph.D.

(510) 662-8405 ext 1  |  persons@oaklandcbt.com

Dr. Persons (PSY 7275) specializes in treating depression and anxiety in adults, and in providing training and consultation to professionals who want to strengthen their CBT skills or get help conducting research in a clinical setting.

Training and Qualifications

Dr. Persons obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, and has worked in a private practice setting providing CBT, training and consultation to professionals, and research, for more than 35 years. She is also Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley.

Dr. Persons is a clinician, teacher, consultant and supervisor, researcher, and writer. She has an international reputation in the field, and is often invited to speak at conferences and to do trainings locally, in the USA, and around the world.

Dr. Persons has made two important contributions to the field. One is her work on the topic of case formulation in cognitive behavior therapy – that is, the process of developing a hypothesis about the factors that cause and maintain a person’s problems that the clinician can use to guide intervention.

Second, she is an important model of the clinician who makes research contributions while working in a clinical setting.  A 30-minute video clip produced by the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology, in which Dr. Persons describes how she developed a career in which she conducts research in a clinical setting, is posted here.

Dr. Persons was elected president of the Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies in 2002, and of the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology in 1999. She is also Distinguished Founding Fellow, Certified Cognitive Therapist, and Certified Trainer/Consultant of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy; recipient of the Outstanding Clinician award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in 2008; and recipient of the Distinguished Contributions to Applied Research and Practice in Psychology award from the American Association of Applied and Preventive Psychology in 1996. She has authored 3 books, 6 DVDs, and more than 70 articles and chapters.

Outcomes

See Dr. Persons' treatment outcome data here.

Research Interests

Dr. Persons’ research interests are in the process of change in cognitive-behavior therapy, especially in naturalistic clinical settings, and in psychotherapists’ adoption of evidence-based practices.

Dr. Persons’ CV is posted here.

Hours and Fees

Dr. Persons meets with clients and consultees by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Her fee for is $310 for a 50-minute psychotherapy session, $230 for individual professional consultation, and $130 for group professional consultation. She does not accept insurance but will provide an invoice that clients can submit for reimbursement if their insurance offers out-of-network coverage. If you are interested in CBT but are not able to afford this fee please click here to explore low fee options in the Bay Area.

Videos by Dr. Persons About Her Career