Draft:Steven Safren

Steven A. Safren is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami University of Miami (UM) and the Director of CHARM – The UM Center for HIV and Research in Mental Health. His expertise lies in health behavior change, with a particular focus on the intersection of behavioral health and medical illness on both domestic and global scales. A significant portion of his research portfolio is dedicated to HIV prevention and treatment, especially concerning sexual and gender minority individuals. Dr. Safren has also been instrumental in the development of cognitive-behavioral therapy for adult and adolescent ADHD.

Early Life
Born in Boston, Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts, to first-generation (Russian/Polish) parents, Safren grew up in Westwood, Massachusetts. He earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology in 1991 from Brandeis University Brandeis University. Following this, he worked for two years as a milieu mental health counselor in a group home for children. His academic journey continued at the University at Albany, SUNY University at Albany, State University of New York, where he pursued his PhD. During this period, he explored quality of life in social phobia for his Master’s thesis and investigated risk and protective factors for depression, hopelessness, and suicide in sexual minority versus heterosexual adolescents for his dissertation, both under the supervision of Dr. Richard Heimberg Dr. Richard Heimberg. Safren gained early exposure to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), particularly focusing on social anxiety disorder social anxiety disorder, while working in Dr. Heimberg’s lab.

Safren completed his predoctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship in the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Harvard Medical School system at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), under the supervision of Dr. Michael W. Otto in CBT. Over 18 years, he held academic and administrative positions at MGH, eventually becoming a Professor at HMS. During his tenure, he founded and directed a new Behavioral Medicine Service, led behavioral science studies at the Fenway Institute at Fenway Health, and served as the founding Director of the Harvard University’s Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Behavioral and Social Sciences Core.

In 2015, Safren relocated to the University of Miami University of Miami, where he currently serves as a Professor of Psychology and the Director of the UM Center for HIV and Research in Mental Health (CHARM) and the Health Promotion and Care (HPAC) lab. Notable contributions include studies focused on treating depression and improving adherence to HIV medical treatment in the U.S. and globally, interventions for HIV prevention and treatment adherence, and the treatment of adult and adolescent ADHD. Dr. Safren has been a Principal Investigator and Protocol Chair for 18 federally funded studies via the National Institute of Mental Health NIMH, National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases NIAID), primarily related to HIV prevention and treatment and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Beyond his HIV and behavioral medicine work, Safren developed and tested evidence-based psychosocial treatments for ADHD in adults and extended these interventions to adolescents (see, Books). He currently resides in Miami, Florida, with his husband, two kids, and four rescue dogs.

Research and career
In 2004, Steven Safren founded the Behavioral Medicine Education Program at Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital, emphasizing specialized care at the intersection of psychology and health for patients impacted by both medical and psychiatric conditions through clinical work, professional training, and research. The treatment programs and research conducted by the Behavioral Medicine Program focus on the use of validated, state-of-the-art treatment interventions based on the latest research to help patients achieve optimal levels of mental and physical health.

Awards and Honors/Recognition

 * 2009 A. Clifford Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award from Harvard Medical School
 * 2010. Fellow, American Psychological Association (APA) Division 44, (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity)


 * 2019 APA Division 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity) Distinguished Book Award
 * 2019 APA Division 44 in Lesbian, Gay, and/or Bisexual Psychology
 * 2015 IAPAC Pioneer Award for Outstanding Contributions to HIV Adherence Science/Practice
 * 2018-2019 University of Miami Cooper Fellow


 * 2020 SAVE Champion of Equality – Hall of Champion Award


 * 2020 Fellow, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)


 * 2017 APA Division 12 (Society of Clinical Psychology) Fellow


 * CBT Pioneer featured on the website for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)

o LGBT Special Interest Group’s Student Research Award for 1997 from the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (formerly, The Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy)

Selected works
Books

· Martell C, Safren SA, Prince S. Cognitive behavioral therapy with gay, lesbian, and bisexual clients. New York: Guilford Press, 2003. · Safren SA, Gonzalez JS, Soroudi N. Coping with Chronic Illness: Cognitive behavioral therapy for adherence and depression in individuals with chronic illness, Client Workbook and Therapist Guide. 2007, Oxford University Press.

· Safren SA, Sprich S, Perlman CA, Otto MW. Mastery of your adult ADHD, Client Workbook and Therapist Guide, 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press, 2017.

· Naar S & Safren SA. Motivational interviewing and CBT: Combining strategies for maximum effectiveness. NY: Guilford Press. 2017.

· Vranceanu AM, Greer JA, Safren SA (editors). The MGH Handbook of Behavioral Medicine. NY: Humana Press (Springer). 2017.

· Pachankis, J, Safren SA. (Editors). Handbook of Evidenced Based Mental Health Practice with Sexual and Gender Minority Clients. NY: Oxford University Press, 2019.

· Sprich SE & Safren SA. Overcoming ADHD in adolescence: A cognitive behavioral approach. Therapist Manual and Client Workbook. NY: Oxford University Press. 2020.

· Pachankis, JE, Harkness A, Jackson SD, Safren, SA. (2022). Transdiagnostic LGBTQ-Affirmative Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy: Therapist Guide. Oxford University Press.

Articles/publications

NIH Citations

Google Scholar Citations