Michelle G. Craske
Born
Tasmania, Australia
Alma materUniversity of Tasmania; University of British Columbia
Occupation(s)Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles

Michelle G. Craske (b. 1959) is a Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is known for her research on anxiety disorders, including phobia and panic disorder, and the use of fear extinction through exposure therapy as treatment.[1] Other research focuses on anxiety and depression in childhood and adolescence and the use of cognitive behavioral therapy as treatment.[2] Craske served as the past president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy.[3] She was a member of the DSM-IV work group on Anxiety Disorders and the DSM-5 work group on Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum, Posttraumatic, and Dissociative Disorders, while chairing the sub-work group on Anxiety Disorders.[4]

In 2015, Craske received an honorary doctorate from Maastricht University for her work in clinical psychology and experimental psychopathology.[5] In 2017, she received Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP), an award given annually to an individual who has made an extremely important career contribution to the science of clinical psychology.[6]

Craske is the author of several academic texts including Anxiety Disorders: Psychological Approaches to Theory and Treatment (1999),[7] The Origins of Phobias and Anxiety Disorders: Why More Women than Men (2003),[8] and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (2009).[9] With David Barlow and other, she has authored numerous trade books for clinical practice, such as Mastery of Your Panic and Anxiety, Mastery of Your Fears and Phobias, and Mastery of Your Anxiety and Worry, with workbooks for clients and guides for therapists.

Biography

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Craske was born in Tasmania, Australia. She received her B.A. with honors at the University of Tasmania (1981). She went on to receive her M.A. (1983) and her Ph.D. (1985) from the University of British Columbia in Clinical Psychology, where she worked alongside Jack Rachman. Craske completed a postdoctoral fellowship in SUNY Albany under the guidance of David Barlow. In 1990, Craske joined the faculty of UCLA where she has remained throughout her career.[10] Her research on treatments for anxiety disorders and depression has been supported through grants from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Research

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Craske's research views fear and and anxiety as separable constructs and explores how anxiety can stem from fear and be treated through fear extinction.[10] One of her main goals has been to find effective treatments for anxiety, including methods of reducing panic attacks.[11] Craske has develop a series of a computer-assisted therapy programs for treating anxiety disorders that are designed to help therapists and their clients.[10]

Craske's and her colleagues have focused on emotion regulation in clients, using focused breathing to promote mindfulness. They found that participants who practiced focused breathing responded less negatively to aversive stimuli whereas participants who practiced unfocused breathing reported more distress. This result suggests that focused breathing may be used in therapeutic contexts to help clients respond less strongly to negative stimuli.[12] One of her most cited studies involved a two year follow-up of patients who received behavioral treatment for panic disorder.[13] Treatment included progressive muscle relaxation, interoceptive exposure therapy with cognitive restructuring, or a combination of both. The results showed that 81% of the patients remained panic free after the 2 year assessment.[14]

Representative Publications

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  • Arch, J. J., & Craske, M. G. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness: Emotion regulation following a focused breathing induction. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(12), 1849-1858.
  • Arch, J. J., & Craske, M. G. (2008). Acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: Different treatments, similar mechanisms? Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice15(4), 263-279.
  • Andrews, G., Cuijpers, P., Craske, M. G., McEvoy, P., & Titov, N. (2010). Computer therapy for the anxiety and depressive disorders is effective, acceptable and practical health care: a meta-analysis. PloS one, 5(10), e13196.
  • Barlow, D. H., Craske, M. G., Cerny, J. A., & Klosko, J. S. (1989). Behavioral treatment of panic disorder. Behavior Therapy, 20(2), 261-282.
  • Craske, M. G., Brown, T. A., & Barlow, D. H. (1991). Behavioral treatment of panic disorder: A two-year follow-up. Behavior Therapy22(3), 289-304.
  • Craske, M. G., Kircanski, K., Zelikowsky, M., Mystkowski, J., Chowdhury, N., & Baker, A. (2008). Optimizing inhibitory learning during exposure therapy. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 46(1), 5-27.

References

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  1. ^ Arkowitz, Hal; Lilienfeld, Scott O. (2008). "Why Do We Panic?". Scientific American Mind. 19 (5): 78–79. doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind1008-78.
  2. ^ "UCLA Anxiety and Depression Research Center :: People :: Michelle Craske, Ph.D." anxiety.psych.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  3. ^ Shiriaev, Leonid. "ABCT | CONVENTION 2016 | Message From ABCT's President | Jonathan Abramowitz, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill". www.abct.org. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  4. ^ "Optimizing Exposure Therapy for Anxiety Disorders" (PDF). www.iftcc.com.
  5. ^ "Honorary doctorates - events - Maastricht University". www.maastrichtuniversity.nl. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  6. ^ "Michelle Craske to receive the 2017 Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology - Life Sciences". Life Sciences. 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  7. ^ 1959-, Craske, Michelle G. (1999). Anxiety disorders : psychological approaches to theory and treatment. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. ISBN 0813332508. OCLC 39094234. {{cite book}}: |last= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ 1959-, Craske, Michelle G. (2003). Origins of phobias and anxiety disorders : why more women than men? (1st ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier. ISBN 0080440320. OCLC 175178710. {{cite book}}: |last= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ 1959-, Craske, Michelle G. (2017). Cognitive-behavioral therapy. American Psychological Association (Second ed.). Washington, DC. ISBN 978-1433827488. OCLC 960166683. {{cite book}}: |last= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ a b c "An Interview with Michelle Craske, Ph.D. on Anxiety Disorders Research and Treatment - Anxiety Disorders". Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  11. ^ "An Interview with Michelle Craske, PhD, on "Maximizing Exposure Therapy for Anxiety Disorders" - Portland Psychotherapy Training". Portland Psychotherapy Training. 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  12. ^ Arch, Joanna J.; Craske, Michelle G. (2006). "Mechanisms of mindfulness: Emotion regulation following a focused breathing induction". Behaviour Research and Therapy. 44 (12): 1849–1858. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2005.12.007. PMID 16460668.
  13. ^ Barlow, David H.; Craske, Michelle G.; Cerny, Jerome A.; Klosko, Janet S. (1989). "Behavioral treatment of panic disorder". Behavior Therapy. 20 (2): 261–282. doi:10.1016/s0005-7894(89)80073-5.
  14. ^ Craske, Michelle G.; Brown, Timothy A.; Barlow, David H. (1991). "Behavioral treatment of panic disorder: A two-year follow-up". Behavior Therapy. 22 (3): 289–304. doi:10.1016/s0005-7894(05)80367-3.
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