Dr. Felgoise joined the faculty of PCOM in July 1999. She earned her MA and PhD in
clinical psychology from Hahnemann University, after completing an APA-accredited
internship in clinical/community psychology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School,
in Piscataway, NJ. Her postdoctoral training in Health Psychology and Research from
Hahnemann University and her private clinical practice positions her to mentor students
in clinical work, research, scholarship and professional affiliation. Dr. Felgoise
earned her diplomate in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional
Psychology in 2003, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology.
Dr. Felgoise teaches courses that draw upon her scientist-practitioner training.
Her clinical research teams emphasize collaboration and learning among students across
years in the program, and provide opportunities for leadership, research experience,
project development, clinical learning, and professional presentations.
MA and PhD in clinical psychology from Hahnemann University
Dr. Felgoise teaches doctoral courses in Research Methods; Problem-Solving Therapy for Medical Patients; Grief, Loss and Bereavement; Practicum; and Qualitative Methodology, among others. She teaches informally via mentoring and supervising students for clinical and research work.
Dr. Felgoise's research focuses on quality of life in, and psychosocial aspects of,
ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and Long QT Syndrome (LQTS, a life-threatening cardiac
arrhythmia condition). Research on these topics have emphasized factors relating to
quality of life, social problem solving, coping and adjustment, resilience factors
(hope, optimism, spirituality), and comorbid psychological conditions (i.e., anxiety,
depression). ALS research has focused on adults and their lay caregivers; LQTS research
focuses on children and adolescents and their parental caregivers, adults with LQTS,
interdisciplinary care of LQTS patients, physicians’ decision making, and emergency
care. Her work has been grant supported in part by the Pennsylvania Department of
Health, and the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging. Other research projects have
been funded by the ALS Association and the Christopher Reeves Foundation, and presented
at the Heart Rhythm Society, Society of Behavioral Medicine, and Association for Behavioral
and Cognitive Therapies, among others. Dr. Felgoise has been a co-principal investigator
for several studies and a program of research focusing on quality of life issues for
persons with ALS and their family caregivers. She and her collaborators have published
their works in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Neurology, and Quality of Life journals.
Students are always involved in these research projects, which often serve as sources
for dissertation topics, multidisciplinary team experience, and clinical exposure
to these populations.
Dr. Felgoise has also co-authored numerous national conference presentations in her
areas of research, and previously on coping with cancer, including a book published
by the American Psychological Association, Helping Cancer Patients Cope: A Problem-Solving
Approach. She is also an associate editor and author for the Encyclopedia of Behavioral
and Cognitive Therapies by Kluewer, and co-author of a graduate textbook, Clinical
Psychology: Integrating Science and Practice. Dr. Felgoise also involves students
in her role as Associate Editor for Journal of Clinical Psychology (Wiley & Sons),
Consulting Editor for Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (APA), and Consulting
Editor for Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (APA). She also serves as
an ad-hoc reviewer for Psycho-Oncology and others.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Felgoise has been an active member of the American Psychological Association, and several divisions: Div. 12 (Clinical), Div. 38 (Health), Div. 54 (Pediatrics), the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the Society for Behavioral Medicine, the American Academy of Clinical Psychology, and the American Board of Professional Psychology. She also serves in the following capacities:
