Catherine D’Avanzato is a Clinical Psychologist with expertise in trauma/PTSD, anxiety and mood concerns. She has 15 years of experience providing evidence-based, specialized psychotherapies to adults with a broad range of concerns.
Dr. D’Avanzato completed her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University, following which she served as a Project Coordinator on the Northwestern-UCLA Youth Emotion Project, a multi-site study conducted by national leaders in Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT) for mood and anxiety disorders that investigated risk factors in the development of these disorders during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Her graduate work focused on the role of difficulties with emotion regulation, memory and attention processes, in mood and anxiety disorders. After graduating with her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Miami in 2012, she completed her residency and postdoctoral training at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where she was trained in Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) and continued to gain experience in CBT.
Prior to establishing her private practice, Dr. D’Avanzato served as a staff psychologist on the team which established the Rhode Island Hospital Adult Partial Hospitalization Program in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 2013. From 2015 - 2023, she worked within the Trauma and PTSD Specialty Track, where she helped hundreds of people who experienced a broad range of trauma types using Prolonged Exposure (PE) and ACT approaches. As Assistant Director of the Adult Partial Program from 2020 - 2023, she co-led a large multidisciplinary team and played an instrumental role in the transition of the Adult PHP to a telehealth program during the COVID pandemic. She played a leading role in the further development and expansion of the Trauma Track program, integrating Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and DBT - PE therapy principles to enhance trauma treatment outcomes of people with co-occurring PTSD and significant emotion regulation concerns.
Dr. D’Avanzato serves as Assistant Clinical Professor at Brown Medical School, conducting research and clinical supervision. She has trained clinical psychology graduate students, residents and fellows, as well as psychiatry residents, in the evidence-based treatment of trauma and PTSD, anxiety and mood concerns. She is the author of scientific publications on PTSD/trauma, interpersonal violence, mood and anxiety disorders, improving diagnosis and assessment, as well as treatment outcomes, and has presented locally and internationally on these topics.
Treatment Approach
Dr. D’Avanzato is committed to using therapies with strong research support as highly effective in treating PTSD, as well as a broad range of other related mental health concerns. She is experienced in both traditional CBT approaches (PE for PTSD, Exposure Therapy for the full range of anxiety disorders and OCD) as well as newer behavioral therapies, including ACT and DBT. She provides DBT - PE for people experiencing difficulties with emotion regulation, coping and interpersonal functioning accompanying their PTSD concerns. She often works with individuals with multiple mental health concerns and/or exposure to multiple traumas. Her style is active, with a focus on providing specialized treatments, yet warm and compassionate, and she strives to establish a supportive and non-judgmental environment. She uses a collaborative and personalized approach, tailoring the best available treatments to each person’s unique needs. She is committed to delivering multiculturally competent care, striving to serve individuals from diverse backgrounds with respect to culture/ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, religion, disability, and socioeconomic status.
Learn more about specific therapy services offered here: