Department of Psychiatry Faculty

S. Kelly Avants, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry Welch Center, 2nd Floor 495 Congress Ave. New Haven, CT 06519 Phone: 203-781-4690, Ext. 425 FAX: 203-781-4606 Email: kelly.avants@yale.edu

Spiritual Self-Schema

The Spiritual Self-Schema (3-S) development program is a self-help approach to changing self-destructive behaviors and for coping with adversity that integrates cognitive-behavioral psychotherapeutic techniques with non-sectarian practices primarily from Buddhist traditions, to help individuals identify and abandon habitual, maladaptive self-schemas -- patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that lead to suffering. A new self-schema, one that is compatible with the experience and expression of the individual's personal Spiritual Path (i.e., the Spiritual Self-Schema) is then constructed, elaborated, and made more readily accessible for activation in daily life.

Education

1987, B.S., Psychology, CSU San Bernardino, CA
1989, M.S., Psychology, Yale University
1992, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Yale University
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, CT 1993 - present

Research Interest

My research interests are in health psychology/behavioral medicine, with a focus on addiction and chronic illness, including HIV/AIDS. Current (NIH/NIDA funded) projects include developing and evaluating innovative manual-guided treatment interventions for changing harmful behaviors (e.g., substance use; medication nonadherence) and coping with adversity (e.g., change in health status). These interventions are designed for delivery in community settings and/or as self-help programs. Three such interventions are the Spiritual Self-Schema (3-S) development program (see web site link), the Holistic Harm Reduction Program for HIV-positive drug users (HHRP+), and the Acupuncture/Coping Skills Training (Acu-CST) program for cocaine addiction.

Publications of Note

Avants, S. K., Margolin, A., Holford, T. R., & Kosten, T. R. (2000). A randomized controlled trial of auricular acupuncture for cocaine dependence. Archives of Internal Medicine, 160, 2305-2312

Avants, S. K., Margolin, A., Kosten, T. R., Sindelar, J. L., Rounsaville, B. J., Schottenfeld, R., Stine, S., Cooney, N. L., Li, S. H., & Rosenheck, R. (1999). Day treatment vs enhanced standard methadone services for opioid-dependent patients: A comparison of clinical efficacy and cost. American Journal of Psychiatry, 156(1), 27-33.

Avants, S. K., Margolin, A., Warburton, L. A., Hawkins, K. A., & Shi, J. (2001). Predictors of nonadherence to HIV-related medication regimens during methadone stabilization. The American Journal on Addictions, 10, 1-10.

Avants, S. K., Warburton, L.A., & Margolin, A. (2001). Spiritual and religious support in recovery from addiction among HIV-positive injection drug users. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 33(1), 39-46.

Arnold, R. M., Avants, S. K., Margolin, A., & Marcotte, D. (2002). Patient attitudes regarding the incorporation of spirituality into addiction treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 23, 319-326.

Margolin, A., Avants, S. K., Warburton, L. A., Hawkins, K. A., & Shi, J. (in press). A randomized clinical trial of a manual-guided risk reduction intervention for HIV-positive injection drug users. Health Psychology.

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