About ME

“The tragedy is not that we grow old. It’s that we stay young.”

– Oscar Wilde

Inside, I am still the young person above, but far removed by decades of living. Many events transpired after this picture was taken. Over time I made choices and ultimately grew through suffering, as I slowly learned, and hopefully matured. I thought I was on top of the world then. It was just the foothills.

We are simple creatures, not that smart, none of us, even people who are “officially smart” and can point to degrees and such. We are just people, finding our way along the path. At our best, we are like jazz musicians, improvising well with each other and making a joyful noise.

I further believe as we walk our walk, the only intelligent choice is to learn and get better at being you. The vast majority of learning comes from either making mistakes ourselves, or watching other people make mistakes.

In my life I made many mistakes, some of them whoppers. I am grateful I lived to tell the tale, and learned a few useful things in the process.

I understand now that life is far simpler than I thought when this picture was taken. The only thing that is real, is this moment. Everything else is memory or conjecture. When I place my attention and apply my intention on the tiny list of things I actually control, while surrendering to the far larger list of things I do not control, I give myself the best chance of living a life that is good, true, and beautiful, with “inner tranquility and outer effectiveness” as Epictetus said over 2000 years ago.

Everyone makes mistakes. The problem is not making mistakes, The problem is not learning from them. I am profoundly grateful for all the book-learning, research, and clinical experiences listed below. And if I had to choose, I would trade it all for what I learned through self-observation while living life, as I made mistake after mistake, getting a little better each time.

I’ve travelled a great distance from where I began, a working-class Irish Catholic from a large family (is there any other kind?) that put the “fun” in dysfunctional. It’s been harrowing at times, but a great journey with a reasonably happy ending. May the same be true for you – just keep learning. And as you learn, remember these words from the Dalai Lama:

Be kind to everyone you meet. Because everyone you meet carries a great burden.

Remember dear reader, that you are part of everyone. Be kind to yourself as well, for you also carry a great burden.

On to some history:

Education & Training:

University of California, Los Angeles, PhD – 1993
Psychology: Major: Clinical Psychology; Minors: Behavioral Medicine; Measurement & Psychometrics

University of California, Los Angeles, C. Phil – 1985: Psychology

University of California, Los Angeles, M.A. – 1980: Psychology

University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. – 1980: Psychology
Magna Cum Laude; Highest Honors in Psychology

Membership:

American Psychological Association
Association for Contextual Behavioral Science

Licenses:

California Board of Psychology License #18053

Academic, Clinical, & Research Experience:

2008 – Present
Teaching Professor
School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
University of California, San Francisco

At UCSF I helped develop and co-facilitate the biannual psychoeducational group for adult patients with Bipolar Disorder, with an emphasis on symptom tracking skills, social rhythm therapy, stigma resistance, and other non-pharmacological interventions. In addition, I am a section leader for the medical students Brain, Mind, and Behavior course, and participate in presentations and panel discussions on mental health and the clinician to medical students, residents, and fellows. In 2016 I was presented with the Haile T. Debas Award for Distinguished Medical Teaching.

1993-Present
Private Practice in Clinical Psychology

Providing diagnostic evaluations and evidence-based treatment to ethnically and sexually diverse adult men and their challenges with love and work. Diagnostic specializations include bipolar spectrum disorder, substance abuse/dependence, social anxiety, and adaptation to chronic medical illness. I offer an eclectic approach drawing on the theories and techniques of ACT, CBT, DBT, Social Rhythm Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and harm reduction, among other evidence-based methods. In addition, I provide consultation with a special emphasis on issues of fatherhood, and research consultation to doctoral students in psychology.

2008 – 2010
Program Director
Partial Hospitalization Program
Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute
University of California, San Francisco

Directed the administrative and clinical operation of an intensive outpatient acute stabilization program serving a wide variety of adults with major mental illness. Responsibilities include direction of all administrate operations, ensuring compliance with regulatory agencies, teaching residents and fellows, initiating an on-site research program, and ensuring the quality of clinical services to ethnically diverse patient population. Further responsible for providing crisis management; develop both clinical and administrative/research internship; provided clinical trainings and ongoing clinical supervision of a multidisciplinary staff; develop referral resources; coordinate program evaluation and coordinate the activities of UCSF researchers.

2006 – 2008
Clinical Director
The Stonewall Project
San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Direct the clinical operations of an integrated mental health and drug treatment program serving gay and bisexual men with crystal methamphetamine abuse/dependence. Responsibilities included ensuring the quality of clinical services to ethnically diverse patient population with a wide range of comorbid psychiatric disorders; crisis management; oversee psychological/behavioral health assessment of participants; develop a clinical internship; provided clinical trainings and ongoing clinical supervision of a multidisciplinary staff; develop referral resources; coordinate program evaluation and coordinate the activities of external researchers with the clinical activities of the agency.

January 2003 – June, 2006
Mental Health Consultant
AIDS Health Project
UCSF-SFGH Department of Psychiatry
San Francisco, CA 94102

Provided clinical supervision to interns and trainees in psychology and related disciplines. Facilitated a weekly harm reduction group for MSM with drug and alcohol use/abuse, as well as provided a range of psychological services for negative/untested MSM through REACH [Risk Evaluation and Counseling for Health]. Provided presentations to professional staff and interns. From 2003-2004 worked as AHP consultant with the Positive Health Practice, Men Of Color Program HIV primary care clinic at UCSF. Duties included patient evaluation, direct service and psych. consultation to primary care providers; program development, outreach, and supervision of other allied health professionals.

2000-2003
Program Manager: L.I.F.E. Program
Shanti
San Francisco, California

Provided curriculum development and managed the work of peer-facilitators trainers while implementing the Learning Immune Function Enhancement [LIFE] program, an immune enhancement program for HIV positive people. Directly responsible for developing the prevention for positives aspects of the program curriculum, which previously had been an understated part of the work. Responsible for reviewing and revising client assessment and program evaluation activities; lead revisions in clinical aspects of the program. With others, oversaw the development and implementation of multiple LIFE programs offered to diverse populations, including outreach to underserved groups.

1997- 2000
Coordinator, Substance Abuse Counseling
AIDS Health Project
University of California, San Francisco

Participated in developing an innovative program for reducing high risk sexual behavior among men who have sex with men. Provided individual and group psychotherapy, harm reduction and sexual risk reduction counseling for men who have sex with men at exposed and at risk for HIV infection. Designed curricula and implemented community workshops for at risk individuals, conducted at the AHP Center, and inpatient psychiatric and outpatient substance abuse agencies within San Francisco. Reviewed and revised intake assessment and program evaluation surveys. Responsible for overseeing outreach and service delivery to substance abusing men, as well as monolingual Spanish speaking clients and the agencies serving them; developed translations of agency documents into Spanish. Developed outpatient referral database allowing searches using multiple criteria. Maintained clinical records, provided clinical supervision and administrative oversight to other clinicians providing substance abuse counseling. Developed curricula and presented educational workshops to community providers. Consulted to Mission Neighborhood Health Center HIV clinic re: psychopathology, substance use/abuse, and medication compliance issues for Latino/a patients.

Publications & Presentations:

Note: Since 2008 my professional activities have been entirely focused on teaching and providing clinical service.

Donovan, D.A., et.al. “Mental Health and the Clinician” (2014-present); annual roundtable discussion/presentation for first year medical students, University of California, San Francisco.

Donovan, D.A., & Ajari, L (2009) The Phenomenology of Pharmacologic Treatment for Bipolar Spectrum Disorders: Clinical considerations for new pharmacists. Presentation to Pharm.D. residents, UCSF School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco

Donovan, D.A., & Li, Descartes (2008) Bipolar Depression: Diagnosis and Management. New Frontiers in Depression Research and Treatment [Conference presented by the Department of Psychiatry and the UCSF Depression Center, University of California San Francisco, California]

Donovan, D.A. (2006-2020) Mania Awareness, Mood Charting, & Social Rhythms. Annual presentation to faculty and residents of the Mood Disorders Clinic, Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital, UCSF.

Donovan, D.A. (2005) Diagnosis and treatment of bipolar spectrum disorder. Presentation to clinical staff and interns, REACH program, AIDS Health Project, UCSF.

Hinshaw, S., and Donovan, D.A. (2003) The years of silence are past: Bipolar parents and their children. Radio presentation: Childhood Matters with Rona Rennert, 98.1 KISS FM, March 30, 2003.

Donovan, D.A., & Leiphart, J. (August, 2000) Applied Psychoneuroimmunology, Prevention & Adherence: The L.I.F.E. Program. Presentation to the Fellows, Traineeship in AIDS Prevention Studies, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, UCSF.

Donovan, D.A., Hinds, S., & Fleming, J.L. (March, 1999). Education and Counseling Strategies for Substance Users. Workshop presented at the Eleventh National HIV/AIDS Update Conference. San Francisco, California.

Gibson, D.R., Hudes, E., & Donovan, D.A. (1999). A statistical model for correcting social desirability bias in the assessment of risk for HIV infection. Journal of Sex Research, Feb. 36 (1), p. 96-101.

Donovan, D.A. (1997). The Condom Makes the Man. Focus: A guide to AIDS research & counseling. Vol. 13, Number 1. [Book Review].

Parks, V., & Donovan, D.A. (1997). HIV Positive Women & Their Children: Barriers to Clinical Trial Participation. [Poster session] Fifth International Conference on Women and HIV. Los Angeles, California.

Donovan, D.A. (April, 1990). Factor analytic structure of attitudes towards hypnosis, guided imagery, and relaxation. Paper presented at the seventy-first annual meeting, Western Psychological Association, Los Angeles, California.

Marin, B. & Donovan, D.A. (1988). A survey of health psychologists in the Americas. Interamerican Psychologist. 65, 8-9.

Donovan, D.A. (1988). Psicología Pediátrica (Pediatric Psychology). Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología. 20, (1): 91-101.

Donovan, D.A. (1986). Behavioral Medicine vs. Health Psychology? Interamerican Psychologist. 63, 5-7.