Overview
Sue (Susan) M. Orsillo is a licensed clinical psychologist, educator, and scholar whose work bridges clinical science, psychology education, and workforce development.
Her program of research has focused on two related goals: advancing understanding and treatment of the processes that underlie anxiety and emotional distress and improving the quality and accessibility of education and training in psychology and the behavioral health sciences. Her clinical scholarship has centered on mindfulness- and acceptance-based behavioral approaches to anxiety and related concerns, with attention to how awareness, acceptance, and values-consistent action can reduce distress and enhance well-being.
Prior to joining Northeastern, Dr. Orsillo served as Head of Education at the American Psychological Association, where she led national initiatives to strengthen psychology education across the training continuum and align education with the evolving behavioral health workforce. She previously held faculty and leadership roles at Suffolk University, the National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System, and Oklahoma State University.
Dr. Orsillo is the author or co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, chapters, and books, including The Mindful Way Through Anxiety, Worry Less, Live More, and Acceptance-Based Behavioral Therapy: Treating Anxiety and Related Challenges. Her recent work also focuses on equity in psychology education, broadening pathways into the discipline, and preparing students to apply psychological science to pressing behavioral health and community needs.
Research Interests
Mindfulness- and acceptance-based behavioral therapies; anxiety and trauma; culturally responsive evidence-based practice; psychology education and training; behavioral health workforce development; equity and pathways into psychology.
Select Publications
Miller, A. N*., Graham-LoPresti, J., Liverant, G., Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2025). Exploring the effectiveness and acceptability of a self-help acceptance-based behavior intervention for anxiety in black adults: An uncontrolled pilot study. Behavior Therapy, 56, 381-394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2024.07.001
Marando-Blanck, S*., Hayes-Skelton, S. A., Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2025). Examining interrelations among trajectories of mindful awareness, acceptance, and values-consistent actions in acceptance-based behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 54,5, 577-595. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2024.2417423
Orsillo, S. M., Chesnes, E. B., Hall, K. A., Lindenberg, T. A., & Puente, A. E. (2025). The benefits of introducing the American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines 3.0 in high school psychology. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 11, 147-158. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000422
Hayes-Skelton, S. A., Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2025). Do treatment responders maintain their gains following a randomized clinical trial comparing an acceptance-based behavior therapy to applied relaxation for generalized anxiety disorder? Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 54, 441-456. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2024.2417423
McKenna, J.L.*, Roemer, L. & Orsillo, S.M. (2021). Predictors of sexual consent attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors among sexual minority cisgender and nonbinary young adults. Sex Roles 85, 391–404. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-021-01226-5
Fields, J. S*., Browne, R. K*., Wieman, S. T*., Lord, K. A*., Orsillo, S. M., & Liverant, G. I. (2022). Associations between valued living and responsiveness to daily rewards. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 26, 193-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2022.10.005
* indicates student
