New Faculty: Gage Jordan

Dr. Gage Jordan, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology

• Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Mississippi State University (2020)
• APA-Accredited Doctoral Internship, Southwest Consortium, Albuquerque, NM (2020)
• M.S., Clinical Psychology, Mississippi State University (2017)
• B.S., Psychology, Mississippi State University (2014)

Tell us about yourself!

I am a native of Columbus, Mississippi, although I spent a good portion of my childhood growing up outside of Memphis, Tennessee. I am a big fan of the Memphis Grizzlies (extending back to the Pau Gasol era and the “Pyramid”). I enjoy TV and film, and I have an affinity for the mob genre (Casino and Goodfellas are among my favorite films, whereas The Sopranos is my favorite TV show). I am currently watching the new season of Fargo and have been re-watching Dexter. I also have a background in German and enjoy films from the era of “New German Cinema.” Above all, I enjoy staying active through exercise, playing basketball, and running/jogging.

How did you become interested in your research area?

My main areas of research include examining avoidance and devaluation of positivity in depressed persons, as well as analytic approaches to conceptualizing mental disorders in general. I became interested in these areas due to some of the reductionist assumptions in this field. For example, telling someone who is depressed to “focus on the positive stuff!” might not work if there is a subset of depressed persons who actively avoid or fear positivity.

What are some of your recent professional accomplishments?

I have two articles that were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology that actually correspond to my two main research interests mentioned above. One is a review that discusses various techniques to analyze clinical longitudinal data, and the other is an empirical study examining specifically how avoidance of positivity is related to depressive symptoms. This November, I am chairing a (virtual) symposium at the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) annual convention, where I will also be presenting on the information discussed in the first article.

What do you enjoy about teaching?

One of my favorite aspects of teaching is being able to have a discussion with students who are intellectually curious in the topic. I have a specific clinical expertise (in major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder), but with the variety of topics in abnormal psychology, each class is different in their interest in specific topics. These varied interests lead to organic class discussions, and very rarely do I ever have to prompt discussion in this course. Above all, I want students to leave my classes understanding why certain mental disorders exist and what it means when certain groups of individuals are diagnosed at disproportionately higher rates with specific disorders. If a student takes my class and leaves being less likely to stigmatize someone with a mental illness, then I have done my job.

Why is psychology an important area of study?

Many people are interested in “abnormal behavior” and mental illness, but there are many misconceptions about these topics. By understanding the specific features and issues related to mental illness (and not relying on media representations), I believe we can better promote awareness of these issues, which will ultimately lead to less stigma. Unfortunately, some of these misconceptions tend to be embedded within our vernacular. For example, up to one-quarter of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) attempt suicide at some point. Having a preference for organization or keeping things clean shouldn’t be paired with “I’m so OCD!” Further study of this field and awareness of why these disorders are so impairing or distressing will ultimately help reduce this stigma.

Thank you, Dr. Jordan!