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Brent Ferm, PhD
Professor
Full-Time Faculty
Biography
Clinical Emphasis - Psychodynamically, psychoanalytically oriented adult individual psychotherapy; sub-specialization in adult development, and psychological testing and therapy with mid-life and older adults.
Appointments
- Co-Chair, USF PsyD Program Curriculum and Clinical Training Committee
- Dissertation Chair and Committee Member; Advisor
- 10/12-Present Affiliate Faculty Member, University of San Francisco, School of Nursing, Department of Behavioral Health
- 7/12-Present Clinical Supervisor, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis
- 7/11-Present Promotion to Full Clinical Professor, University of California at Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.
- 7/06 – Present Promotion to Associate Clinical Professor, University of California at Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.
- 7/99 – 7/06 Assistant Clinical Professor, University of California at Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.
- 8/97 – 7/99 Clinical Faculty, University of California at Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.
- 6/95 - Present Clinical Faculty, Veterans Administration, Northern California Health Care System (APA approved Clinical Psychology Intern Training Program.)
- 3/94 - 9/98 Faculty Appointment, California Graduate School of Psychology, Corte Madera, Ca. Courses taught or scheduled: Mid and Later Life Developmental Transitions: Developmental Potentials and Psychopathology; Psychological Assessment (three- quarter sequence encompassing full psychological battery for intellectual and personality assessment); Time-Limited Psychodynamic Psychotherapy; Social Learning Theory & Behavioral Therapies.
Education
- PhD, Northwestern University
- BS, Psychology, University of California at Berkeley
Awards & Distinctions
- Member: American Psychological Association
- Community Member: San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis
- 7/12-6/13 Recipient of Residents’ Outstanding Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award, University of California at Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
- 7/05-6/06 Recipient of Residents ‘ Outstanding Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award, University of California at Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
- 12/85 Passed Ph.D. qualifying examination and research requirement with "High Honors". 6/82 - 11/83 Received "pass plus," highest recommendation for clinical work by supervisors, Northwestern University, Program in Clinical Psychology.
- 9/81 - 6/84 Northwestern University Scholar
- 9/77 - 12/80 10 quarters on the Dean's List; University of California, Berkeley
Additional Information
Papers and Presentations
- “Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy: Fundamentals” presented at California School of Professional Psychology, Alameda, Ca. Approved for 7 MCEP-approved credits, 9/99 and 8/00.
- “Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy: Making Every Session Count.” Co- presented by Hanna Levenson, Ph.D. and Brent R. Ferm, Ph.D. Two Workshops, Two Locations, Two Levels. Saturday, February 28 (Fundamentals) & Sunday, March 1, (Advanced). Approved for 7 or 14 BBS and MCEP-Approved CE Credits, 1998.
- “Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy.” Core curriculum, six-month supervision seminar for affiliated psychology intern class of Veteran Administration, Northern California Health Care System and University of California at Davis.
- "Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy." Presented at the Martinez Veterans Administration Medical Center, Martinez, Ca. Four session seminar, February, March and April, 1995; three-session seminar, March and April, 1996
- Ferm, B. Ego Mastery Style and Gender Identity Self-Attributions in 45 to 55 Year Old Active-Parental and Post-Parental Men. Buehler Center on Aging, Aging Network News. Publication of Dissertation Abstract. Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University.
- Ferm, B. Ego Mastery Style in Actively-Parental and Post-Parental Men. Symposium on "Revisiting the Parental Imperative," presented at the meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, November, 1992, Washington, D.C.
- Ferm, B. Ego Mastery Style and Gender Identity Self-Attributions in 45 to 55 Year Old Active-Parental and Post-Parental Men. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, 12/91. (Condensed manuscript in preparation for journal submission; and inclusion as a chapter in a reader on mid and later life developmental transitions, title to be announced.)
- Symposium discussant, "Psychoanalysis and Aging," meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, November, 1991, San Francisco, Ca.
- Panel discussant, "Akira Kurusawa's 'Dreams': Implications for the male life cycle," media and psychology section of the American Psychological Association meeting, San Francisco, Ca., 1991.
- "Story telling as a mode of play therapy." Presented at the Child Therapy/Day School Center, Boston City Hospital, Boston, Ma., 1988.
- Ferm, B. Empathy: Developmental, Clinical, and Life Cycle Implications. Unpublished Ph.D. qualifying exam paper, 1985.
- Ferm, B. Psychotherapy with Older Adults: A reconsideration of parameter issues. Paper presented at the meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, San Antonio, Texas, 1984.
- Ferm, B. Psychological testing as a guide to the treatment of older adults. Paper presented at the meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, San Francisco, Ca., 1983. (Manuscript in preparation for resubmission to the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry). Paper presented at the Northwestern University Medical School, Div. of Clinical Psychology Research Seminar, 1984.
- Ostrow, D., Choca, J., Ferm, B., Okonek, A. The relationship of personality style and erythrocyte lithium efflux in affective disorders. Paper presented at Northwestern University Medical School, Div. of Clinical Psychology Research Seminar, 1983.
Professional Organizations
- American Psychological Association Gerontological Society of America California Psychological Association Society for Psychotherapy Research