Biography
Patrick Steffen is a professor of psychology in the Brigham Young University clinical psychology program. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology at BYU with minors in statistics and philosophy, followed by his master's degree and PhD at the University of Miami in Clinical Health Psychology. Dr. Steffen was a postdoctoral fellow at Duke University Medical Center in Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine before joining the BYU faculty in 2000. His favorite class to teach is Stress Psychobiology (PSYCH 382).
Research Interests
Dr. Steffen’s broad research interests lie in the areas of health psychology and behavioral medicine, with specific interests in stress, culture, spirituality, and health. Dr. Steffen studies stress, adversity, and adaptation as they relate to helping individuals develop better coping strategies for stress. He is particularly interested in the Hispanic Paradox and how disadvantaged groups display resiliency and positive adaptation in spite of significant stressors. His lab is the Stress Resilience lab, and his research focuses on better understanding stress through biofeedback, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance commitment therapy, and stress regulation. Through biofeedback, individuals can become more aware of their stress response, so they can better regulate and gain control over stress, channeling it as energy to achieve their goals.
See professor Patrick Steffen's website here.