Elissa H Patterson, PhD

 Elissa H. Patterson
Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology
Medical School
Available to mentor
Elissa H Patterson, PhD
Elissa H. Patterson
Clinical Assistant Professor
  • About
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Recent Publications

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    • About

    Dr. Patterson is a clinical health psychologist whose work focuses on behavioral determinants of health, using interdisciplinary approaches to solve individual and systemic challenges in the medical system and in the broader community. She has expertise in mind-body disorders that cross healthcare disciplines, such as psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (conversion disorder), pain, anxiety interfering with physiological functioning and medical treatment, and conditioned responses precluding adherence to medical treatment plans. Dr. Patterson is interested in the ways that environmental, cultural, sociological, governance, financial, pedagogical and psychological factors influence medical systems, public health and well-being.

    Qualifications
    • Clinical Psychology Intern
      Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center, Mental Health, Allston, MA, United States
      2009 - 2010
      Internship
    • Clinical Psychology Intern
      The Psychological Center, Lawrence, MA, United States
      2009 - 2010
      Internship
    • Clinical Psychology Respecialization Certificate
      William James College (FKA Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology), Newton, MA, USA
      2008 - 2010
      Internship
    • Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic
      Boston University School of Medicine, Psychiatry, Boston, MA
      Postdoctoral Fellowship
    • PhD, Psychology
      University of Chicago, 5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
      2003 - 2008
    • ALM, Psychology
      Harvard Division of Continuing Education, Cambridge, MA, United States
      1993 - 1997
    • BA, Psychology
      Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, United States
      1985 - 1989

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Quantifying the impact of a computer-aided diagnostic score on the clinical diagnosis of functional seizures.
      Kerr WT, McFarlane KN, Allas CH, Terman SW, Reuber M, Seo SH, Barnard P, Koek AY, Karimi AH, Sreenivasan SS, Grauer JS, Sun D, Watson M, Patterson EH, Castellano J, Bagić AI, Hickman LB, Kutschman KH, Knowles L, Wardrope A, Ostwal P, MacDonald BK, Berry M, Reddy L, Robinson-Mayer N, Beimer NJ, Reddy R, Yaghoubi SK, Kirkpatrick LA, Carns DR, Israel AJ, Feusner JD, Xia Z, Wang Y, Strom LA, Pennell PB, Stern JM, Hadjiiski L, Stacey WC. Epilepsia, 2026 Jan 14; DOI:10.1002/epi.70069
      PMID: 41533542
    • Presentation
      Real-world Change in Seizure Frequency During and After Neurobehavioral Therapy for Functional Seizures
      Patterson EH. 2026 Jan 9;
    • Presentation
      Symposium: From Uncertainty to Understanding—Prognoses, Progress, and Multi-Morbidity in Functional Seizures to Advance Clinical Science and Compassionate, Patient-Centered Care
      Patterson EH, Beimer N, Kerr W, Tu J, Schaffer M, Robinson-Mayer N. 2026 Jan 9;
    • Additional Scholarship
      Do Massages and Foam-Rolling Actually Help You Recover? Science Says It Might Be the Placebo Effect.
      Erickson A. 2026 Jan 13;
    • Journal Article
      Sex Differences in Sexual Motivation Among U.S. Residents 57-85 Years of Age.
      Patterson EH, Waite LJ, McClintock MK. Arch Sex Behav, 2025 May; 54 (5): 1781 - 1797. DOI:10.1007/s10508-025-03149-8
      PMID: PMC12162811
    • Journal Article
      Public psychology and holistic approaches to prevention and treatment of depression
      Patterson EH, Miller C, Hannapel M. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2025 Jan 1; 16: DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1600094
    • Journal Article
      The Impact of a Debriefing Process Group During the Psychiatry Clerkship
      White A, DeVore EB, Patterson EH, Mariouw S. Academic Psychiatry, 2025 Jan 1; DOI:10.1007/s40596-025-02200-z
    • Journal Article
      Quantifying the Impact of Computer-aided Diagnostic Score on the Diagnosis of Functional Seizures (S29.009)
      McFarlane K, Allas C, Terman S, Seo SH, Karimi A, Sreenivasan S, Grauer J, Sun D, Watson M, Patterson E, Stern J, Feusner J, Strom L, Stacey W, Kerr W. Neurology, 2025 Feb 14; 102 (17_supplement_1): DOI:10.1212/wnl.0000000000206276