» Dr. Brennan Peterson

Associate Professor, Director, Marriage and Family Therapy Program

Schmid College of Science and Technology

Psychology , Crean School of Health and Life Sciences

Office:

107 Crean Hall 501 W. Palm Ave

Phone:

(714) 744-7915

Email:

bpeterson@chapman.edu

Website:

http://www.brennanpeterson.com

Education

Brigham Young University, Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Master of Science in Human Development
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Ph.D. in Human Development

Biography

Dr. Brennan Peterson is an Associate Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Program.  He began teaching at Chapman in 2003 and enjoys teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses.

Teaching:

• PSY 355 Diversity in Marital and Family Relationships
• PSY 556 Family Systems and Studies
• PSY 561 Couple Therapy
• PSY 610 Family Life Cycle and Aging
• PSY 694 Clinical Supervision

Research:

Dr. Peterson researches the mental health implications of infertility including couple coping processes and fertility awareness issues.  He is a member of the Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) Research Program at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.  He also collaborates with researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden, the London Health Sciences Centre in Canada, and with the members of the Special Interest Group in Psychology and Counseling of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).  He has delivered numerous national and international presentations on his infertility research in the United States, Europe, and China, and he has published articles in Human Reproduction, Fertility & Sterility, Family Process, Family Relations, Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, Contemporary Family Therapy, The Family Journal, and the Journal of Personal and Social Relationships.

Selected Publications:

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Tucker, L., & Lampic.  (2012).  Fertility awareness and parenting attitudes among American male and female undergraduate university students.  Human Reproduction, 27, 1375-1382.

Peterson, B.D., Boivin, J., Norre, J., Smith, C., Thorn, P., & Wischmann, T.  (2012).  An introduction to infertility counseling: A guide for mental health and medical professionals.  Journal of Reproduction and Genetics, 29 (3): 243-248.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Block, J., & Schmidt, L.  (2011).  Marital benefit and coping strategies in men and women undergoing unsuccessful fertility treatments over a 5-year period.  Fertility & Sterility, 95, 1759-1763. 

Martins, M.V., Peterson, B.D., Almeida, V., & Costa, M.E.  (2011).  Direct and indirect effects of perceived social support on women’s infertility-stress.  Human Reproduction, 26, 2113-2121.

Peterson, B.D. & Eifert, G.H.  (2011).  Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to treat infertility stress.  Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 18, 577-587.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Christensen, U., Boivin, J., Block, J., & Schmidt, L. (2009).  The longitudinal impact of partner coping in couples following five years of unsuccessful fertility treatments.  Human Reproduction, 24, 1656-1664.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Chistensen, U., & Schmidt, L. (2008).  The impact of partner coping in couples experiencing infertility.  Human Reproduction, 23, 1128-1137.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., & Feingold, T. (2007).  Anxiety and sexual stress in men and women undergoing infertility treatment. Fertility and Sterility, 88, 911-914..

Peterson, B.D., Feingold, T., & Gold, L. (2007).  The experience and influence of infertility: Considerations for couple counselors.  The Family Journal, 15, 251-257.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., Rosen, K.H., Skaggs, G.E. (2006). The relationship between coping and depression in men and women referred for in vitro fertilization (IVF).  Fertility and Sterility. 85, 802-804.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., Rosen, K.H., Skaggs, G.E. (2006).  Gender differences in how men and women with in vitro fertilization cope with infertility stress.  Human Reproduction, 21:2443-2449.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., Rosen, KH., Schulman, R.S. (2006).  Coping processes of couples experiencing infertility.  Family Relations, Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, 55, 227-239.

Selected Presentations:

Peterson, B.D. (2012).  Invited Presentation - Fertility Awareness and Parenting Intentions of U.S. Undergraduate Students.  1^st Annual International Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Guangzhou, China. 

Matins, M.V., Peterson, B.D., Costa, P., Costa, M.E., Lund, R. & Schmidt, L. (2012). Infertility disclosure moderates the relationship between social support and fertility stress in patients following unsuccessful treatments. 28th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Istambul, Turkey.

Pirritano, M., Peterson, B.D., & Schmidt, L.  (2011).  A typology of coping in couples undergoing fertility treatments.  5^th Meeting of theCopenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) Research Program, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. 

Peterson, B.D. (2010).  Invited Presentation - Using typical gender differences as a resource in couple counseling.  European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Symposium - Raising Competence in Psychosocial Care. Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

Martins, M.V, Costa, M.E., Almeida, V., & Peterson, B.D.  (2010).  Effects of perceived social support and coping strategies on infertility stress in women:  Testing for mediation using structural equation modeling.  European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 26^th Annual Meeting, Rome, Italy.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Christensen, U., Boivin, J., Block, J., & Schmidt, L. (2009).  The longitudinal impact of partner coping in couples following five years of unsuccessful fertility treatments.  European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 25thAnnual Meeting, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M. (2009).  Martial Benefits and It's Impact on Coping and Stress in a Longitudinal Study of Couples Undergoing Five-Years of Unsuccessful fertility treatments. Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) Research Program, Universityof Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Peterson, B.D., Eifert, G.H., Feingold, T., & Davidson, S. (2009).  Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to treat distressed couples: A case study with two couples. Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 43rd Annual Meeting.  New York, NY.

Peterson, B.D., & Pirritano, M. (2008).  The impact of partner coping in couples experiencing infertility - baseline analysis.  Copenhagen Multi-Centre PsychosocialInfertility(COMPI) Research Program, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., Feingold, T. (2007).  Anxiety and sexual stress in men and women undergoing infertility treatment.  American Society for ReproductiveMedicine (ASRM)  Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

Awards

Clinical Science Award (2009).  European Society for Human Reproductive and Embryology's Annual Meeting (ESHRE) - Amsterdam.  Presented to the Top Oral Presentation at the International Medical Annual Meeting.  The longitudinal impact of partner coping in couples following5 years of unsuccessful fertility treatments.

Prize Paper: American Society for Reproductive Medicine's (ASRM) Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG).  October 2001, Orlando, Florida.  Examining the congruence between couples' infertility-related stress and its relationship to depression and marital adjustment in infertile menand women. 

Chapman University Achievement Awards for Excellence in Scholarly Activity (2010 & 2011).  Presentedat the Annual Faculty Awards Ceremony, May 2010 & 2011.  Chapman University, Orange, CA.

Professional Service

Reviewer for 22 Peer-Reviewed Journals including:

Social Science and Medicine

Human Reproduction

Fertility and Sterility

Journal of Health Psychology

British Journal of Health Psychology

Psychology and Health

Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology

Women and Health

Professional Memberships

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)

     - Psychology and Counseling Special Interest Group

Recent Creative, Scholarly Work and Publications

Martins, M.V., Costa, M.E., Almeida, V.M. & Peterson, B.D. (2012). Direct and indirect effects of infertility coping strategies on infertility sexual stress. In Psicologia da saúde: desafios à promoção da saúde em doenças crónicas, ed. J. L. Pais Ribeiro, I. Leal, A. Pereira and S. Monteiro, 177 - 183. ISBN: 978-989-8463-30-2. Lisboa: Placebo Editora.

Greil, A.L., Schmidt, L., & Peterson, B.D. (in press). Psychosocial and biological approaches to understanding and treating adjustment to infertility. The Oxford Handbook of Perinatal Psychology. Oxford University Press.

Martins, M.V., Peterson, B.D., Costa, P., Costa, M.E., Lund, R. & Schmidt, L. (in press). Interactive effects of social support and disclosure on fertility-related stress. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Peterson, B.D., Boivin, J., Norre, J., Smith, C., Thorn, P., & Wischmann, T. (2012). An introduction to infertility counseling: A guide for mental health and medical professionals. Journal of Reproduction and Genetics. Doi 10.1007/s10815-011-9701.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Tucker, L., & Lampic. (2012). Fertility awareness and parenting attitudes among American male and female undergraduate university students. Human Reproduction, 27, 1375-1382.

Peterson, B.D. & Eifert, G.H. (2011). Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to treat infertility stress. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 18, 577-587.

Martins, M.V., Peterson, B.D., Almeida, V., & Costa, M.E. (2011). Direct and indirect effects of perceived social support on women’s infertility-stress. Human Reproduction, 26, 2113-2121.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Block, J., & Schmidt, L. (2011). Marital benefit and coping strategies in men and women undergoing unsuccessful fertility treatments over a 5-year period. Fertility & Sterility, 95, 1759-1763.

Sheridan-Walsh, M.A., Peterson, B.D., & Rosen, K.H. (2010). The experiences of parents of adolescents in family therapy: A qualitative investigation. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 36, 144-157.

Peterson, B.D., & Eifert, G. (2009). Treating infertility stress in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Pacific Coast Reproductive Society 57th Annual Meeting, Indian Wells, CA.

Peterson, B.D., Eifert, G.H., Feingold, T., & Davidson, S. (2009). Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to treat distressed couples: A case study with two couples. Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 43rd Annual Meeting. New York, NY.

Peterson, B.D., & Pirritano, M. (2009). Martial Benefit and Its Impact on Coping and Stress in a Longitudinal Study of Couples Undergoing Five-Years of Unsuccessful Fertility Treatments. Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) Research Program, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Christensen, U., Boivin, J., Block, J., & Schmidt, L. (2009). The longitudinal impact of partner coping in couples following five years of unsuccessful fertility treatments. European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 25th Annual Meeting, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Ridenour, A.F., Yorgason, J.B., & Peterson, B.D. (2009). The infertility resilience model: Assessing individual, couple, and external predictive factors. Contemporary Family Therapy, 31, 34-51.

Peterson, B.D., Eifert, G.H., Feingold, T., & Davidson, S. (2009). Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to treat distressed couples: A case study with two couples. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 16, 430-442.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Christensen, U., Boivin, J., Block, J., & Schmidt, L. (2009). The longitudinal impact of partner coping in couples following five years of unsuccessful fertility treatments. Human Reproduction, 24, 1656-1664.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Christensen, U., & Schmidt, L. (2008). The impact of partner coping in couples experiencing infertility. American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 64th Annual Meeting, San Francisco.

Pirritano, M., & Peterson, B.D. (2008). The longitudinal impact of couples experiencing infertility. Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) Research Program, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Peterson, B.D., & Pirritano, M. (2008). The impact of partner coping in couples experiencing infertility – baseline analysis. Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) Research Program, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Goldberg, P.D., Peterson, B.D., Rosen, K.H., & Sara, M.L. (2008). Cybersex: The impact of a contemporary problem on the practices of Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs). Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34, 469-480.

Peterson, B.D., Pirritano, M., Chistensen, U., & Schmidt, L. (2008). The impact of partner coping in couples experiencing infertility. Human Reproduction, 23, 1128-1137.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., & Feingold, T. (2007). Anxiety and sexual stress in men and women undergoing infertility treatment. Fertility and Sterility, 88, 911-914.

Peterson, B.D., Feingold, T., & Gold, L. (2007). The experience and influence of infertility: Considerations for couple counselors. The Family Journal, 15, 251-257.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., Rosen, K.H., Skaggs, G.E. (2006). The relationship between coping and depression in men and women referred for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Fertility and Sterility. 85, 802-804.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., Rosen, K.H., Skaggs, G.E. (2006). Gender differences in how men and women with in vitro fertilization cope with infertility stress. Human Reproduction, 21:2443-2449.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., Rosen, KH., Schulman, R.S. (2006). Coping processes of couples experiencing infertility. Family Relations, Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, 55, 227-239.

Peterson, B.D. (2006). Advances and complexities: In vitro fertilization and embryo freezing. Family Therapy Magazine, 16-23.

Peterson, B.D., Newton, C.R., & Rosen, K.H. (2003). Examining congruence between couples' perceived infertility related stress and its relationship to depression and marital adjustment in infertile men and women. Family Process, 42, 59-71.