Mary O’Leary Wiley, Ph.D., was chosen for the 2017 American Psychological Association (APA) Distinguished Professional Contributions to Independent Practice Award.

Dr. Mary O’Leary Wiley has contributed significantly to independent practice. She has published and presented in the areas of history, trends, and social context of adoption (adoptees, birth families, adoptive families, transcultural and multicultural adoptive families, LGBT families), professional practice, childhood trauma and treatment, mentoring, career development, and ethics.

Mary O’Leary Wiley, Ph.D., ABPP, earned her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, and has been in solo independent practice in Altoona, Pennsylvania for the last 22 years. Prior to independent practice, Dr. Wiley was in independent practice in Gaithersburg, MD, and both staff psychologist and Director of the Counseling Center at Ithaca College in upstate New York. Her areas of clinical focus include complex trauma and dissociative disorders, in addition to attachment issues, health and nutritional impacts on mental health, and eating disorders. Dr. Wiley has remained active professionally throughout her career focusing on presentations and publications involving adoption research and practice, ethical practice, clinical supervision, and emerging leaders in psychology. She has served on the Editorial Boards of The Counseling Psychologist and Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, and as an ad hoc reviewer for several journals.

In addition to her scholarly contributions, Dr. Wiley has provided significant leadership service, including as President of the American Board of Counseling Psychology(ABCoP), as Vice President for Professional Practice of the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP; Division 17), and as liaison to the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP). She is a member of APA Divisions 17, 42, and 56, and a fellow of Psychologists in Independent Practice (Division 42 of APA) and the Society of Counseling Psychology (Division 17 of APA). Dr. Wiley served as one of the founders of Division 17’s Section on Independent Practice of SCP and has served as it’s Chair several times, including recently revitalizing the Section to broaden its focus and name to the Section on Professional Practice. Additionally, Dr. Wiley has served as Membership Chair for the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA) and initiated their Emerging Leaders Program for students and ECPs. Many of Dr. Wiley’s contributions have been behind the scenes in encouraging the inclusion of the practitioner voice to all discussions related to the field of psychology.

Dr. Wiley has been recognized with several awards. In 2009, she was invited to present the Best Practice Address by SCP and in 2008 she received the John D. Black Award for Lifetime Outstanding Achievement in the Practice of Counseling Psychology. With colleagues, she was recognized in 2004 for their Major Contribution to The Counseling Psychologist for their special issue on Adoption (2003), and in 1986 was awarded the Annuit Coeptis for Outstanding Young Leaders in Higher Education.

Congratulations to Dr. Wiley!

Tags: , , Posted on: May 5th, 2017