Alec Trahan

Alec is a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Program at Penn State. He graduated with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in philosophy from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. As an undergraduate, he worked in Dr. William Ellison’s Personality, Diagnosis, and Psychotherapy Research Lab on multiple studies focused on moment-to moment changes in affect and self-concept clarity. After graduating in 2020, Alec worked as a Project Coordinator in Dr. Mary Dozier’s Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up Lab at the University of Delaware. Alec’s current research focuses on four broad domains, attachment and developmental psychopathology perspectives, dimensional models of psychopathology, personality functioning with a particular focus on identity, and self-harm thoughts and behaviors. Alec is currently engaged in studies examining relations between attachment security and mental health, the dynamics of self-harm thoughts and behaviors using an experience sampling approach, the role of personality functioning within the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP), and evaluating core aspects of personality pathology as risk factors for self-harm thoughts and behaviors. In his spare time Alec enjoys exercising, watching Premier League soccer, reading fiction, taking care of his houseplants, and spending time with friends.