Jerome Yoman, Ph.D., ABPP

yomanDr. Yoman is a clinical psychologist (OR Lic. #1864, WA Lic. #PY61427257) and former licensed social worker with over 40 years of mental health experience. He is one of only six mental health professionals in Oregon board certified in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology. This experience spans public and private hospital, community residential, day treatment, and private practice settings. He has served as a program creator and director, supervisor, consultant, trainer, and therapist.

Dr. Yoman has presented at regional, national, and international conferences, and as an invited speaker at over 20 mental health agencies in six states. He has published articles on mental health topics (see ResearchGate), and has been a reviewer for three leading psychology journals.

Many clinics, universities and organizations have sought out Dr. Yoman’s expertise including:

Dr. Yoman was trained in the leading form of evidence-based mental health practice, called cognitive-behavioral therapy. He can help adults of all ages with most goals and problems, but he has extensive specialized training and experience in helping people with:

  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Communication Skills Problems
  • Family Stress Related to Serious Mental Illness
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Substance Abuse
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (1979): Gustavus Adolphus College, ranked among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.
    • Member: Iota Delta Gamma Honorary Scholastic Society
    • Student Commencement Speaker
  • Master of Science in Social Work (M.S.S.W., 1983): University of Wisconsin, ranked among the top ten social work programs in the nation.
    • Studied under Sheldon Rose, Ph.D., the leading cognitive-behavioral writer on group process.
  • Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (1991): West Virginia University. Continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1962, this clinical psychology program received the 2001 Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy Outstanding Training Program award. The department has been ranked fourth in the world for research in behavior analysis and behavior therapy, and won APA’s 2005 Innovative Practices in Graduate Education in Psychology Award.
    • Studied social competence, individual therapy process, and gerontology under Barry Edelstein, Ph.D.
    • Training matched American Psychological Association recommendations for psychologists treating serious mental illnesses

The Recovery Model is a set of assumptions about how people can best recover from disabling mental illnesses.  Dr. Yoman has supported some of the basic tenets of this model throughout his nearly 35 years of mental health experience, including people’s right to the least restrictive treatment, the fundamental importance of collaborative relationships in mental health recovery, and the profoundly destructive effects of the stigma of mental illness.

Mental illness is a social problem, not just a medical or psychological one. The most important focus of evidence-based psychological care for people in recovery is on empowering them with skills and supports to improve their quality of life. Dr. Yoman strongly advocates for mental health programs evaluating themselves using individualized quality of life outcomes. It is the attainment of these outcomes which most profoundly fulfills the values of people in recovery and those who care about them.

A Personal Message from Dr. Yoman: According to the American Psychological Association’s “Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct”, “In their work-related activities, psychologists do not engage in unfair discrimination based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or any basis proscribed by law.” In addition, psychologists are encouraged to gather and use information about clients’ cultural experiences to help therapy work better. Thus, I find it important to take the time to understand how culture has affected what you have experienced in life and who you are. We can then discuss how this is different from my own cultural experiences, and how we might work with these differences to develop a shared approach to your therapy. This process will help us understand your values and make your efforts at change more effective.

Psychologists are ethically bound to not solicit testimonials from current clients, who are, according to the American Psychological Association’s Ethics code, “because of their particular circumstances… vulnerable to undue influence”.  Dr. Yoman also does not solicit testimonials from former clients.  This protects your confidentiality and keeps your therapy (including if you return for follow up work) focused on your best interests, not Dr. Yoman’s business interests.  Thus he will not encourage you to write online reviews of him. Due to confidentiality concerns Dr. Yoman cannot respond to such reviews. Instead, he encourages you to give your feedback directly in your sessions so your ongoing therapy can be as effective as possible.  Dr. Yoman also conducts annual anonymous client satisfaction surveys on the practice.  Those surveys are not scientific; however, Dr. Yoman has consistently averaged a higher effectiveness rating on the surveys than other mental health professionals his clients have seen.  If you are a member of LinkedIn you can see Dr. Yoman’s colleagues’ endorsements of his skills there.