From Undergraduate to Postdoc

Taylor Irvine, Ph.D., has spent nearly a decade at FAU. First, as an undergraduate and now as a postdoctoral fellow in the College of Education, where she specializes in couples and infidelity, as well as eating disorders and body image concerns.

Irvine, a licensed mental health counselor, said she always knew she wanted to enter a profession where she could help people. Her undergraduate degree was in psychology, and in her time working with Paul Peluso, Ph.D., a professor in the department of counselor education and senior associate dean in the College of Education, cemented her path in mental health counseling. Irvine went on to earn her master's and educational specialist degrees at FAU in mental health counseling and later her doctorate in counseling under the guidance of Peluso.

Her current research project is a partnership with Peluso and The Gottman Institute, a research-based institute that furthers knowledge on couples' relational dynamics, to validate the Gottman method as an approach for couple’s recovery from extra-marital affairs. The method aims at disarming conflicting verbal communication and increasing intimacy, respect and affection. Irvine is also working on co-editing a practitioner's book with Peluso relative to this topic.

Irvine was recently awarded the Best Practices in Research Student Award from the American Counseling Association (ACA). "I am very proud of this award as ACA is our central counseling organization and has stringent standards for awardees," said Irvine, who was also recently honored by Chi Sigma Iota International as a doctoral leadership fellow.

For any students entering this field, Irvine said she recommends trusting the process and your intuition, as well as "fostering a strong therapist-client relationship, as this is central to success in this field."