27: David T. Susman, PhD – Clinical Psychologist, Assistant Professor, and Active Mental Health Advocate Shares his Experiences and Advice

Masters in Psychology Podcast

Dr. David T. Susman didn’t have to travel too far from his hometown of Tazewell, VA to begin his undergraduate career in psychology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. He originally was going to pursue a career as a medical doctor but soon realized he wasn’t as interested in the pre-med courses as he was in the psychology courses so he decided “that would be a more interesting major” for him. In this podcast, I learned that Dr. Susman leads an active and engaged life in the field of psychology and has become a mental health advocate. In addition to his BA in Psychology, he earned two master’s degrees and a PhD on his way to become a licensed psychologist in Kentucky. Dr. Susman shares how he returned to his alma mater, University of Kentucky, to become an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology and the Director of the Jesse G. Harris, Jr. Psychological Services Center which is the training clinic for graduate students where he says they “learn to do psychotherapy and psychological assessment.” He works with all of the clinical psychology graduate students through their clinical training at the Harris Psychological Services Center where he has been the Director since 1996. After completing his graduate work and two internships, Dr. Susman began looking for a full-time job. He applied for a position at Eastern State Hospital which is a large public adult psychiatric hospital in Lexington, KY. They hired him and he thought “maybe I’ll work here a couple of years and then I’ll go out and start my private practice and then ended up working at Eastern State for 24 ½ years.” This is where he was the Founding Director of the Hospital Recovery Mall which is an award-winning recovery and rehabilitation program for adults with serious mental illness and substance misuse. Dr. Susman is currently serving on the APA Board of Directors and is Chair Elect for 2022 of the Council of Leadership Team. He provides an overview of the APA, its Societies and Divisions, as well as an analogy of the APA’s “executive branch” and “legislative branch” to better understand APA governance and his dual role. Dr. Susman is a natural teacher as he consistently shares poignant advice to those interested in psychology including what to consider when selecting a psychology graduate program or school, a discussion on the differences between a PsyD and PhD, and some resources and lesser-known groups available to those interested in clinical psychology (e.g., APTC and NAMI). You can hear more about his thoughts on choosing a PsyD or PhD about 8 minutes into our conversation. Dr. Susman also started his own blog at the end of 2014 as “another platform to be able to talk about mental health advocacy and to raise awareness.” In this blog, he shares “Stories of Hope” where there are over 100 interviews, or personal accounts, of people who have gone on their own journeys of recovery. Connect with Dr. David T. Susman: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Faculty Page | WebsiteConnect with the Show: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn https://vimeo.com/717838221 Interests and Specializations Dr. David Susman is a licensed clinical psychologist and has worked in psychiatric hospitals, mental health centers, a Federal prison, colleges and universities, and strongly believes in contributing to the community at large. He is active in mental health advocacy initiatives at the local, state, and Federal levels. He was the founding director of Eastern State Hospital’s Recovery Mall, an award-winning recovery and rehabilitation program for adults experiencing mental illness and substance abuse. Education Bachelor of Art (BA), Psychology (1981); University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.Master of Arts (MA), Clinical Psychology (1984); Marshall University, Huntington, WV.Master of Science (MS), Clinical Psychology (1988); University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD),