Clarissa Ong

Dr. Clarissa Ong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville. Her research focuses on process-based therapy (PBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (e.g., OCD, perfectionism, hoarding). She aims to develop personalized, accessible treatments that address mental health disparities. Dr. Ong’s work emphasizes understanding why treatments succeed or fail, particularly for minoritized populations.

Education:

• 2022: Postdoctoral Associate, Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Boston University
• 2021: Ph.D., Clinical/Counseling Psychology, Utah State University
• 2020: Predoctoral Internship, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School
• 2018: M.S., Clinical/Counseling Psychology, Utah State University

Research Interests: Dr. Ong’s work integrates randomized controlled trials, process-of-change analyses, and single-subject designs to improve treatment efficacy. She investigates psychological flexibility, treatment personalization, and barriers to evidence-based interventions. Her research spans hoarding disorder, perfectionism-driven anxiety, and the role of sociodemographic factors in mental health outcomes.

Labs/Teams: Dr. Ong directs the POIS Lab, which studies process-based interventions for OCD, hoarding, and related conditions. Undergraduate research assistant positions and graduate student applications are regularly available through the lab website.

Advising & Grants: While specific grant details are not provided, her research has examined treatment outcomes in virtual partial hospital programs and telepsychotherapy for trichotillomania. She collaborates on projects addressing audiologists’ communication with parents of children with hearing loss.