Janna Dickenson

Janna Dickenson is a Teaching Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in gender, sexual orientation, and sexual wellbeing. Her multidisciplinary work integrates research, clinical practice, advocacy, and teaching to advance sexual literacy across diverse populations.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Utah, 2017

Dr. Dickenson's research centers on sexual wellbeing through lenses of sexual orientation fluidity, gender diversity (including transgender and nonbinary experiences), sexual functioning concerns, consent dynamics, and mindfulness applications. She actively challenges misconceptions about sexuality—such as the notion that youth sexuality is inherently harmful—and demonstrates how present-moment attention critically influences sexual response and pleasure. Her advocacy promotes accessible, scientifically-grounded sexual education to address non-consensual interactions, discrimination, and sexual disorders.

Analysis of her publications (2013-2023) reveals consistent interdisciplinary exploration of sexuality's neural, psychological, and social dimensions. Key trends include neurocognitive studies of erotic flexibility, oxytocin-mindfulness interactions in sexual arousal, epidemiological investigations of sexual distress, and mental health disparities among LGBTQ+ youth. Her work bridges cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychology, and public health through methodologies spanning fMRI, longitudinal surveys, and therapeutic framework development.

As director of UCSD's Sexual Wellbeing and Gender (SWAG) Lab, she leads research translating scientific insights into clinical practice. Though not accepting graduate students, she teaches core courses including Clinical Psychology, Human Sexuality, and Health Psychology. Her clinical expertise addresses sexual functioning concerns, LGBTQ+ issues, relationship distress, and military sexual trauma, though she currently maintains a closed clinical practice.