My primary research involves examining the mechanisms and processes responsible for change in psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapies or acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies) for anxiety disorders, in other words, how and why treatments work. My work examines how various treatment components interact to produce therapeutic change so that evidence-based treatments can be further refined to improve treatment outcomes. I am particularly committed to enhancing the cultural sensitivity of these treatments. I use experimental paradigms and treatment studies to examine common and unique processes and mechanisms of change across traditional cognitive-behavioral therapies and acceptance and mindfulness based therapies for anxiety, with a particular focus on social and generalized anxiety disorders. I also have a new line of research examining perinatal anxiety with a focus on developing an acceptance-based prevention program for perinatal anxiety.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Email:sarah.hayes@umb.edu | Faculty page
For those interested in admission to the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Massachsetts Boston. I am interested in accepting a student to begin in fall 2019. More information can be found at HERE
Wadsworth, L. P., Morgan, L., Hayes-Skelton, S. A., Roemer, L., & Suyemoto, K. (2016). Ways to improve your research rigor through increasing your cultural competency (Parts 1 & 2). The Behavior Therapist, 39, 76-92.
Roemer, L., Eustis, E. H., Williston, S. K., & Hayes-Skelton, S. A. (2016) Acceptance-based behavior therapy-informed clinical professional training practices (i.e., Outside the classroom). In J. Block-Lerner & L. Cardaciotto (Eds.) The mindfulness-informed educator: Building acceptance & psychological flexibility in higher education. Routledge.
Hayes-Skelton, S. A., Calloway, A., Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2015). Decentering as a common mechanism across two therapies for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 83, 395-404.
Hayes-Skelton, S. A. & Wadsworth, L. P. (2015). Mindfulness-based treatments for anxiety disorders. In Brown, K. W., Creswell, J. D., & Ryan, R. M. (Eds.), Handbook of mindfulness: Theory and research (367-386). New York: Guildford Press.
Graham, J. R., Sorenson, S., & Hayes-Skelton, S. A. (2013). Enhancing the cultural sensitivity of cognitive behavioral interventions for anxiety in diverse populations. The Behavior Therapist, 36, 101-107.
Hayes-Skelton, S. A., Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2013). A randomized clinical trial comparing an Acceptance Based Behavior Therapy to Applied Relaxation for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81, 761-773.
Hayes-Skelton, S. A., Roemer, L., Orsillo, S. M., & Borkovec, T. D. (2013). A contemporary view of Applied Relaxation for generalized anxiety disorder. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 42, 292-302.
Hayes-Skelton, S. A., & Graham, J. R.* (2013). Decentering as a common link among mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, and social anxiety. Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 41, 317-328.
Hayes, S. A, Orsillo, S. M., & Roemer, L. (2010). Changes in proposed mechanisms of action during an acceptance based behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48, 238-245.
Ledley, D. R., Heimberg, R. G., Hope, D. A., Hayes, S. A., Zaider, T. I., Van Dyke, M., Turk, C. L., Kraus, C. A., & Fresco, D. M. (2009). Establishing the efficacy of a widely-available manualized treatment for social anxiety disorder. Behavior Therapy, 40, 414-424.
Hayes, S. A., Hope, D. A., & Heimberg, R. G. (2008). Patterns of subjective anxiety during in session exposures for clients with social anxiety disorder. Behavior Therapy, 39, 286-299.