See other campuses

dir

Associate Chair

Lead Faculty
Associate Professor

Department: Clinical Psychology
Address: 617 W. 7th St.
Office Location: 617 W. 7th St.
Office Phone: 213-615-7202
On-campus Ext.: 7202
Email: dsitzer@thechicagoschool.edu
Website

Biography

Dr. David Sitzer earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Central Michigan University (CMU) after completing a pre-doctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center focusing on neuropsychological assessment, rehabilitation, and cognitive behavioral therapy. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), Division of Geriatric Psychiatry where his research focused on neuropsychological abilities and the improvement of daily functioning among the elderly and people with severe mental illness.
Dr. Sitzer joined the Chicago School of Professional Psychology at their Los Angeles campus in 2008 as the lead faculty for the Clinical Psychology program after serving as the Chair of the graduate psychology programs at the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Los Angeles. He has taught courses at CMU, San Diego Mesa College, and Argosy University, seminars at UCSD, and supervised the research and clinical work of graduate and undergraduate students.
Dr. Sitzer has provided both inpatient and outpatient psychological services at medical and psychiatric hospitals in the departments of neurology and psychiatry. He has worked in residential treatment facilities, rehabilitation centers, the Veterans Administration system, and community counseling centers. He has published research in the areas of identifying memory impairment, screening for cognitive impairment, psychosocial interventions for Alzheimer's disease, successful aging, and improving cognitive and daily functioning among people with severe mental illness.
Dr. Sitzer's current interests include integrating neuropsychological assessment with psychosocial interventions to improve the daily functioning of older adults and people with severe mental illness. His clinical practice focuses on providing neuropsychological assessment, cognitive rehabilitation, and cognitive behavioral therapy for older adults and people with severe mental illnesses. His current research focus is on the development of psychosocial interventions to improve cognitive and daily functioning of people with severe mental illness.

Education

BA, Psychology- San Diego State University
Ph.D.- Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI

Licensure(s)

PY 21769

Areas Of Expertise

Q&A

Describe your teaching philosophy.

Teaching is an interactive, collaborative process in which the teacher helps the student acquire knowledge and develop skills. Teachers provide developmentally appropriate learning experiences and students take an active role in pursuing new information and experiences.

Statement and/or philosophy regarding the practice of psychology.

The practice of psychoogy is the artful application of science to the human experience to better understand behavior and improve everyday functioning. The practice of psychology should be grounded in theory and guided by emperical evidence.

Why did you choose to enter the field of psychology?

I feel good about myself when I can help others make their lives better.

What advice would you give a student entering The Chicago School?

Be prepared for an intellectually and emotionally challenging experience. Take advantage of as many opportunities as you can. Get involved and make a contribution. Think about what you can learn from every experience.

Select Publications

Sitzer, D.I., Twamley, E.W., Patterson, T.L., & Jeste, D.V. (2008) Multivariate predictors of social skills performance in middle-aged and older out-patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Psychological Medicine, 38, 755-763.
McGurk, S.R., Twamley, E.W., Sitzer, D.I., McHugo, G.J., & Mueser, K.T. (2007). A Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Remediation in Schizophrenia. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 1791-1802.
Depp, C.A., Moore, D.J., Sitzer, D.I., Palmer, B.W., Lebowitz, B.D., Jeste, D.V. (2007) Neurocognitive impairment in middle-aged and elderly adults with bipolar disorder: Comparison to schizophrenia and normal comparison subjects. Journal of Affective Disorders. Manuscript accepted for publication.
Moore, D.J., Sitzer, D.I., Depp, C.A., Montross, L.P., Reichstadt, J., Lebowitz, B.D., & Jeste, D.V. (2007) Self-administered cognitive screening for a study of successful aging among community-dwelling seniors: a preliminary study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22, 327-331
Sitzer, D.I., Twamley, E.W., & Jeste, D.J. (2006) Cognitive Training in Alzheimer Disease: A meta-analysis of the literature. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 114, 75-90.

Select Presentations

Sitzer, D.I., Twamley, E.W., and Jeste, D.V. (2007). The Relationship Between Changes in Neuropsychological and Functional Abilities Among Schizophrenia Outpatients.. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 13 (S1), 124. (International Neuropsychological Society).
Sitzer, D.I., Twamley, E.W., Palmer, B.W., Heaton, R.K., and Jeste, D.V. (2006). Cognition and driving status in schizophrenia patients. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 12 (S1), 239. (International Neuropsychological Society).
Sitzer, D., Dush, D. M., and Ziegler, R. (2003). Stability of untreated neuropsychological dysfunction following acute psychiatric treatment. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 9, 328. (International Neuropsychological Society)
Sitzer, D.I., Twamley, E.W., Narvaez, J.M., and Jeste, D.V. (2005, June). The effect of cognitive training on functional abilities in schizophrenia patients. Poster presented at the Annual Cognitive Remediation in Psychiatry Meeting, New York, New York
Sitzer, D.I. (February, 2005). Cognitive Training: Strategies and Applications in Alzheimer’s Disease. UCSD Geriatric Psychiatry Seminar.

Professional Memberships

The International Neuropsychological Society
The National Academy of Neuropsychology
Americal Psychological Association
California Psychological Association
Los Angeles County Psychological Association

Community Involvement

Ad-hoc reviewer: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Ad-hoc reviewer: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

Campus Affiliation

The Chicago School Los Angeles

When War Comes Home

For the thousands of U.S. children who have a military parent stationed overseas, homecomings can be hard. In a new program developed by The Chicago School and staffed by Chicago School students, children express themselves and their fears through music, drama, and art.
More about the Home Again project.

Bringing out "True Colors" in CPS Students

Chicago Public School students are literally reaping the rewards of applied behavior analysis. Prizes, privileges, pop songs, and bright colors are just some of the components of a behavioral intervention program implemented by Chicago School alumna Lorena Arevalo in low-performing schools to encourage academic achievement and good behavior.
CPS Students Show Their True Colors

Twitter LinkedIn
Follow us