Christine E. Dickson
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Christine E. Dickson is an American
clinical psychologist Clinical psychology is an integration of social science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and persona ...
. For over 20 years, she has specialized in
mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an approach to psychotherapy that uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) methods in collaboration with mindfulness meditative practices and similar psychological strategies. The origins to its concept ...
. She is best known for being a
psychotherapist Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...
in California and appearing as a featured guest on Tri-Valley Community Television (TV30) where she provides self-help advice on topics such as
mindfulness Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one's attention to the present-moment experience without evaluation, a skill one develops through meditation or other training. Mindfulness derives from ''sati'', a significant element of Hind ...
, work-family balance, marital happiness,
compassion Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as being sensitive to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on n ...
, trauma recovery, and more. Her
psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...
practice is located in the San Francisco Bay Area.


Education

Dickson received her B.A. with honors in Psychology and
English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...
from Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey in 1996, her M.A. with highest distinction in Human Behavior and Organizational Psychology from Kean College of New Jersey in 1998, and a Dual
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
in
Clinical Psychology Clinical psychology is an integration of social science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and persona ...
and
Industrial-Organizational Psychology Industrial and organizational psychology (I-O psychology), an applied discipline within psychology, is the science of human behavior in the workplace. Depending on the country or region of the world, I-O psychology is also known as occupational ...
from the
California School of Professional Psychology The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) was founded in 1969 by the California Psychological Association. It is part of the for-profit Alliant International University where each campus's Clinical Psychology Psy.D. and Ph.D. prog ...
in 2003. Between 2003 - 2007, Dickson presented portions of her doctoral dissertation on employee perceptions of family responsibilities discrimination at 17 national and international
conferences A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main pu ...
including the II International Work and Family Conference at
IESE Business School IESE Business School is the graduate business school of the University of Navarra. Founded in 1958 in Barcelona where its main campus is located,López, T. & Pampliega, J“La fundación del IESE (1956–1958)” Universidad de Navarra, Biblioteca ...
in Barcelona, Spain.


Career

In 2004, after obtaining her California license to practice as a
clinical psychologist Clinical psychology is an integration of social science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and persona ...
, Dickson worked for Wells Fargo Corporate Headquarters in San Francisco. At this job, she helped employees recover from trauma after bank robberies and coached managers to effectively respond to critical incidences in the workplace such as employee death, bomb threats, robberies, and employee violence. After Wells Fargo, she went on to work at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation where she helped male and female clients recover from their childhood trauma, and the traumas they created for themselves and others as a result of their crimes. Dickson left the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2011 and went on to open her own private practice in
Pleasanton Pleasanton may refer to: Places * Pleasanton, California * Pleasanton, Iowa * Pleasanton, Kansas * Pleasanton, Nebraska * Pleasanton, New Mexico * Pleasanton, Ohio * Pleasanton, Texas * Pleasanton Township, Michigan Other * Pleasanton High School ...
where she helps pre-teens, teenagers, and adults. She also provides
critical incident stress debriefing Critical or Critically may refer to: *Critical, or critical but stable, medical states **Critical, or intensive care medicine *Critical juncture, a discontinuous change studied in the social sciences. *Critical Software, a company specializing in ...
and trauma recovery counseling to Alameda County Police, BART Police and
AC Transit AC Transit (Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District) is an Oakland-based public transit agency serving the western portions of Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. AC Transit also operates "Transbay" ro ...
employees. Currently, Dickson is a psychotherapist who works online and in person providing individual therapy, couples counseling, and executive coaching. Dickson also focuses on corporate work, more specifically the business and legal cases for workplace flexibility.Dickson, C. E. (2014). ''Negotiating a Flexible Working Schedule.'' Retrieved fro

/ref> Dickson also has a blog where she has posted over 100 self-help articles.The Blog of Psychologist, Dr. Christine E. Dickson. (2023). ''Christine Dickson, Ph.D.'' Retrieved fro

/ref> In 2015, Dickson trained executives on improving their Emotional Intelligence, by guest lecturing at the University of Southern California (USC), Price School of Public Policy, Masters of Executive Leadership Program. One interest Dickson has is women's rights in the workplace. Dickson was an activist with
9to5, National Association of Working Women 9to5, National Association of Working Women is an organization established in 1973 that is dedicated to improving working conditions and ensuring the rights of women and families in the United States. The group has its origins in ''9to5 News'', ...
in 2007 and spoke with members of the
California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...
in support of Senate Bill 836, which planned to amend the California Fair Employment and Housing Act to prohibit employment discrimination based on a worker's familial status. At the California State Capitol she spoke to the legislature about her research on employment
discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
against working mothers and fathers.


Published work

Dickson's doctoral dissertation entitled, "Antecedents and Consequences of Perceived Family Responsibilities Discrimination in the Workplace" completed in 2003 was published in a special work-life edition of the Psychologist Manager Journal in 2008. Her study was the first to measure family responsibilities discrimination (FRD) and to test a model of the antecedents and consequences of FRD. Dickson's research revealed how employee perceptions of
discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
based on their family responsibilities ( childcare, eldercare, or the care of an ill spouse or relative) had negative outcomes for the companies bottom-line. She also showed how companies can prevent family responsibilities discrimination (FRD) by creating family supportive workplace cultures, training supervisors to be supportive of employees' personal and family responsibilities, and by providing flexible work schedules and childcare supports. In 2007, Dickson published a paper, titled "Avoiding family responsibilities
discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
: EAPs can help employers understand and mitigate the risks of
discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
against workers with family responsibilities," in a special edition of the Journal of Employee Assistance. Dickson wrote about how Employee Assistance Programs can help employers mitigate the risk of Family Responsibilities
Discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
(FRD) at work.Dickson, C. E. (2007). Avoiding family responsibilities discrimination: EAPs can help employers understand and mitigate the risks of discrimination against workers with family responsibilities. The Journal of Employee Assistance, 37(2), 16+. Retrieved fro

/ref> She stated that the increase in FRD poses a risk to employers because it can decrease employee productivity and increase
litigation - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
. Dickson stated that no federal law prohibits workplace discrimination against employees with family responsibilities. At the end of her article she provided practical strategies to decrease employee
perceptions Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous system ...
of FRD at work such as increasing the number of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). In 2014, Dickson published an article on workplace flexibility entitled "Negotiating a Flexible Work Schedule]." In her article, Dickson states, "People more than ever want flexibility. It is my hope that employees will start demanding flexibility as a condition of employment. This article provides practical tips and suggestions for employees and job seekers on how to
negotiate Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties to reach the desired outcome regarding one or more issues of conflict. It is an interaction between entities who aspire to agree on matters of mutual interest. The agreement c ...
a flexible work schedule." Her article explains that if schedules are more flexible, employees will be more motivated to perform. She then concludes her article by explaining how to
negotiate Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties to reach the desired outcome regarding one or more issues of conflict. It is an interaction between entities who aspire to agree on matters of mutual interest. The agreement c ...
a flexible work schedule.


Early life

Dickson was raised in
Middlesex, New Jersey Middlesex is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. It is located within the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 13,635,working class community 30 miles west of New York City. Her mother was a homemaker and her father was a chemist. She is the eldest of two children and is of English, Irish,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
and
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
descent. Dickson attended the Middlesex Bible Chapel, a
non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...
Christian church from age 5 to 16. When she was 9 years old, her neighbors and close family friends who also attended the Middlesex Bible Chapel were murdered when an explosive gasoline fueled pipe bomb, disguised as a package was delivered to their home and detonated. No motive was found for the crime and the homicides are considered a cold case. For several months following the bombing, Dickson and her family were under FBI protection due to safety concerns and their home phone was
wiretapped Telephone tapping (also wire tapping or wiretapping in American English) is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitorin ...
for 3 years. Dickson's father started and administered a fund to provide financial support to the victim's children.


Personal life

Dickson is a lifelong vegetarian. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.


References


Bibliography

* Dickson, C. E. (2007). Avoiding family responsibilities discrimination: EAPs can help employers understand and mitigate the risks of discrimination against workers with family responsibilities. ''Journal of Employee Assistance'', 37(2), 16+. Retrieved fro
Gale OneFile: Psychology - Document - Avoiding family responsibilities discrimination: EAPs can help employers understand and mitigate the risks of discrimination against workers with family responsibilities
* Dickson, C. E. (2008). Antecedents and Consequences of Perceived Family Responsibilities Discrimination in the Workplace. ''Psychologist-Manager Journal'', Vol. 11, Issue 1, (p. 113 - 140.) Retrieved fro
Antecedents and Consequences of Perceived Family Responsibilities Discrimination in the Workplace
*Sussex Directories Inc. Psychology Today. (2016). Dr. Christine E. Dickson PhD. Retrieved from
Dr. Christine Dickson: Pleasanton Psychologist, Psychologist, Pleasanton, CA, 94566
*Dickson, C. E. (2014). ''Negotiating a Flexible Working Schedule.'' Retrieved fro
Negotiating a Flexible Work Schedule
*Dickson, C. E. (2014). ''The Legal Case for Work-Life Balance Policies''. Retrieved fro

*Tri-Valley Psychotherapy. (2011). ''Christine Dickson, PhD.'' Retrieved fro
Christine E. Dickson, PhD
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dickson, Christine E. Living people Kean University alumni People from Middlesex, New Jersey Rutgers University alumni California School of Professional Psychology alumni Year of birth missing (living people) American women psychologists 21st-century American women American clinical psychologists 21st-century American psychologists