Clinical Expertise

Dr. McCarthy is a Staff Psychologist in the Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, and she has extensive experience running groups across inpatient, residential, partial hospital, and outpatient settings. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and social skills training (SST) for adults with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Dr. McCarthy also specializes in Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) to help families support loved ones in need of treatment. She is the first CRAFT-certified therapist, coder, and trainer in Massachusetts. Dr. McCarthy is currently leading the Family Support for Substance Use Disorders group at CPG.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Dr. McCarthy prioritizes and advocates for expanding the space for clients and colleagues of diverse backgrounds to engage in and benefit from the mental health care field across her clinical, research, and teaching roles. She values each client’s unique experience with their socio-cultural background and identities. Dr. McCarthy is dedicated to lifelong learning to provide the highest quality care the meets the individualized and evolving needs of clients and their families.

Training

Dr. McCarthy completed her BA in Clinical Psychology at Tufts University. She continued her training by completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Maryland College Park, including training at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Maryland Medical School. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital and subsequently stayed to complete her post-doctoral fellowship in Addiction Research before becoming a faculty member.

Research

Dr. McCarthy is a Principal Investigator leading a National Institute on Drug Abuse study in the Division of Psychotic Disorders at McLean Hospital. She is also an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Mental Health, and Harvard Medical School to study the role of psychosis and substance use in brain and behavioral markers, as well as to develop telehealth interventions to support families experiencing psychosis and substance use. Dr. McCarthy’s work has been published and presented at numerous national and international conferences.

Education

• Tufts University, BA in Clinical Psychology
• University of Maryland College Park, PhD in Clinical Psychology
• Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Predoctoral Internship
• Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Postdoctoral Fellowship

Hobbies

Dr. McCarthy enjoys gardening, good food, travel, spending time with family and friends, and investigating ways to increase access to mental health services for clients and their families.