Erin Mistretta Ph.D.
Erin Mistretta Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
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I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington. I hold a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, specializing in health psychology. My research is focused on mindfulness interventions for emotional and physical health in people with chronic conditions.
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Scroll down for an overview of what I am currently working on. Find about more about my research on the Research tab.
Mindfulness- and compassion-based approaches to chronic stress/chronic illness
I am interested in understanding the effectiveness of contemplative and third-wave behavioral approaches for chronic stress and chronic illness in special populations. Findings from research show that these interventions are effective for healthcare workers (Mistretta et al., 2018), women veterans (Okvat et al., 2021), and people with chronic illness (Mistretta & Davis, 2021). I am currently working on ways to adapt these interventions for rehabilitation populations, specifically multiple sclerosis
Mechanisms of self-regulation among people with chronic pain
I am interested in mechanisms that contribute to adaptive self-regulation in chronic pain. Psychosocial interventions for chronic pain are effective at improving pain functioning. My work seeks to understand how people with chronic pain function despite having high pain severity. I have explored potential mechanisms (Mistretta et al., 2022; Mistretta et al., 2023) and am currently exploring how mechanisms operate in real-world settings through experience sampling methods
Optimization strategies to improve adherence to behavioral treatments
It can be challenging to adopt new health behaviors, such as meditation and exercise, into one's daily routine. It can be especially challenging for those with chronic conditions. I seek to understand barriers and facilitators of adherence to behavioral treatments. In turn, I aim to utilize novel research designs to optimize behavioral treatments and intervene when people need it the most to improve adherence and outcomes.