Jess Luzier , Ph . D ., ABPP , CEDS-S
Associate Professor , WVU School of Medicine ; Faculty , CAMC Institute of Academic Medicine
ARIANNA WHITEHAIR
Jess Luzier , Ph . D ., ABPP , CEDS-S , has dedicated her life to bettering the lives of others . As an associate professor with the West Virginia University ( WVU ) School of Medicine , a faculty member with the Charleston Area Medical Center ( CAMC ) Institute of Academic Medicine and a licensed clinical psychologist working in the CAMC Behavioral Medicine and Psychology Department , her passion for driving change in the Mountain State is evident .
Having earned her bachelor ’ s degree at Hiram College in Ohio and her master ’ s and doctorate degrees from Ohio University , Luzier eventually made her way to West Virginia .
“ I fell in love with West Virginia instantly ,” she says . “ The patients and families I serve are the strongest , kindest , most resilient , hardworking and earnest people .”
After studying abroad in Tanzania during her time as an undergraduate student , Luzier was enthralled by the major role nutrition plays in human behavior .
“ I have always been fascinated by the intersection of health , cognition and behavior , so clinical psychology was a natural fit ,” she says . “ Furthermore , I love working with children and families , and this niche area of behavioral medicine is so greatly under-resourced .”
In her current position at CAMC , she works tirelessly with her team to provide the best quality care for patients battling various mental health disorders .
“ I work on a specialty team to provide dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents , which is an intensive , life-saving treatment for youth who struggle with severe emotional dysregulation , including self-harm behaviors , mood problems and eating disorders ,” she says .
In addition to this , Luzier is also the co-founder and clinical director of the Disordered Eating Center of Charleston ( DECC ), which offers interprofessional team treatment of eating disorders . Her greatest career challenge involves the
Photo by Jeff Driggs .
severe lack of available resources for patients with these disorders , and she hopes that the services offered by the DECC will ease this burden .
“ I will not relent until every person who needs care for an eating disorder in West Virginia can access the care that is most likely to help them , offered by a team of professionals with highly specialized skills ,” she says .
Along with helping her patients obtain peak mental and physical health , Luzier also prioritizes and advocates for mental health awareness .
“ My advocacy role helps me to stay focused on my goal of increasing access to specialty care for more people with
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