Dr. Salinger specializes in evidence-based psychotherapies for a wide range of presenting concerns, working primarily with adults, young adults and college students. She has expertise in treating anxiety disorders (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder), depression, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sleep disruption. Dr. Salinger also works with individuals who are coping with major life transitions or stressors or are hoping to make behavioral changes to live in a more vital and values-aligned way.

Dr. Salinger’s treatment incorporates cognitive, behavioral, mindfulness, and acceptance techniques. Dr. Salinger has expert training and experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which are her primary therapeutic approaches and theoretical orientation.

Dr. Salinger also has expert training and experience in CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I) and several trauma-focused therapies including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET). In addition, she has received training in Behavioral Activation (BA) for depression, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, Motivational Interviewing (MI), and an emerging evidence-based treatment for chronic pain, Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT).

Dr. Salinger’s treatment approach is grounded in the belief that every individual has unique abilities and can work to create a rich, meaningful life that aligns with their personal values. Her therapy approach is active and skills-based. Early on, she works with her clients to identify clear goals for therapy. Sessions with her clients then go far beyond just talking; she is committed to helping her clients build new skills which can be used to create lasting change.

Dr. Salinger’s style is warm, collaborative, and sometimes humorous (disclaimer: debatably corny metaphors may be used!). Her style is also rooted in the belief that we are all human beings with relatable human challenges and unique sources of knowledge. She brings to the table her knowledge about treatments and therapy approaches that are supported by research to be helpful, while her clients bring individual wisdom about their lived experiences. Dr. Salinger teaches clients skills to increase awareness of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors; to gain more distance from unhelpful thoughts; to cultivate acceptance and self-compassion; and to clarify personal values, solve problems, and move towards important goals. She believes in compassionately helping clients face what is difficult in service of long-term growth and healing.

In her free time, Dr. Salinger enjoys hiking, refinishing furniture, eating tacos, and spending time with her friends and her 3-year-old pup.

Education and Training: 

Dr. Salinger earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to this, she received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, summa cum laude, where she majored in Psychology.

During her graduate training, Dr. Salinger worked as a therapist in CU’s Raimy Clinic, at Mental Health Partners in Boulder, CO, and at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center. She completed her pre-doctoral internship training at the William S. Middleton Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, where her training focused on treating anxiety disorders, trauma, sleep disorders, and adjustment difficulties in the context of chronic disease or life transitions.

Publications and Presentations:

Whisman, M. A., Salinger, J. M., & Sbarra, D. A. (2022). Relationship dissolution and psychopathology. Current Opinion in Psychology, 43, 199-204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.07.016

Salinger, J. M., & Whisman, M. A. (2021). Marital discord, marital dissolution, and C-reactive protein: Results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Health Psychology, 40(7), 459-467. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001083

 Salinger, J. M., & Whisman, M. A. (2021). Does self-compassion moderate the cross-sectional association between life stress and depressive symptoms? Mindfulness, 12(4), 889-898. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01554-9

Salinger, J. M., Whisman, M. A., Randall, A. K., & Hilpert, P. (2021). Associations between marital discord and depressive symptoms: A cross‐cultural analysis. Family Process, 60(2), 493-506. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12563

Sbarra, D. A., Manvelian, A., Salinger, J. M., & Whisman, M. A. (2021). Marital and relational discord. In Castonguay, L. G., Oltmanns, T. F., & Lott, A. P. (Eds.), Psychopathology: From science to clinical practice (2nd ed., pp. 345-368). Guilford Press.

Whisman, M. A., Salinger, J. M., Gilmour, A. L., Steele, B. A., & Snyder, D. K. (2021). Love and war: Prospective associations between relationship distress and incidence of psychiatric disorders in active-duty Army personnel. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 130(1), 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000642

Whisman, M. A., Salinger, J. M., Labrecque, L. T., Gilmour, A. L., & Snyder, D. K. (2019). Couples in arms: Marital distress, psychopathology, and suicidal ideation in active-duty Army personnel. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129(3), 248-255. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000492

Whisman, M. A., Gilmour, A. L., & Salinger, J. M. (2018). Marital satisfaction and mortality in the United States adult population. Health Psychology, 37(11), 1041-1044. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000677

Salinger, J. M., O'Brien, M. P., Miklowitz, D. J., Marvin, S. E., & Cannon, T. D. (2018). Family communication with teens at clinical high-risk for psychosis or bipolar disorder. Journal of Family Psychology, 32(4), 507–516. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000393

Lopez, R. B., Salinger, J. M., Heatherton, T. F., & Wagner, D. D. (2018). Media multitasking is associated with altered processing of incidental, irrelevant cues during person perception. BMC Psychology, 6(44). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-018-0256-x

Salinger, J. M. & Whisman, M. A. (2021, April). Love heals all? Relationship satisfaction predicts change in self-rated health in a representative sample of Japanese adults. Research spotlight presented at the 42nd annual meeting and scientific sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, virtual conference.

Salinger, J. M., & Whisman, M. A. (2020, November). Does self-compassion moderate the association between negative life events and depressive symptoms? Poster presented at the 54th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, virtual conference.

Salinger, J. M., Whisman, M. A., Randall, A. K., & Hilpert, P. (2018, July). Associations of relationship conflict with depressive symptoms: A cross-national analysis. Poster presented at the International Association for Relationship Research 2018 biennial conference, Fort Collins, CO.

Gilmour, A. L., Salinger, J. M., & Whisman, M. A. (2018, July). Marital satisfaction and mortality in the United States adult population. Poster presented at the International Association for Relationship Research 2018 biennial conference, Fort Collins, CO.

Salinger, J. M., O’Brien, M., Miklowitz, D., Marvin, S., & Cannon, T. (2017, September). Family communication with teens at-risk for psychosis or bipolar disorder: Does risk classification matter? Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology annual meeting, Denver, CO.

Salinger, J. M., Lopez, R. B., Heatherton, T. F., & Kelley, W. M. (2015, May). A room with a cue: Media multitasking alters processing of irrelevant cues during social perception. Poster presented at the annual poster session of the Dartmouth College Psychological & Brain Sciences Department, Hanover, NH.