Decatur Behavior Therapy

Ryan C. Hackett, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Decatur Behavior Therapy. He is excited to offer outpatient behavior therapy services to children and adults to address a range of presenting concerns, including: Neurodevelopmental disorders Mood disorders Anxiety disorders Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders Trauma and stressor-related disorders Elimination problems Sleep problems Eating problems Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct problems Substance use and addictive disorders Personality disorders Ryan completed his undergraduate training at Harvard College in 2009 with a concentration in sociology. From 2009–2013, Ryan served as a teacher at The Community School in Decatur, GA, a private school for adolescents and young adults with developmental disabilities. He also worked as a research assistant on two NIH-funded studies examining (a) the sequelae of prenatal exposure to psychotropic medications; and (b) the incremental validity of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised. From 2013–2019, Ryan completed his doctorate in clinical psychology at Emory University. His research focused on (a) the psychometric properties of parenting and psychopathology measures used in the Georgia Twin Study; and (b) the relationship between sensitivity to reinforcement rate and psychopathology symptoms among a community and clinic sample of young adults. As a graduate student, Ryan was trained to deliver evidence-based care across a wide range of outpatient populations and settings in accordance with the Clinical Science model of training (https://www.pcsas.org/). This model stresses (a) expanding our basic understanding of behavioral health; and (b) designing, evaluating, practicing, and disseminating safe, effective, and efficient interventions. Ryan’s predoctoral training culminated in a two-year internship at the Emory Child and Adolescent Mood Program, a specialty center for pediatric outpatients with internalizing disorders. From 2019–2020, Ryan continued his training as a postdoctoral resident at the Emory Neurodevelopment and Exposure Clinic (ENEC). ENEC serves children with varying combinations of neurodevelopmental disorders, adverse childhood experiences, and teratogenic exposures. It is one of three specialty centers nationwide for patients with fetal alcohol syndrome. In this role, Ryan provided assessment, consultation, and intervention services as part of an interprofessional team consisting of psychologists, psychiatrists, an education specialist, and a developmental behavioral pediatrician. From 2020–2022, Ryan completed an additional postdoctoral residency at The Clinic at Virtually Better (VBI), a speciality clinic in Decatur, GA focused on delivering virtual-reality enhanced exposure therapy for anxiety and related disorders to pediatric and adult outpatients. He transitioned to the role of a licensed clinical psychologist in July, 2022. He is excited to launch an independent practice in downtown Decatur co-located with colleagues from VBI. Please contact Ryan to determine if his services would meet your needs.