Ryan Seedall
Human Devt. and Family Studies
Associate Professor, Director, MFT Program
Contact Information
Office Location: SCCE 415Phone: 435-797-7433
Email: ryan.seedall@usu.edu
Additional Information:
Educational Background
Licensures & Certifications
Biography
I was born and raised on a farm in Rupert, Idaho, where we grew wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, and beans. In 2011, I received by PhD from Michigan State University in Human Development and Family Studies, with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. I began my work at Utah State in January 2012. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and have been a practicing therapist for over 20 years. Outside of work, I enjoy sports, reading, and spending time with my wife, Ruth, and our four children.
Teaching Interests
I teach a variety of courses in our MFT master's and PhD programs, including MFT theory, research, and practicum. I also enjoy teaching undergraduates about couple and family relationships as well as diversity. My ultimate goal in all I teach is to help students grow towards a love of learning by helping them understand and appreciate a subject’s relevance in their own lives. I do this by fostering (1) fostering an atmosphere of caring and respect; (2) providing constructive, clear communication and feedback; (3) customizing the learning process by using a variety of teaching formats, (4) helping students engage with and experience the material; and (5) soliciting student feedback and making course adjustments.
Research Interests
The overall theme of my research is to help improve couple and family relationships. I do this by working to understand and improve relationship process, including both couple relationship and therapeutic processes. One other major focus of my research is identifying specific therapeutic interventions that are useful (e.g., enactments) as well as client-related factors that lead to positive therapy process and outcome (e.g., attachment, social support). Lastly, I am interested in protective family dynamics and prevention efforts, including ways to reduce mental health disparities amongst underrepresented and/or marginalized groups.
Awards
AAMFT 2016 Thesis Award - Mentor, 2016
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
Reviewer of the Year, 2013
Journal of Marital and Family Therapy - Wiley/Blackwell
New Professional Outstanding Paper Award - Family Therapy Section, 2012
National Council On Family Relations
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy 2012 Dissertation Award, 2012
Palmer-Shelton Scholarship, 2010
Michigan State University
Ruth Hurt Memorial Scholarship, 2010
Michigan State University
Jean Davis Schlater Dissertation Fellowship, 2010
Michigan State University
Student Outstanding Paper Award - Family Therapy Section, 2008
National Council on Family Relations
Evelyn Mansfield Scholarship, 2008
Michigan State University
Health and Human Services Scholarship, 2007
Texas Tech University
AT&T Chancellor’s Fellowship, 2006
Texas Tech University
Sant Scholarship, 2003
Brigham Young University
Elk’s National Foundation Scholarship , 1995
Brigham Young University
Trustee's Scholarship, 1995
Brigham Young University
Publications | Books
- Seedall, R., Faustino Hansen, M.A, (2019). Odd and even day ritual in couple and family therapy: Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer Publications
- Seedall, R., Butler, M.H, (2016). Enactments: The SAGE encyclopedia of marriage, family, and couples counseling. SAGE
- Seedall, R., (2016). Social Support: The SAGE encyclopedia of marriage, family, and couples counseling. SAGE
- Seedall, R., Lachmar, E.M, (2016). Attachment Theory: The SAGE encyclopedia of marriage, family, and couples counseling. SAGE
- Seedall, R., (2014). Observing Relationships: A Conceptual Overview of Data Management and Analysis: Advanced methods in family therapy research: A focus on validity and change. . Routledge
Publications | Book Chapters
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Journal Articles
Academic Journal
- Seedall, R., Russo, R., Aller, T., Clark, J.K, #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike: Twitter users’ narratives about the interpersonal effects of anxiety. Contemporary Family Therapy
- Spencer, J, Seedall, R., Gillespie, A., (2023). Couple recovery from problematic pornography use: A foundational phenomenological inquiry. Sexual Health and Compulsivity, 30:4, 342-364.
- Barboza, J., Seedall, R., Neimeyer, R.A, (2022). Meaning co-construction: Facilitating shared family meaning making in bereavement. Family Process, 61:1, 7-24. doi: 10.1111/famp.12671
- Aller, T.B, Fauth, E.B, Seedall, R., (2021). Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy (MHAA) for Youth: An evaluation of a college-based mental health literacy curriculum. Mental Health & Prevention, 23:1, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.mhp.2021.200204
- Butler, M.H, Spencer, T.J, Seedall, R., (2020). Reshaping couple configurations that get in the way of relationship repair and healing.. Family Process, 59:3, 1334-1352. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12475
- Taylor, N., Seedall, R., Robinson, W., Bradford, K.P, (2018). The systemic interaction of attachment and psychophysiological arousal in couple conflict. . Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 44:1, 46-60. doi: 10.1111/jmft.12239
- Boyce, L.K, Seedall, R., Innocenti, M., Roggman, L.A, Cook, G., Hagman, A., Norman, V.J, (2017). Influence of a parent-child interaction focused bookmaking approach on maternal parenting self-efficacy. Infants and Young Children, 30:1, 76-93.
- Seedall, R., Butler, M.H, Zamora, J.P, Yang, C., (2016). Attachment Change in the Beginning Stages of Therapy: Examining Change Trajectories for Avoidance and Anxiety. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 42:2, 217-230. doi: 10.1111/jmft.12146
- Seedall, R., Lachmar, E.M, (2016). Attachment-Related Dynamics during a Positively-Themed Couple Interaction: Implications of Anxiety and Avoidance. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 5:1, 27-42. doi: 10.1037/cfp0000054
- Seedall, R., Anthony, J.C, (2015). Monitoring by parents: Hypothesized male-female differences in evidence from a nationally representative cohort re-sampled each year from age 12-17 years. Prevention Science, 16, 696-706. doi: 10.1007/s11121-014-0517-8
- Downs, A., Seedall, R., Taylor, N.C, Downs, K.J, (2015). Attachment-based considerations for addressing adolescent substance use (ASU) in a family context. American Journal of Family Therapy, 43:1, 28-43. doi: 10.1080/01926187.2014.935683
- Seedall, R., Anthony, J.C, (2013). Risk estimates for starting tobacco, alcohol, & other drug use in the United States: Male-female differences and the possibility that 'limiting time with friends' is protective. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 133:2, 751-753. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.06.035
Professional Journal
- Allgood, S.M, Seedall, R., Williams, R.B, (2020). Expressive writing and marital satisfaction: A writing sample analysis. Family Relations, 69:2, 380-391. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12416
- Seedall, R., Wampler, K.S, (2016). Couple Emotional Experience: Effects of Attachment Anxiety in Low and High Structure Couple Interactions. Journal of Family Therapy, 38:3, 340-363. doi: 10.1111/1467-6427.12113
- Seedall, R., Holtrop, K.S, Parra-Cardona, J.R, (2014). Diversity, social justice, and intersectionality trends in C/MFT: A content analysis of three family therapy journals, 2004-2011. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 40:2, 139-151. doi: 10.1111/jmft.12015
- Seedall, R., Butler, M.H, Elledge, J.Z, (2014). Does religious motivation influence the conceptualization and acceptability of forgiveness as a therapeutic intervention? . American Journal of Family Therapy, 42:2, 127-140. doi: 10.1080/01926187.2013.772868
- Seedall, R., Houghtaling, A., Wilkins, E.J, (2013). Disclosing extra-dyadic involvement (EDI): Understanding attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Contemporary Family Therapy, 35:4, 745-759. doi: 10.1007/s10591-013-9243-9
- Seedall, R., Wampler, K.S, (2013). An attachment primer for couple therapists: Research and clinical implications. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 39:4, 427-440. doi: 10.1111/jmft.12024
- Seedall, R., Wampler, K.S, (2012). Emotional congruence within couple interaction: The role of attachment avoidance. Journal of Family Psychology, 26:6, 948-958. doi: 10.1037/a0030479
- Seedall, R., (2009). Enhancing change process in solution-focused brief therapy by utilizing couple enactments. American Journal of Family Therapy, 37, 99-113.
- Butler, M.H, Harper, J.M, Seedall, R., (2009). Facilitated disclosure vs. clinical accommodation of infidelity secrets: An early pivot point in couple therapy. Part 1: Couple relationship ethics, pragmatics, and attachment. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 35, 125-143.
- Froerer, A., Smock, S.A, Seedall, R., (2009). Solution-focused group work: Collaborating with clients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 20, 13-27.
- Butler, M.H, Davis, S.D, Seedall, R., (2008). Common pitfalls of beginning therapists utilizing enactments. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34, 329-352.
- Gardner, B.C, Butler, M.H, Seedall, R., (2008). En-gendering the couple-Deity relationship: Clinical implications of power and process. Contemporary Family Therapy, 30, 152-166.
- Butler, M.H, Seedall, R., Harper, J.M, (2008). Facilitated disclosure vs. clinical accommodation of infidelity secrets: An early pivot point in couple therapy. Part 2: Therapy ethics, pragmatics, and protocol. American Journal of Family Therapy, 36, 265-283.
- Seedall, R., Butler, M.H, (2008). The attachment relationship in recovery from addiction. Part 2: Substantive enactment interventions. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 15, 77-96.
- Seedall, R., Andersson, L.G, Butler, M.H, (2006). Couples’ experience of enactments and softening in marital therapy. American Journal of Family Therapy, 34, 301-315.
- Butler, M.H, Seedall, R., (2006). The attachment relationship in recovery from addiction. Part 1: Relationship mediation. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 13, 289-315.
- Seedall, R., Butler, M.H, (2006). The effect of proxy voice intervention on couple softening in the context of enactments. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 32, 421-437.
Public or Trade Journal
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Other
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.