Erik Reinbergs

Biography

I’m an assistant professor in the School Psychology program at Utah State University, where I lead the Suicidology Lab. Our research focuses on suicide, self-harm, and related challenges—particularly among youth. I use quantitative methods to better understand how we can help youth, young adults, families, and school communities build lives they perceive as worth living.

My work spans prevention, assessment, treatment, and postvention, with the goal of identifying opportunities—both individual and systemic—to reduce emotional and behavioral suffering and advance the science of suicide. I’m a licensed psychologist in Utah and a nationally certified school psychologist. In addition to research and teaching, I supervise a clinical externship where advanced trainees provide adherent, full-protocol adolescent dialectical behavior therapy at the Sorensen Center for Clinical Excellence.

In the lab, students take part in collaborative research, gain hands-on experience with data analysis and study design, and contribute to conference presentations and journal manuscripts. I’m committed to mentoring in a supportive, inclusive environment that encourages curiosity, growth, and meaningful contribution. The lab highly values evidence-based practice and scientific thinking. I especially enjoy helping students build skills in quantitative analysis—including data management, secondary data analysis, and psychometrics—as well as in behavior therapies.

I welcome inquiries from prospective PhD students who are passionate about suicide prevention and interested in developing their skills in quantitative suicidology research and clinical behavior therapies. I’m also always open to research collaborations and would love to hear from you about potential projects. You can learn more about me and the Suicidology Lab on my website .