Relationship and Psychotherapy Lab at the University of Denver

The mission of the Relationship and Psychotherapy (RAP) Lab is to examine the pathways for healing and growth for individuals, couples, and families via psychological interventions. Through research and training the RAP lab members explore the how and why psychotherapy works, with a specific focus on therapists’ role in creating effective and engaging process, the optimal interplay between techniques and relational dynamics to enhance therapy outcomes, and the unique cultural dynamics that influence the psychotherapy processes. Dr. Jesse Owen leads the lab, which consists of 18 members who conduct research with clinic partners. The RAP lab has multiple clinical partners, including Celesthealth group, which is a company that assists mental health centers collective data on client outcomes across the nation (Dr. Owen is the research director for this company). Over 100 mental health centers who collaborate with the RAP lab (approximately 125,000 new clients a year). Moreover, the RAP lab has research and training partnership agreements with: (a) Colorado Center for Excellence, which is a group private practice that prioritizes deliberate practice methods; (b) Modem Bad Psychiatric Center in Norway, which provides inpatient treatments for complicated depression, anxiety, trauma, and eating disorders; and (c) the International Center for Clinical Excellence (led by Dr. Scott Miller), whose mission is to advance therapists’ expertise. Additionally, Dr. Owen collaborates with other research directors of other practice-research networks. Through these partnerships, the RAP lab is uniquely positioned to launch large-scale international research and clinical training projects that maximize diversity among providers, treatment settings, and client populations.