Helen DeVinney

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Helen DeVinney

Adjunct Professor of Clinical Psychology


Department: Professional Psychology Program

1922 F Street, NW, Suite 100 Washington DC 20052

Helen DeVinney (she/hers) was writing her dissertation in English when she realized that a psychoanalytically-informed psychology program would allow her to better blend critical theory, self-inquiry, and social justice as a lived practice. She completed both her Psy.D. and postdoctoral training at the George Washington University's Professional Psychology Program before joining its core faculty. She has trained in a variety of settings, including a state psychiatric hospital, where she worked with both civilian and forensic patients with severe symptomatology. helen has written and presented on the intersections of psychoanalysis and issues of gender, sexuality, race, and class, and she maintains a strong academic and clinical interest in the sequelae and identity integration/reformation following acute and/or relational/developmental trauma. As an intersectional feminist, helen is also interested in exploring the roles of cultural norms and systemic forms of oppression when considering what is termed abnormal or pathological, particularly as it relates to challenging the white, cisgender, heteronormative matrix. 

Helen has a private practice in Washington, DC, where she provides therapy, supervision, and psychological assessment. Prior to psychology, helen earned graduate degrees in Teaching and English and worked in publishing, teaching, and education reform. She also loves lemons and hot peppers.