Education:  

I earned my Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Florida State University, an M.S. in Child Development and Family Studies (with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy) from Purdue University, and a B.A. in Psychology and Political Science from the University of Washington.

Clinical Experience:   

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT license # 114305) and clinical supervisor in the state of California. I am also an approved clinical fellow and national supervisor with The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. My career as a clinician, university instructor, clinical supervisor, and researcher affords me multiple vantage points through which to engage therapeutic ideas and practices. That said, my most rewarding experiences stem from working with clients directly. In all, I have been providing services to couples and families from communities across several regions of the country for more than 15 years.

Academic Experience:   

In addition to being a therapist, I am also a tenured associate professor and director of the Marriage and Family Therapy program at San Diego State University (SDSU). The program is one of a few COAMFTE Accredited MFT Training programs in the state of California and committed to promoting social change and diversity and places special emphasis on how external influences influence intrapsychic and interpersonal processes. Prior to starting at SDSU, I was a core faculty member for 5 years at Alliant International University. 

Research Experience:   

My program of research examines relational dynamics among individuals and families post-incarceration. My research is also focused on the interpersonal implications of particular sexual behaviors (i.e., pornography, emotional infidelity, and sexual infidelity) on monogamous dating relationships, and the health implications of at-risk-sexual behaviors for monogamous couples. Most of my peer-reviewed publications are in leading journals in sexuality, psychology, and marriage and family therapy.  I have also received media mention (i.e., Men’s Health, The Daily Beast, The New York Times, Business Insider, Network Radio, and GQ). 

Selected Peer-Reviewed:

 1. Negash, S., Roberson, P. N. E., Tadros, I., & DeJesus, S. Y. (in press). A Brief Relationship Education Pilot Intervention for Men Post-Release. The Prison Journal.

2.     Negash, S., Fincham F. D., Cui, M., & McWey, L. (in press). Promoting Sexual Health on College Campuses: Implementing Brief Sexual Negotiation Strategies.  College Student Journal. 

3.      Welch, N., Negash, S., Ayres, K., & Nino, A. (2019). Through their lens: The parental experience of formerly incarcerated Black fathers. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 58, 500-516. doi: 10.1080/10509674.2019.162141

4.     Negash, S., Carlson, S., M., & Linder, J. (2018). Emotionally Focused Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: An integrated approach to heal the trauma of infidelity. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 7, 143-157. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000107

Personal: 

I identify as an Eritrean immigrant, cisgender woman, heterosexual, middle class, mother, and wife.  My salient identities inform how I move around in my daily life, including in my professional work. To be culturally responsive to clients' needs, I am conscious and deliberate about how I manage the intersections of my identifies in therapy.

Outside of my professional work, nurturing and growing bonds with loved ones is my main priority and what fulfills me.  I love relaxing with friends and family, frequenting coffee shops, cooking,  and woodworking.

Please feel free to email or call me at (858) 522-0048 if you have any questions or would like to schedule sessions.