A middle-aged woman with gray and purple hair and blue eyes, wearing earrings, a necklace, and a dark purple blouse, smiling gently against a bright white background.

About Me

In addition to being a licensed clinical psychologist, I am also a Professor of Psychology at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), where I have concentrated heavily on increasing student involvement in Psychology careers.

During my 19 years in practice, I have specialized in science-based treatments for trauma responses, including Dialectic Behavior Therapy for lifelong emotional dysregulation, as well as Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

I have a long-term commitment to search and rescue activities, including 20 years as a cave rescue instructor, 15 years teaching Psychological First Aid for emergency volunteers, and six years serving on my county’s search and rescue mountain team.

An aerial view of a winding road through a dense green forest.

Education and Training

I earned my dual PhD in Clinical Psychology and Neural Science from Indiana University, Bloomington. I completed predoctoral and postdoctoral internships at Kaiser Permanente in Fresno, where I worked primarily with the Mental Health Adult Team and received additional training in Behavioral Medicine.

A person standing on a large rock in front of a tall, cascading waterfall surrounded by lush green vegetation and rocky cliffs.

When I’m not at work, you can often find me rafting on a river, on a hike, or in a cave. I enjoy traveling the world with my young adult children, and I recently walked the Camino Frances through Spain. I have three cats dedicated to making my home cozy.

Other Activities

Publications

  • Mortimer, A.R., & Mortimer, R.B.  (2023). Psychological first aid for wilderness trauma: Interventions for expedition or search and rescue team members.  Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, 34(3), 346-353.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2023.02.009

  • Mortimer, R. B., & Mortimer, A.R.  (2017).  Antipsychotic use in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies [Letter to the editor].  American Family Physician, 96(10), 629. PMID: 29431397.

  • Jones, N., & Mortimer, A.  (2014).  Measuring acculturation with the ARSMA-II: Bidimensional analysis increases accuracy as frequency of use increases over time.  Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 36, 387-412.    DOI: 10.1177/0739986314548025

  • Mortimer, A. R.  (2010).  Mental health response to acute stress following wilderness disaster.  Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, 21(4), 337-344.  DOI: 10.1016/j.wem.2010.06.011

  • Rehman, U. S., Ebel-Lam, A., Mortimer, A. R., & Mark, K.  (2009).  Self-confirmation strivings in depression: An extension to the affective domain using an experimental design.  European Journal of Social Psychology, 39, 900-908.  DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.583

  • Rehman, U. S., Gollan, J., & Mortimer, A. R.  (2008).  The marital context of depression:  Research, limitations, and new directions.  Clinical Psychology Review, 28(2), 179-198. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2007.04.007