Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience,
Program Director, Clinical Psychology Psy.D. Program

Education

Ph.D.	Texas A&M University	1980
B.A.	Henderson State University	1975

Biography/

Dr. Gary Elkins joined the Baylor faculty in 2006. Prior to coming to Baylor, he was a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Texas A&M University College of Medicine and Scott and White Clinic and Hospital. Dr. Elkins is currently completing a 5 year NIH randomized clinical trial of hypnosis for hot flashes among post-menopausal women. Dr. Elkins hobbies includes fly fishing, running, and reading.

Academic Interests and Research

Dr. Elkins' areas of specialization is in clinical health psychology, behavioral medicine and hypnotherapy. He is a diplomat in both Clinical Health Psychology (ABPP) and Psychological Hypnosis (ABPH) and serves on the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. The primary focus of his Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory is the investigation of mind-body interventions to improve health care. Areas of research includes:

• Hypnosis for hot flashes among breast cancer survivors and post-menopausal women
• Assessment of hypnotizability
• Brief measurement instruments to assess distress in clinical populations
• Physiological measurement of hot fashes
• Stress management and psychoimmunology

Recent Publications

Marcus, J.D., Mott, F. & Elkins, G.R. (2006) Communicating and Communicating again. Supportive and Palliative Cancer Care, 2 (2), 37-43.

Elkins, G.R., White, J., Patel, P. (2006) Hypnosis to manage anxiety and pain associated with colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening: Case Studies and Possible Benefits. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Vol 54(4), pp. 416-431.

Elkins, G.R., Stearns, V., Marcus, J., Rajab, H. (2007) Pilot evaluation of hypnosis for treatment of hot flashes in breast cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology, 16 (5), 487-492.

Elkins, G.R., Jensen, M., Patterson, D. (2007) Hypnotherapy for the management of chronic pain, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 55 (3), 275-287.

Elkins, G.R., Marcus, J., Stearns, V., Perfect, M., Rajab, M. H., Ruud, C., Palamara, L., and Keith, T. (2008) Randomized trial of a hypnosis intervention for treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Originally published as JCO Early Release 10.1200/JCO.2008.16.6389 on September 22, 2008; published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 26, No 31 (November 1), 2008, pp. 5022-5026.

Current Grants

Principle Investigator, Hypnosis for Hot Flashes: A Randomized Clinical Trial
National Institute of Health
Grant Number 1U01AT004634-01A1
Funding Requested: $2,604,643.00
Project Period: September 30, 2007 – March 31, 2012

Psy.D. Graduates

Ashley Gartner, Baylor University
Cassie Kendrick, University of Texas - Arlington
Lauren Koep, Pepperdine University

Current Psy.D. Students

Zachary Harned, University of Florida
Xuan-Shi Lim, Bryn Mawr College
Juliette Bowers, Canisius College
Nicholas Olendzki, Carleton College
Derek Ramsey, Stanford University
Kimberly Hickman, University of California-Los Angeles
Amelia Yu, Pomona College

Current Ph.D Students

Will Fisher, Texas State University
Aimee Johnson, Baylor University
James Sliwinksi, The College of Wooster

Courses taught at Baylor

• PSY 4327 - Theories of Personality
  
• PSY 3308 - Theories of Psychotherapy of Counseling
  
• PSY 5334 - Health Psychology
  
• PSY 5429 - Psychotherapy II: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
  
• PSY 5371 - Clinical Practicum