Dr. Douglas Knutson Named 2023 Judy E. Hall Early Career Psychologist Award Winner

The National Register of Health Service Psychologists is proud to present the 2023 Judy E. Hall Early Career Psychologist Award to Dr. Douglas Knutson of the School of Community Health Sciences, Counseling and Counseling Psychology, at Oklahoma State University. 

This award, named in honor of the National Register’s second Executive Officer, is presented annually to a National Register credentialed psychologist with fewer than 10 years of postdoctoral experience.  

The National Register’s Awards Committee honors the recipient of this award with a $10,000 stipend to fund a project that aims to enhance the contributions of psychology to health care. Dr. Knutson’s project, Parenting by Looking at Our Values and Expectations (LOVE), is a 6-week manualized, cognitive-behavior theory-based workshop for parents of LGBTQ+ teens, designed to reduce distress, increase self-efficacy, and strengthen the parent-child relationship. 

Upon receiving the award, Dr. Knutson said, “I am incredibly grateful to the National Register for this award and the support it provides for crucial efforts to expand evidence-based interventions for LGBTQ+ people and their families in rural areas. I find it an exceptional honor to receive an award named for Judy E. Hall, a powerful advocate for the practice of psychology and its ability to change lives. I am inspired by her memory to continue the fight to support and expand access to health service psychology, especially to marginalized communities in rural and remote areas.”  

Dr. Daniel Elchert, CEO of the National Register, commented that “we are delighted to recognize Dr. Knutson’s important work to champion the well-being of LGBTQ+ adolescents and their families. There has never been a more important time to support Dr. Knutson’s critical scholarship.”  

Douglas Knutson, PhD, LHSP, ABPP, (he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Community Health Sciences, Counseling and Counseling Psychology, at Oklahoma State University. He is a Licensed Health Service Psychologist in Oklahoma and is Board Certified in Counseling Psychology. Dr. Knutson serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Rural Mental Health, Director of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 17 Society of Counseling Psychology Communications and Technology Board, and is a Mental Health First Aid Research Advisory Group member. He is also an editorial board member with Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity and The Counseling Psychologist. In addition, Dr. Knutson was recently appointed to the APA Committee on Rural Health for a three-year term that starts January 2024. Other recent awards Dr. Knutson has received include the 2023 APA Excellence in Rural Psychology Award and the 2023 APA Division 44 Distinguished Book Award for his co-authored book, Counseling in a Gender Expansive World: Resources to Support Therapeutic Practice. Dr. Knutson is proud to work with outstanding students and colleagues as the coordinator of the Health, Education, and Rural Empowerment Lab, a consortium of scholars who research and advocate for rural LGBTQ+ health and resilience.  

Dr. Knutson has been credentialed by the National Register since 2020.  

This announcement will also be featured in the National Register’s Journal of Health Service Psychology.  

About the National Register of Health Service Psychologists  

The National Register of Health Service Psychologists was established in 1974 and is the largest nonprofit credentialing organization for psychologists and psychology doctoral students. The National Register is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare by identifying psychologists who meet specific education and training standards, and by verifying these professionals to consumers, healthcare organizations, and regulatory bodies. The National Register currently credentials 10,000 Health Service Psychologists and has approximately 5,000 psychology doctoral student and postdoctoral trainee members in its Associate Program. For more information, visit www.nationalregister.org.  

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For more information about this announcement, contact the National Register at 202.783.7663.