Dr. Lear is an associate investigator in the Portland Psychotherapy Research Lab. Her research interests include examining the roles played by chronic shame, self-criticism, and social experiences in perceptions of belonging, social functioning, and psychological well-being. She is also passionate about psychotherapy process research and the development of contextual behavioral interventions aimed to enhance self-compassion, psychological flexibility, and social connectedness, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. She currently serves as a project director on the Social Anxiety and MDMA-Assisted Therapy Investigation Trial (SAMATI) and works independently and collaboratively on other ongoing lab projects.
Education and Training
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Research & Treatment
Portland Psychotherapy, Clinic, Research & Training Center (2019 – 2020)
Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, University of Wyoming (2019)
M.S. Psychology, University of Wyoming (2014)
B.A. Psychology, DePauw University (2013)
Selected Publications
Pilecki, B., Luoma, J., & Lear, M. K. (2024). A pilot study of the effect of group-administered psilocybin on psychological flexibility and outcomes. Journal of Psychedelic Studies. doi: 10.1556/2054.2024.00295
Lear, M. K., Smith, S. M., Pilecki, B. Stauffer, C. S., Luoma, & J. B. (2023). Social anxiety and MDMA-assisted therapy investigation: A novel clinical trial protocol. Frontiers in psychiatry, 14. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1083354
Lear, M. K., Spata, A., Tittler, M. V., Fishbein, J. N., Arch, J. J., & Luoma, J. B. (2023). Transparency and Reproducibility in the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science: An Audit Study. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. Full text here.
Lear, M. K., Lee, E. B., Smith, S. M., & Luoma, J. B. (2022). A systematic review of self-report measures of generalized shame. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 78, 1288-1330. doi: 10.1002/jclp.23311
Luoma, J. B., & Lear, M. K. (2021). MDMA-Assisted psychotherapy as a means to alter affective, cognitive, behavioral, and neurological systems underlying social dysfunction in social anxiety disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.733893
Luoma, J. B., Shahar, B., Lear, M. K., Pilecki, B., & Wagner, A. (2021). Potential processes of change in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for social anxiety disorder: Enhanced memory reconsolidation, self-transcendence, and enhanced therapeutic relationships. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental.
Lear, M. K., Luoma, J. B., & Chwyl, C. (2021). Psychological inflexibility prospectively predicts client non-disclosure in outpatient psychotherapy. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 19, 26-41. Doi: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.11.004
Lear, M. K., Luoma, J. B., Chwyl, C. (2020). The influence of self-criticism and relationship closeness on peer-reported relationship satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 163, 110087. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110087
Lear, M. K., Wilkowski, B. M., & Pepper, C. M. (2019). The defective self model of self-injury: A daily diary investigation among college students with recent self-injury. Behavior Therapy, 50, 1002-1012. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2019.03.005
For a complete list of my publications and to access publication pre-prints, visit my ResearchGate Profile.
Selected Workshops and Presentations
Research Presentations
Lear, M. K., Smith, S., & Luoma, J. B. (November, 2023). From cringe to compassion: The influence of social anxiety on daily shame and self-compassion following stressful social situations. In M. K. Lear (chair), Cultivating compassion in the face of social anxiety: Exploring the role of self-compassion interventions in promoting well-being for socially anxious individuals. Symposium accepted for presentation at the 57th annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Seattle, WA.
Lear, M.K., Smith, S., Shahar, B., Tran, H., & Luoma, J. B. (June, 2022). Inflexible self-criticism as shame-avoidance in social anxiety: Results from a daily diary study. In A. Keller-Collins (chair), Basic and applied research examining psychological flexibility: Process-based, transdiagnostic and prosocial approaches. Symposium presented at the 20th annual world conference for the Association for Contextual and Behavioral Sciences, San Francisco, CA.
Lear, M. K., & Luoma, J. B. (2020, July). Experiential avoidance and shame as predictors of client non-disclosure in outpatient psychotherapy. In M. K. Lear (chair), Therapeutic processes of change: How do psychological flexibility variables relate to important treatment outcomes. Symposium presented at the 18th annual world conference for the Association for Contextual and Behavioral Sciences, virtual.
Clinical Workshops Presented
Pilecki, B. & Lear, M. K. (2023, December). De-mystifying self-as-context: practical strategies for clients. Workshop hosted by Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, & Training Center.
Luoma, J.B. & Lear, M. K. (2022, May). Using ACT and affective science to address shame and self-criticism. Workshop presented to the Pennsylvania chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences, virtual.
Luoma, J.B., Lear, M. K., Pilecki, B. (2022, June). How to be experiential in acceptance and commitment therapy. Workshop presented at the 20th annual world conference for the Association for Contextual and Behavioral Sciences, San Francisco, CA