About Dr. BrunnerDoctor's Bio Born and raised in Libertyville, Illinois, I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University (New Orleans, LA) where I served on the Honor Board, was a member of the Honors Program, and received the Sigma Phi Epsilon Balanced Man Award. I then obtained my M.A. from the University of Chicago (Chicago, IL) where I specialized in Psychology and Ethics. I then applied my research training “in the trenches” as a teacher/behavioral specialist where I worked at a school known for its groundbreaking treatment of severely abused children: The University of Chicago’s Orthogenics School.
I earned my PhD (Doctorate in the subfield of Clinical Psychology) from the University of South Florida ([USF] Tampa, FL), a nationally recognized research-based university. This particular training program is one of only a select group who are part of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS). At USF, I worked most closely with Charles Spielberger, PhD, ABPP, Professor Emeritus, a world renowned researcher with whom I published several articles in personality assessment. I then completed my psychological residency at the well-known Shands Hospital, at the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL). There, I continued to obtain specialized training in evidence-based treatment, assessment, and treatment of children and adolescents. As a licensed Psychologist in the State of Arizona, I have worked in clinical, forensic, and consulting capacities. I have been consulted by local organizations including as St. Joseph's Hospital and by national organizations including the Discovery Channel. In 2009 (with Dr. Spielberger) I published a measure of anger for children and adolescents called the State Trait Anger Inventory of Children (STAXI-2 CA; Brunner & Spielberger, 2009) that is used by school, clinical, medical, and forensic psychologists to obtain "anger profiles". These profiles chave the potential to aid in preventing/handling school shootings, bullying, and aggression/violence that is anger based. This measure is based on one of the most widely used measures of anger in the world (called the STAXI-2, adapted into over 27 languages), and is currently being translated into 5 different languages around the world. I feel humbled by the fact that in 2010, I was lucky enough to have fellow psychologists from around the State of Arizona nominate me to receive the Early Career Psychologist Award, which is given by the Arizona Psychological Foundation. I also experience particular joy in mentoring undergraduate students from the University of Arizona. Thus far, every one of the students I have mentored have gone on to successfully be accepted into advanced graduate programs or research institutes. One previous research assistant went on to earn an internship position at the National Institute of Health in Washington, D.C. Our research team over the years has presented work here in Tucson (e.g., at the Frances McClelland Research Institute, University of Arizona) as well as internationally (Society for Research in Child Development [SRCD] conference, Montreal, Quebec, Canada). Our family moved to Tucson in July 2004 where my wife (a native Tucsonan and veterinarian) and myself have settled since the Old Pueblo is our favorite place on Earth. We have two children, and I am an avid cyclist and hiker. Vision and PhilosophyMy visionary goal is to be an active participant in the ongoing evolution of the field of Psychology. People deserve more than a licensed professional who is technically competent. Rather, you deserve someone committed to finding the most effective approach. The real world impact a highly trained psychologist can have is evidenced by the fact that most sports teams (who are completely performance driven and do not care about degrees and academic credentials) hire psychologists to optimize the functioning of their team. CV/ResumeClick Here to download my Curriculum Vitae/Resume. | 
