Hayley Carolan

Dr. Carolan is a Lecturer in Counseling Psychology whose clinical, teaching, and research interests center on couples and family therapy, trauma-informed practice, and affirmative clinical care. She earned her M.A. in Marital and Family Therapy from the University of San Francisco and her Ph.D. in Marital and Family Therapy from Alliant International University. For the past eight years, Dr. Carolan has provided clinical services across California in school-based, private practice, and community-based settings. Her clinical experience includes working with children and youth in settings ranging from K–12 schools through college, as well as with individuals, couples, and families. Her qualitative research examined clinicians’ experiences of foundational training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), with a particular focus on whether the training provided an affirmative framework for working with couples whose relationships extend beyond traditional heterosexual couple formations, including same-sex couples. This work reflects her broader interest in supporting clinical training that prepares therapists to provide effective, inclusive, and affirming care to diverse couples and families.

Dr. Carolan practices from a feminist and trauma-informed lens, with an emphasis on understanding how systems of power and oppression shape individuals, relationships, families, and communities. She is trained in Somatic Attachment-Focused EMDR and Somatic Attachment Therapy, as well as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and the Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Through her clinical work, teaching, and scholarship, Dr. Carolan is committed to supporting relational health, expanding affirmative and trauma-informed clinical practice, and preparing clinicians to work thoughtfully with the diverse communities they serve.