Molly Pachan, PhD
Staff Psychologist
Lindner Center of HOPE
Dr. Pachan serves as a staff psychologist at the Lindner Center of HOPE in the adult residential program.
She earned a Master’s and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University Chicago, with a specialization in child and family psychology. She completed her predoctoral internship at Cambridge Health Alliance – Harvard Medical School, and her postdoctoral fellowship at Illinois Institute of Technology, while serving as an Assistant Professor of Psychology.
Her background in clinical psychology across the lifespan informs her work as a psychodynamic psychologist, with a deep appreciation for the way experiences shape personality development and the etiology of mental health issues. She recognizes that all symptoms are stories, which once existed as responses to a set of earlier circumstances.
Dr. Pachan’s training in depth psychology has included fellowships, coursework, and study groups through the Chicago Center for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Her interest in the impact of divorce led her to complete a training certificate in Divorce Mediation at Northwestern University. She has served on the boards of interdisciplinary organizations for the promotion of best practices at the intersection of psychology and the law.
Her psychotherapy expertise is complemented by executive experience leading a group private practice for over a decade. She also has experience in solo practice and academic settings. She has authored over 30 scientific publications and presentations. Her current research interests include the application of machine learning to psychotherapy practice management, and the amelioration of reflective function through interaction with AI tools. Her practice philosophy is object-relational, social-constructivist, and existential, with integration of dialectical behavioral skills.
She specializes in treating disordered personality traits, depression, trauma, cultural variations in mental illness, and underachievement.
Presentation Topics:
- Depression
- Artificial Intelligence in Psychology
- Impact of Personality on Psychological Disorders
Degree(s):
- 2000-2004 B.A. Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2004-2007 M.A. Clinical Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
- 2007-2011 Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
- 2011-2013 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL
Internship and Residencies:
- 2010-2011 Predoctoral Fellowship, Cambridge Health Alliance-Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA.
Licensure and Certification:
- 2013 Clinical Psychologist License, Illinois Board of Psychology
- 2024, Clinical Psychologist License, Ohio Board of Psychology