MERIT Institute
The MERIT Institute is a non-profit organization of mental health practitioners and researchers interested in the role of metacognition in severe mental illness. We provide training and resources to persons interested in learning about and using MERIT in their professional work.
Board of Directors
Bethany Leonhardt, PsyD - President
Bethany L. Leonhardt, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist practicing in a first episode psychosis clinic and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Indiana University School of Medicine. Her research and clinical interests include promoting recovery in early psychosis through recovery-oriented psychotherapy, metacognition in early psychosis, and understanding severe psychopathology as it emerges in young adulthood. She was an active contributor to the conversations which shaped MERIT and is actively teaching the core MERIT assessment procedures. Contact
Jay Hamm, PsyD - Vice President
Jay Hamm, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist at Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center in Indianapolis, IN. He provides MERIT to adults diagnosed with serious mental illness and actively trains graduate students and community mental health workers in MERIT. He is the author of more than 50 peer reviewed articles and several book chapters on metacognition, MERIT, recovery, and psychotherapy supervision. Contact
Courtney Wiesepape, PsyD - Secretary
Courtney Wiesepape, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist at the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) at the Austin VA Clinic in Austin, TX. In her role, she offers MERIT to adults with serious mental illness, blending a metacognitive approach with other evidence-based and recovery-oriented interventions. She is also involved in MERIT research, training and consultation focused on the MAS-A, and chairs the MERIT Institute Membership Committee. Contact
Reid Klion, PhD - Treasurer
Reid Klion, PhD is a clinical psychologist and former faculty member of the Indiana University School of Medicine. He has written in the areas of adult psychopathology and addictions and is also an expert in the use of psychometric assessment in business settings. He collaborates on MERIT Institute initiatives and operations.Contact
Simone Cheli, PsyD
Simone Cheli, Psy.D. is adjunct professor at the School of Human Health Sciences of the University of Florence, and clinical psychologist at the Central Tuscany Health Trust. He is also the founding president of Tages Onlus, a charity member of Mental Health Europe whose clinical centers are located in Florence and Bologna. His main research question is how a schizotypal organization of personality may manifest in either healthy oddity or severe forms of fragmentation. He tries to answer to this question by integrating metacognitive and evolutionary perspectives. Contact
Ilanit Hasson-Ohayon, PhD
Ilanit Hasson-Ohayon, PhD, is a rehabilitation psychologist and full professor at the Department of Psychology at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. She studies different psychological aspects of coping with illnesses, especially serious mental illnesses, and has been involved in practicing and supervising psychotherapy for over 20 years. She is an author of over 150 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in the field of clinical-rehabilitation psychology. Contact
Paul Lysaker, PhD - Founder
Paul H. Lysaker, PhD (1960-2023) was a clinical psychologist with over 35 years of experience providing recovery oriented psychotherapy to adults diagnosed with a serious mental illness. He was the founder and president of the MERIT Institute and a professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He authored more than 500 peer reviewed articles, wrote several books, and provided clinical supervision to scores of trainees over his career. The MERIT Institute is a legacy to his work and the continuing inspiration that it provides.