MERIT Institute
The MERIT Institute aims to improve the lives of people experiencing serious mental illness through the development and dissemination of MERIT (Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy), a meaning-making, recovery-oriented approach to psychotherapy. At the MERIT Institute we 1) train multidisciplinary mental health professionals in MERIT, 2) advance research of metacognition, serious mental illness, and recovery, 3) advocate for expanded opportunities for individuals in need to have access to MERIT, and 4) offer opportunities for mental health professionals to network and collaborate.
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 manages the operations of the MERIT Institute. Contact
Jackie Abate, PsyD
Jackie Abate, PsyD, HSPP is a clinical psychologist at Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center's Adult Outpatient Program in Indianapolis, IN. She has been using MERIT for the past ten years and is actively training clinicians and practicum students in this approach. Her clinical interests involve meaning-making in psychosis, adapting MERIT for groups, comprehensive psychological assessment, and the therapeutic alliance. Contact
Kelsey Bonfils, PhD
Kelsey A. Bonfils, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. She received her degree in Clinical Psychology from Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. Dr. Bonfils has expertise in the research and treatment of social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and other psychopathology. Dr. Bonfils' work has revealed significant deficits in empathy, a less-studied social cognitive process in schizophrenia, and examined how distress, metacognition, and emotion regulatory processes intersect with social cognitive abilities for this group. 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
Marina Kukla, PhD
Marina Kukla, PhD is a clinical psychologist and research scientist at the HSR&D Center for Health Information and Communication at the Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, IN. She is also as Associate Research Professor in the Department of Psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Dr. Kukla has been a principal investigator and co-investigator on multiple VA funded studies that focus on promoting recovery in adults with mental illness and other chronic disorders. She is especially interested in developing, testing, and implementing psychosocial approaches, including metacognitive approaches, to bolster functioning and wellness in veterans with psychiatric illness. 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.