Denise Hatter-Fisher, Ph.D.
Department Chair and Professor | Otterbein University
Westerville, OH, UNITED STATES
An expert in biofeedback, psycho education, training in thermal biofeedback, and other risk reduction interventions.
Media
Publications:
Documents:
Videos:
Audio/Podcasts:
Biography
Dr. Hatter-Fisher’s psychology career began as a Senior Staff psychologist & adjunct professor, teaching Counseling Psychology Practicum and Multicultural Counseling graduate courses at the Ohio State University. When employed by Northern Illinois University as a staff psychologist, she was also the Director of the Learning Assistance and Study Skills Lab. Additionally, as an adjunct professor, she taught graduate courses in Multicultural Counseling. She obtained professional licenses to practice psychology in Ohio and Illinois before becoming a faculty member at Otterbein. While at Otterbein, she has maintained her interest in practicing psychology, in addition to research and teaching interests in diversity psychology.
Dr. Hatter-Fisher developed an interest in biofeedback that emerged from her perennial interest in stress (a central focus in her dissertation) thus, she pursued training in clinical biofeedback. She integrated her interests in stress, diversity, and biofeedback by co-authoring and directing a 2-year collaborative community grant project that addressed hypertension risk reduction in an urban community. The project incorporated psycho education, training in thermal biofeedback and other risk reduction interventions. She has served on several community boards of trustee and has been active in relevant professional organizations as a member, presenter, &/or office holder. Dr. Hatter-Fisher remains an Ohio licensed practitioner.
Areas of Expertise (5)
Depression
Abnormal Psychology
Diversity Psychology
Stress and Health Psychology
Stress and Self-Regulation
Accomplishments (2)
Exemplary Teaching Award United Methodist Church
2018
Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Peace and Justice
2006
Education (3)
The Ohio State University: Ph.D. 1985
The Ohio State University: M.A. 1982
Saint Augustine’s College: B.A. 1980
Affiliations (2)
- Apex Counseling Services Inc. Columbus, Ohio
- Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists
Links (1)
Selected Articles (3)
Promoting Hypertension Risk Reduction: Outcomes of an Academic-Urban Community Project Collaboration
Negro Educational Review
Hatter-Fisher, D., Harper, W. & Schaffner, B.
2015 Blacks living in an urban community in the Midwest were solicited largely through their church affiliation to participate in a grant project involving collaboration between a local university and three predominantly Black church congregations. The project’s purpose was to positively impact participants’ health by reducing risk factors for hypertension and improving the management of existing hypertension. One hundred twenty-seven Blacks between 17 - 77 years of age volunteered to participate in a wellness program hosted by one of the 3 Black church collaborators. The program consisted of psycho educational seminars, relaxation training, and focused thermal biofeedback self-regulation training. Baseline measures of blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, and blood glucose obtained on participants at the recruitment health fair were compared with measures taken at week 10 of the program. The final comprehensive health screenings conducted during week 10 showed those who self-selected to participate in a 10-week program evinced notable modification of hypertension risk indicators. Systolic BP was reduced by an average of -10.71 mm HG and overall cholesterol decreased by an average of -19.80. The 5-week program showed an averaged positive change of -1.5 on BMI only. Program limitations are discussed.
Afrocentric worldview and Black students' adjustment to a predominantly white university: Does worldview matter?
College Student Journal
Hatter, D. Y. & Ottens, A. J.
1998 The Belief System Analysis Scale (BSAS; D. E. Montgomery et al, 1990) and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ; R. W. Baker and B. Siryk, 1989) were used to assess Afrocentricity and adjustment to college of 67 African American students (aged 18–28 yrs) in a mid-sized, predominantly White university. For this sample of students, significant positive correlations were found between the BSAS total score and the SACQ full scale and all subscale scores. In particular, the strongest correlations were found between the BSAS total score and the SACQ Personal Emotional Adjustment subscale. This finding suggests that an Afrocentric worldview may serve to insulate students from general or minority-status stressors. Implications for college personnel professionals are also discussed.
Health and the African American man: A Selective review of the literature
Journal of Men's Studies
Hatter, D. & Wright, J
1993
Social