Jessica Borelli
Associate Professor of Psychological Science | UC Irvine
Irvine, CA, UNITED STATES
Jessie Borelli's research focuses on the links between close relationships and mental health
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Biography
Jessie Borelli is an Associate Professor of Psychological Science at University of California, Irvine. She is a clinical psychologist specializing the field of developmental psychopathology; her research focuses on the links between close relationships, emotions, health, and development, with a particular focus on risk for anxiety and depression.
Jessie Borelli also maintains a small private practice where she sees children, adolescents, adults, couples and families, with a specialization in the areas of anxiety disorders, eating disorders, adoption, and parenting (www.compass-therapy.com).
Areas of Expertise (7)
Attachment
Parenting
Developmental
Mental Health
Health
Clinical
Parent-Child Relationships
Education (2)
Yale University: PhD, Clinical Psychology
UC Berkeley: BA
Links (6)
Media Appearances (9)
Hypochondria Is a Real and Dangerous Illness, New Research Shows
Scientific American online
2024-11-19
Family members and friends can also help someone they know and love who is overcome by obsession and fear about health. “Expressing empathy first and then offering to help the person connect with resources can be a good approach,” says clinical psychologist Jessica Borelli of the University of California, Irvine. “That might look like, ‘I’ve noticed that you have a lot of worries about your health, and that sounds really hard. I’d like to help you find some support. Is that something you are open to?’”
Americans are stressed about the elections. How to talk to your kids about it
LAist online
2024-11-05
A survey by the American Psychological Association finds about 7 in 10 Americans say they’re stressed about the presidential election. And while they can’t vote, kids are also feeling that stress. Jessica Borelli, a clinical psychologist and a professor at UC Irvine, says she’s been hearing the elections come up with the children and teenagers she works with in her practice. “I hear worry about how their parents are going to feel. I hear stress about conversations at school, arguments that are happening on social media, division amongst groups of friends,” she said. “As much as it's in the air for adults … it's also in our kids’ minds.”
Springfield students suffer collateral damage over anti-immigrant conspiracy theory
The Hill online
2024-09-22
And in a 2021 study by UC Irvine researcher Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi, the author cited astrophysicists who estimated the likelihood of even an internet-disrupting event at between 1.6% and 12% per decade.
They mocked Matthew Perry as ‘Chandler’ and ‘moron.’ Actor was exploited before his death, feds say
Los Angeles Times online
2024-08-28
An addict is desperate for a fix and those supplying the drug are happy to maintain the business. “People can be victimized because they are really highly motivated to seek that substance and nothing else is going to satisfy them,” said Jessica Borelli, a professor of psychological science at UC Irvine. … While the most frequently used antidepressants affect serotonin, dopamine and other neurochemicals in the brain, ketamine works on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) system and can be helpful for treatment-resistant depression. Still, there are risks and the potential for addiction to the powerful drug, said Dr. Robert McCarron, a professor of psychiatry and associate dean of medical education at UC Irvine.
Best & Worst States for Teen Drivers (2024)
WalletHub online
2024-08-27
Jessica Borelli, UCI Professor of Psychological Science and Federico E. Vaca, UCI Professor, School of Medicine write, “ It is important to have frequent conversations with your teen about driving safety even before licensure is “right around the corner” … Talk to your teen about how to be safe …. You can think of your role as one of a supportive coach, helping them troubleshoot barriers to safe driving.”
7 Fool-Proof Ways To Leave A Great First Impression
Fatherly online
2023-08-08
A good first impression doesn’t require perfection. Actually, a couple scuff marks make one more endearing. “Showing vulnerability makes people relatable,” says Jessica Borelli, licensed psychologist and professor of psychological science at University of California, Irvine. … There are some First Impressions Basics: Make eye contact. Maintain eye contact. Unfold your arms. Be present. Say their name. Adherence to these “shows some intention and that the relationship matters,” says Borelli.
How to Fully Appreciate Your Loving Relationships
Greater Good Magazine online
2024-07-29
Jessica Borelli, UCI professor of psychological science and Belinda Campos, UCI professor of Chicano/Latino Studies write, “Research suggests that savoring moments of connection with others can make us feel good and enhance our relationships—which is especially true for people of Latin American heritage—and there are ways we can put this into practice in our daily lives.”
Virtual living rooms, adult ‘after-school clubs’ and AI lovers: my search for a fix to modern loneliness
The Guardian online
2024-06-04
To be clear, online communication can be a godsend – and the only option – for many people. Some users have found companionship through AI friends and lovers. But for others, too much app-based communication is part of the problem. Thanks to technology, “it’s now possible – and I have many clients who do this – to almost entirely live your life without leaving the house,” Jessie Borelli, a clinical psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, said. “And the longer you go without interacting with people, the harder it gets.”
Ever Feel So Stressed It Seems Like The World Is Spinning? Why It Happens and 6 Ways To Instantly Feel Calmer
First for Women online
2023-09-11
“You might have experienced a sensation mimicking vertigo as a child after spinning around in circles or going on a rollercoaster,” says Megan Boysen Osborn, MD, [associate] professor of clinical emergency medicine at UC Irvine. … When your stress level climbs, there’s a simple technique that can help bring it back down: “Progressive muscle relaxation,” says Jessie Borelli, PhD, a professor of psychological science and associate director of clinical training at UC Irvine and clinical director of Compass Therapy. “This involves sequentially tightening and releasing different muscle groups of the body,” she explains.
Research Grants (1)
A Comprehensive Parent-Child Prevention Program for Youth Violence: The YEA/MADRES Program
Centers for Disease Control - National Center for Injury Prevention and Control $1,025,178
2017 - 2020 Principal Investigator: Nancy Guerra, Ph.D. Co-Principal Investigator: Jessica L. Borelli, Ph.D.
Articles (8)
I “get” you, babe: Reflective functioning in partners transitioning to parenthood
Journal of Social and Personal RelationshipsJessica L. Borelli, Arietta Slade, Corey Pettit, Dana Shai
2020 Reflective functioning (RF) is a construct that has gained tremendous traction in the developmental psychology literature, demonstrating robust associations with parent–child attachment and interactional quality. Although theorists argue that RF should have meaningful links with relationship quality across the life span, to date this construct has not been applied to the study of adult romantic partnerships.
Flattening the Mental Health Curve in the Time of COVID-19: A Call to Action for Clinical Psychological Science
PsyArXiv2020 COVID-19 presents humanity with its greatest social, economic, and medical challenges of the 21st century. Because COVID-19 has already begun to precipitate huge increases in mental health problems, we believe that clinical psychological science must play a leadership role in guiding a national response to this secondary crisis.
Reflective functioning and empathy among mothers of school-aged children: Charting the space between.
American Psychological AssociationBorelli, J. L., Stern, J. A., Marvin, M. J., Smiley, P. A., Pettit, C., & Samudio, M.
2020 Parental child-focused reflective functioning (RF)—understanding children’s behavior as a function of mental states—and parental empathy—understanding, resonating with, and feeling concern for children’s emotions—have each been linked to sensitive caregiving and children’s attachment security in separate studies, but they have been neither directly compared nor have researchers tested whether they interact in predicting child outcomes.
Interpersonal physiological regulation during couple support interactions: Examining the role of respiratory sinus arrhythmia and emotional support
Psychophysiology2019 In times of need, people seek comfort and support from close others. Support provision is an integral component of attachment relationships, one that is linked with physical and psychological well‐being. Successful support provision is believed to be grounded in transactions of sensitive, caring behavior between caregivers and support seekers and to serve a profound regulatory function.
Children's and Mothers' Cardiovascular Reactivity to a Standardized Laboratory Stressor: Unique Relations With Maternal Anxiety and Overcontrol
Emotion2018 Research documents bidirectional associations between parental overcontrol (OC) and children's anxiety; OC may place children at risk for anxiety and also may occur in response to children's requests for help. However, to date no studies have examined children's or parents' in-the-moment emotional responses to OC.
Gender Differences in Work-Family Guilt in Parents of Young Children
Sex Roles2017 The transition to parenthood is a watershed moment for most parents, introducing the possibility of intra-individual and interpersonal growth or decline. Given the increasing number of dual-earner couples in the United States, new parents’ attitudes towards employment (as well as the ways in which they balance employment and personal demands) may have an impact on their overall well-being.
Mothering From the Inside Out: Results of a Second Randomized Clinical Trial Testing a Mentalization-Based Intervention for Mothers in Addiction Treatment
Dev Psychopathol2017 Mothers with histories of alcohol and drug addiction have shown greater difficulty parenting young children than mothers with no history of substance misuse. This study was the second randomized clinical trial testing the efficacy of Mothering From the Inside Out (MIO), a 12-week mentalization-based individual therapy designed to address psychological deficits commonly associated with chronic substance use that also interfere with the capacity to parent young children.
Reflective Functioning, Physiological Reactivity, and Overcontrol in Mothers: Links With School-Aged Children's Reflective Functioning
Dev Psychol2017 Theorists argue that parental reflective functioning (PRF) is activated in response to emotions, potentially supporting parenting sensitivity even when arousal is high. That is, when parents become emotionally reactive when interacting with their children, those who can use PRF to understand their children's mental states should be able to parent sensitively, which, in turn, should promote children's ability to understand their own mental states.
