Voice for Women – Texas Woman’s University

Molen of TWU Psychology named an APA Distinguished Leader

August 16, 2022 – DENTON – Debra Molen would also avoid the limelight. She is passionate about her work in academia and is pleased that her efforts have brought attention to Texas Woman’s University, but she is not comfortable with too much personal attention.

However, circumstances do not allow such modesty.

The judgment of the United States Supreme Court is reversed Roe v. Wade thrust issues dear to Molen—women’s sexuality, reproductive rights, and women’s advancement—into the public eye. Molen, director of TWU’s master’s program in counseling psychology and TWU’s professor of core counseling psychology, has been at the forefront of these discussions.

“I don’t particularly want to be famous,” Molen said. “It’s an interesting thing. A bit paradoxical. I gave these interviews this summer about Rowe, and I am part of a group of psychologists that the American Psychological Association gives out to the media when they contact them for interviews. I’m so glad they’re bringing attention to this and I’m happy to do it, but I wish it didn’t have to for obvious reasons. I just wanted to have a career where I could make a meaningful difference and be useful.”

This service was honored this summer. In recognition of her leadership, research, and service to women in psychology, Mollen has been named a Distinguished Leader for Women in Psychology by the Committee on Women in Psychology of the American Psychological Association.

APA honored Mollen for her “critical contributions to psychology through her groundbreaking research on sexuality, reproductive justice, multicultural competence, and counseling psychology training.”

While grateful for the award, Molen is focused on the work and the ongoing debate and fight for reproductive rights.

“I’m really concerned about access that was already limited and is now out of reach for hundreds of thousands of girls and women,” she said. “All of our concerns have grown over the past few years because of what’s been happening at the state and national level, especially in Texas. This was truly disturbing and many of us are redoubled our efforts to raise awareness and bring about change. The results of overturning Roe are so appalling.”

Molen received his PhD from Indiana University, his MA from the University of Denver, and his BA from Adelphi University.

Since coming to TWU, Molen’s academic career has grown far beyond the classroom into scholarship, writing and editing. She has written articles for more than 50 publications and is a member of the editorial boards of Journal of Counseling Psychology and Psychology of Women Quarterly. She chaired Division 17, Section on the Advancement of Women, co-chaired the 2020 Association for Women in Psychology Annual Conference.

Molen also co-chaired the revision of the APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Girls and Women.

“I really love the work I do as an academic,” Molen said. “It has been such a satisfying job to train future psychologists and therapists and to do the work of teaching and mentoring students and other young professionals.

“Early in my career, I didn’t expect the scholarship to be as important to my work as it was,” she added. “It turns out that, like many students considering becoming a faculty member, the scholarship part is often the scariest. It takes a lot of courage to make something and send it out into the world. The point of peer review is our work will be scrutinized. It’s really scary, but it’s one of those experiences of having that fear and facing it and moving forward anyway.

“We talked about the fear of writing and sharing our work with other people. It’s about overcoming that fear and realizing that we have something important to say as scientists. There are fears that many of us have about achieving and promoting our work, and these are fears that are best faced and overcome. It feels so fascinating to me. It’s hard for me not to.”

Molen was honored during the 2022 CWP Leadership Awards ceremony at the APA convention on August 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“As much as I am honored by this award, there are many people who have helped launch my career and allowed me to do the work that I do, for which I am very grateful,” Molen said. “I appreciate the support of my colleagues and students, my dear alumni whom I adore. I would like to thank our Chair, Dr Neela Ricks, whose support has been monumental and instrumental over the years since she became my supervisor. She was a phenomenal leader and role model for how to positively impact people’s lives.”

Page last updated at 4:01 p.m., August 16, 2022