Sesen Negash, Ph.D., LMFT

Sesen Negash

AAMFT-approved Clinical Supervisor & Professor
Marriage and Family Therapy
Department of Counseling and School Psychology

SDSU

Email

Primary Email: [email protected]

Phone/Fax

Primary Phone: 619-594-1209

Building/Location

North Education - 187
Mail Code: 1179

Bio

Dr. Sesen Negash is a full professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at San Diego State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Florida State University and a master’s degree in Child Development and Family Studies from Purdue University Northwest.

She is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), a clinical fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and an approved supervisor with both the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and AAMFT. Dr. Negash is also the co-founder of Community Connections for Black Mental Wellness and the Center for Achieving Black Wellness and Anti-Racist Education. She maintains a small private practice focused on serving individuals, couples, and families. 

Her research focuses on close relationships, with particular attention to barriers to accessing family therapy following incarceration, as well as the interpersonal impacts of infidelity and pornography in monogamous dating relationships.

Languages

  • English
  • Tigrinya

Research

  • Close relationships and barriers to family therapy post-release
  • Romantic relationships post-release
  • Interpersonal implications of infidelity and pornography on monogamous dating relationships

Publications

  1. Yang, R., Takarae, Y., Adney, H., Swineford, C., Walker, J. C., Cheng, P., Negash, S., & Wiggin, J. L.(2023). Neural correlates of irritability symptom relief in adolescents pre- and post-trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy: A pilot study on reward processing. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 332, Article 111645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111645
  2. Negash, S., Roberson, P. N., Tadros, E., & DeJesus, S. Y.* (2022). A brief relationship education pilot intervention for men post-release. The Prison Journal, 102(3), 347–366.https://doi.org/10.1177/00328855221095560
  3. Negash, S., Chung, K., & Oh, S.(2022). Families post-release: Barriers and pathways to family therapy. Family Process, 61(2), 609–624. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12769 Linder, J. N., Niño, A., Negash, S., & Espinoza, S. (2022). Thematic analysis of therapists’ experiences integrating EMDR and EFT in couple therapy: Conditions and risks of integration. International Journal of Systemic Therapy, 33(3), 196–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/2692398X.2022.2090205
  4. Negash, S., Roberson, P. N. E., & Tadros, E., (2022). The sexual experiences of heterosexual men at post-release: Attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. Sexuality and Culture, 26, 878–894. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09922-w
  5. Linder, J. N., Niño, A., Negash, S., & Espinoza, S. (2022). Thematic analysis of therapists' experiences integrating EMDR and EFT in couple therapy: Theoretical and clinical complementarity, and benefits to client couples. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 48(3), 777–797. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12587
  6. Hirad, S., Lambert, J., Miller, M., & Negash, S. (2022). Refugee posttraumatic growth: A grounded theory study. Transcultural Psychiatry, 60(1), 13–25.
  7. Linder, J., Nino, A., Negash, S., & Espinoza, S. (2021). Integrating EMDR and EFT to treat trauma in couple therapy: A literature review. International Journal of Systemic Therapy, 32(4), 251–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/2692398X.2021.1954862
  8. Negash, S., Roberson, P. N., Seshadri, G., & Ayres, K.* (2021). Relational factors and sexual health for female college students in exclusive heterosexual relationships. Sexuality & Culture, 25, 2111–2128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09867-0
  9. Negash, S., Fincham F. D., Cui, M., & McWey, L. (2020). Promoting sexual health on college campuses: Implementing brief sexual negotiation strategies. College Student Journal, 54, 241–257. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-72333-009

Service

  • Volunteer, International Refugee Committee and Volunteers of America
  • Board Member, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy-California
  • Member, National Council on Family Relations
  • Member, Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.
  • Co-Director, Center for Black Wellness and Anti-Racist Education
  • Member of the  Policy Committee for the College of Education (COE)
  • Co-Chairperson for the Diversity, Equity, and Outreach Committee for the COE