Tharaki J Siyaguna
Languages
​
Ph.D. Student in Psychological Clinical Science, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Anticipated Graduation in 2019
08/2013 to 05/2016
Msc. Psychological Clinical Science, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Thesis Title: Do Highly Mindful Individuals Experience Less Interference as a Result of Better Attention Control and Emotion Regulation? Advisor: Paul Rokke, Ph.D.
10/2008 to 07/2011
BSc. (Hons) Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of York, United Kingdom
Research Project Title: The Role of the Right Hemisphere in a Higher-level Language Ability of Metaphor Comprehension in the Presence of Related and Unrelated Distractors. Advisor: Beth Jefferies, Ph.D.
Literature survey: Can human infants add and subtract or is it only a number representation similar to that of other primates? Advisor: Silke Goebel, Ph.D.
01/1993 to 07/2007
Attended Bishop’s College, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
American Psychological Association
Student Member (2014-present)
Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology
Student Member (2014-present)
Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies
Student Member (2013-present)
North Dakota Psychological Association
Student Member (2013-present)
Other Skills and activities
Captain/ committee member of the University of York Swimming and Water polo Club (2010).
Swimming and Diving at national and international levels, and water polo at national level, participated and won, including best national women’s diver (Sri Lanka) from 2003 to 2006.
Participated in 1m and 3m springboard diving events at the Eighteenth Commonwealth games held in Australia (2006).
Aug 2016 – Present
Psychology trainee, Solutions Behavioral Healthcare Professionals
Onsite supervisor: Jan Witte-Bakken, Ph.D.
Primary duties: Provide individual therapy to clients, administer psychological tests, attend individual supervision and case consultations.
Treatment modalities utilized: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy (ET), Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Aug 2015 - present
Psychology trainee, Counseling Center, North Dakota State University
Primary duties: Conduct intake interviews and provide personal/eotional counseling.
Sept 2009 - Oct 2009
Voluntary part time teacher, Educational Support Unit, Bishop’s College, Sri Lanka.
Primary duties: Assist differently able students with reading and writing.
Aug 2009
Voluntary assistant teacher, Camilla School, Sri Lanka.
Primary duties: Assist differently able students with reading and writing, and extracurricular activities such as sports and concerts.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Professional
Organizations
Aug 2016 – Dec 2016
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Introduction to Behavior Modification, Supervisor: Jennifer Redlin, M.S.
Aug 2016 – Dec 2016
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Human Sexuality, Supervisor: Stacey Benson, Ph.D.
Jan 2016 – May 2016
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Abnormal Psychology, Supervisor: Kathryn Gordon, Ph.D.
Jan 2016 – May 2016 and Jan 2015 – May 2015
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Experimental Methods, Supervisor: Keith Donohue, Ph.D.
Aug 2015 – Dec 2015
Instructor, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Research Methods II, Mentor: Robert Gordon, Ph.D.
Jan 2015 – May 2015, Aug 2014 - Dec 2014 and Jan 2017 - present
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Psychology Field Experience, Supervisor: Keith Donohue, Ph.D.
Aug 2014 - Dec 2014
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Research Methods I, Supervisor: Allison Minnich, M.S.
Jan 2014 – May 2014 and Aug 2013 – Dec 2013
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Introduction to Clinical Psychology, Supervisor: Paul Rokke, Ph.D.
Aug 2013 – present
Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Attention and Emotion Lab, supervised by Paul Rokke, Ph.D.
Aug 2012 – May 2013
Individual Investigator, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University
Attention and Emotion Lab, supervised by Paul Rokke, Ph.D.
2008/2009
Voluntary student tutor, Derwent Infant School, York, United Kingdom
Academic
Experience
Presentations
Siyaguna, T., Myhre, S. K., Saxton, B. T., & Rokke, P. D. (2015, March). Mindfulness moderates the influence of rumination on depression. Abstract accepted for poster presentation at 49th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, IL.
Myhre, S. K., Saxton, B. T., Siyaguna, T., Rokke, P. D., & Benjamin, M. (2015, March). Trait mindfulness serves as protective factor against depressive symptoms. Abstract accepted for poster presentation at 49th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, IL.
Saxton, Brandon T., Siyaguna, T., Myhre, S. K., & Rokke, P. D. (2015, March). Anxiety and sadness: Differences in dual-attention RSVP performance. Abstract accepted for poster presentation at 49th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, IL.
Siyaguna, T., Saxton, B. T., Myhre, S. K., & Rokke, P. D. Sad emotion produces differential attention to emotion congruence targets. Poster presented at 122nd Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington D.C.
Saxton, B. T., Siyaguna, T., Myhre, S. K., & Rokke, P. D. Selective attention more discriminating under negative affect than positive. Poster presented at 122nd Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington D.C.
Myhre, S. K., Siyaguna, T., Murphy, J. W., Saxton, B. T., Goering, B. L., & Rokke, P. D. (2013, March). Attentional control moderates influence of rumination on attention during negative affect. Poster presented at 47th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Nashville, TN.
Saxton, B. T., Murphy, J. W., Siyaguna, T., Myhre, S. K., Goering, B. L., & Rokke, P. D. (2013, March). Arousal level within negative affect influences attention. Poster presented at 47th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Nashville, TN.
Murphy, J. W., Myhre, S. K., Siyaguna, T., Saxton, B. T., Goering, B. L., & Rokke, P. D. (2013, January). Individual differences, attentional control and the influence of arousal during positive affect. Poster presented at 25th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington, D.C.
Siyaguna, T., Saxton, B. T., Murphy, J. W., Myhre, S. K., Goering, B. L., & Rokke, P. D. (2013, January). Arousal level within positive affect influences the attentional blink. Poster presented at 25th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington, D.C.
Other work experience
Aug 2011 - Apr 2012
Student Coordinator, Spectrum Institute of Science & Technology, Sri Lanka (Outreach campus of University of Mysore, India).
Primary duties: Co-ordinate between the academic staff and students in order to schedule the daily running of the institute, involved with marketing and promoting the institute, and maintain daily income and expense ledger.
Clinical
Experience
Publications
Siyaguna, T., & Rokke, P. D. (2017). Emotion Regulation Mediates the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Rumination. Article submitted for review to Minduflness.
Siyaguna, T., Myhre, S. K., Saxton, B. T., & Rokke, P. D. (2017). Neuroticism and Emotion Regulation Predict Attention Performance during Positive Affect. Article submitted for review to Current Psychology.
Siyaguna, T., Myhre, S. K., Saxton, B. T., & Rokke, P. D. (2017). Mindfulness Moderates the Influence of Rumination of Depressive Symptoms. Article submitted for review to International Journal of Cognitive Therapy.
Saxton, Brandon T., Myhre, S. K., Siyaguna, T., & Rokke, P. D. (2017). Do Arousal and Valence have Separable Influences on Attention across Time? Article submitted for review to Emotion.