Biography:
Dr. Helgoe is a clinical psychologist with a broad background in clinical practice, education, and scholarship. She has served in a variety of settings including rural human services, urban private practice, and teaching institutions such as Hamm Clinic. Her teaching background spans undergraduate and graduate faculty positions. She most recently served as a Behavioral Sciences faculty at Ross University School of Medicine where she founded and built a schoolwide mind-body medicine program for students and engaged both faculty and students in changing the culture of burnout in medical education. Dr. Helgoe’s scholarly interests have focused on the relationship between personality and culture. She is author of Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength (Sourcebooks, 2013, 2008), which is published in seven languages, and was part of the effort that kept introversion out of the diagnostic manuals. Her newest book, Fragile Bully: Understanding Our Destructive Affair with Narcissism in the Age of Trump (Diversion Books, March 12, 2019), explores the relationship between narcissism and American political and interpersonal discourse. Dr. Helgoe also authored the Psychology Today cover story, “Revenge of the Introvert,” wrote an expert contribution for the textbook, Contemporary Organizational Behavior in Action (Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2016), and has been quoted in several national and international publications including the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Dr. Helgoe has a strong interest and background in theories of psychotherapy, particularly psychodynamic, humanistic/experiential, postmodern and integrative approaches. As a professional oil painter and avid moviegoer, she is interested in exploring the relationship between artistic engagement and mindfulness.
Education:
PhD in Clinical Psychology from University of Nevada-Reno in 1989
MA in Clinical Psychology from University of Nevada-Reno in 1987
BA from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1983
Research Interests:
Content areas: Language, culture, and the construction of psychopathology; introversion; postmodern and narrative therapies; cinematic immersion as mindfulness practice; artistic engagement and mindful attention; therapeutic writing and third-person narrative; mind-body
medicine; personality and culture; narcissism; personality development, defenses, and disorders.
Research methodology: Varied
Populations: Adult
Professional Contributions:
Recipient of the Ron Taylor Award for excellence in teaching. (2021). Ross University School of Medicine.
Awarded Starred Review for Introvert Power. (2008). Publishers Weekly.Gaska, K., Salama, C., Hall, M., & Helgoe, L. (2022, June). Enhancing Social Connectedness with a Multicultural Medical Student Population During COVID-19. Presented at the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) 2022 Annual Meeting, Denver and Virtual.
Gaska, K., Salama, C., Hall, M., & Helgoe, L. (2021, October). Promoting school connectedness in medical students through a mind-body skills intervention. Presented at the American Public Health Association 2021 Annual Meeting & Expo, Virtual and Denver.
Salama, C., Gaska, K., Helgoe, L., & Hall, M. (2021, July). A Mind-Body Medicine pilot among diverse undergraduate medical students. Presented at the International Conference on Mindfulness, Virtual and Aarhus, Denmark.
Salama, C., Helgoe, L. Gaska, K., Corbin, C. & Gee, R. (2021, January). Mind-Body Medicine at RUSM: Implementation Review and preliminary findings from a mixed-methods study. Presented at Research Day 2021, Ross University School of Medicine, Barbados.
Helgoe, L. (2018-2022) The Introverted Doctor. Presentation each semester sponsored by the RUSM Family Medicine Club and the Ross University Psychiatric Association, Knoxville, TN & Barbados.
Helgoe, L. (2021, October). Leveraging Personality at Work. Virtual. Training for an international audience of Oliver Wyman consultants.
Helgoe, L. (2021, October). The Power of Quiet. Virtual on stage. Author presentation for the The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, Cheltenham, UK.
Helgoe, L. (2016, April). Understanding Introverts. Charleston, WV. Plenary session for 2016 Spring CE Conference for Social Workers, NASW, WV Chapter.
Helgoe, L. (2016, April). The Problem with Happiness. Charleston, WV. Workshop for 2016 Spring CE Conference for Social Workers, NASW, WV Chapter.
Helgoe, L. (2013). Understanding Introversion and Extroversion. Olympia, WA. Keynote address for the Fall Forum for the State of Washington’s Utilities and Transportation Commission.
Helgoe, L. (2013). Ebb: The Art of Pulling Back. Star Island, NH. Guest speaker, providing a five-day lecture series for the All Star 1 Conference.
Helgoe, L. (2013). The Other 50%: Leveraging the Talents of Introverts to Drive Your Business. Walnut Creek, CA. Keynote address at Diversity Best Practices Conference.
Publications:
Quoted in HuffPost (2024, March): Here’s Why Introverts Have Made Cillian Murphy Their Patron Meme Saint
Quoted in Experience Life magazine (2023, November/December): Understanding Overstimulation
Quoted in USA Today (2023, August): Are cruises a good vacation for introverts? Here’s what to know.
Quoted in New York Times (2023, March): I Love You, Now Leave Me Alone: What Friendship Means to an Introvert.
Helgoe, L. (2019). Fragile Bully: Understanding Our Destructive Affair with Narcissism in the Age of Trump. New York: Diversion Books.
Helgoe L. (2016). Solving the introvert problem. In: Elsbach K, Kayes A, Kayes D., eds. Contemporary Organizational Behavior in Action. New York: Pearson. 2016.
Helgoe L. (2013) Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life is Your Hidden Strength. 2 nd ed. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Helgoe, L. (2010). Revenge of the introverts (cover story). Psychology Today. Sept/Oct: 57-61.
Helgoe L. (2008). Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life is Your Hidden Strength. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks. Translations published in Chinese, Finnish, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Turkish.
Helgoe L., & Helgoe B. (2008). The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Raising Boys. Naperville, IL: Penguin/Alpha.
Helgoe L. (2006). The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Breaking Up. Naperville, IL: Penguin/Alpha.
Helgoe L., Wilhelm L.R., & Kommor, M.J. (2005). The Anxiety Answer Book. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks. Spanish version, Vivir sin Ansiedad, published in 2007.
Helgoe L. (2004). The Boomer’s Guide to Dating (Again). Naperville, IL: Penguin/Alpha. Brazilian Portuguese version, De Volta ao Mercado, published in 2008.