Biography

Darren Bernal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Howard University. He earned his Counseling Psychology Ph.D. from the University of Miami and master’s degree from the Catholic University of America. A recipient of four teaching awards, Dr. Bernal teaches courses focusing on sociocultural factors that affect psychological, sexual, and social functioning. He has taught at graduate and undergraduate levels in public, private, and international settings. Dr. Bernal grew up in Jamaica before migrating and continues to focus on the global role of psychology. His research focuses on the measurement and function of socioeconomic status in mental health disparities, mindfulness, performance, and psychological well-being. His therapy focus is centered on anxiety, loss, grief, and transition. He is the former chair of the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Socioeconomic Status. When he is not teaching, doing therapy, or researching social inequity and mental health disparities he can typically be found working on his “R&R” plan of rowing and reading.