Scott Wells Browning

Scott Wells Browning is an American psychologist and academic whose work has focused on family therapy, stepfamilies, autism, and family systems. He was a professor at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where he taught in the Department Of Professional Psychology and participated in the development of its graduate programs. His research has examined stepfamily therapy, family relationships, psychotherapy, and clinical training.

Early life and education

Browning received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Washington College in 1979, graduating with highest honors in psychology. He received an Ed.M. in counseling psychology from Boston University in 1980 and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in Berkeley in 1986.

Clinical work

Browning began his clinical career in counseling and family therapy settings in Pennsylvania and California. His early positions included work with Shalom, Inc. in Philadelphia, the Psychological Services Center in Berkeley, and the Redwood Center for Family and Individual Therapy. He also completed a clinical internship with Kaiser-Permanente Hospital Psychiatry in Pleasanton, California, where he received training in brief therapy.

From 1986 to 1987, Browning completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, where his work included family therapy and psychological and educational assessment. He subsequently served as project director of the Counseling Center for Families and Individuals in Philadelphia.

Browning established a private practice in Pennsylvania in 1988. His clinical work has included family and couple therapy, work with children and adolescents, and consultation and supervision.

Academic career

Browning joined the faculty of Chestnut Hill College in 1988. He was promoted to full professor in 2002 after receiving tenure and later served as chair of the Department of Professional Psychology. In that role, he was involved with the college's master's and doctoral programs and participated in the development of its APA approved doctoral program in professional psychology.

His teaching has included family therapy, psychological assessment, evidence-based practice, clinical practice and psychotherapy. In 2023, Chestnut Hill College conferred emeritus professor status on him. He developed the Created Family protocol to improve the accuracy and safety of clinical role playing.

In 2010, Browning served as a visiting senior researcher at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy, during a sabbatical from Chestnut Hill College. He taught a seminar in the treatment of stepfamilies.

Research

Browning's research has examined stepfamily therapy, empathy, the contemporary family, and families on the autism spectrum. He served as principal investigator of a clinical research project on stepfamily therapy beginning in 2001 and participated in a cross-cultural research project involving Italian and American therapists working with stepfamilies.

His other research has addressed the use of reflecting teams in psychotherapy, family relationships, autism and family therapy, and clinical interventions involving children of alcoholics. He has also chaired doctoral dissertations in professional psychology.

Contributions

Scott Browning's notable contributions was his work on the Contemporary Families book series, which strengthened the connection between family research and clinical practice. The series used a collaborative model that paired researchers studying particular family forms with clinicians and clinical scholars who could translate research findings into therapeutic approaches and practical case applications.

Professional and editorial work  

Browning has served in professional and editorial roles in psychology and family therapy. He has been a board member of the Couple and Family Psychology division of the American Board of Professional Psychology and has participated in professional organizations including the American Psychological Association, the American Family Therapy Academy, the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration.

Selected Publications

• Browning, S. & Artelt, E. (2012). Stepfamily Therapy: A Ten-Step Clinical Approach. American Psychological Association.
• Browning, S. & Bray, J. (2009). "Treating Stepfamilies: A Subsystem-Based Approach." In Blackwell Handbook of Family Psychology. Blackwell Press.
• Browning, S. & Pasley, B. K. (2015). Contemporary Families: Translating Research into Practice. Routledge.
• Browning, S. & van Eeden-Moorefield, B. (2017). Contemporary Families at the Nexus of Research and Practice. Routledge.
• Browning, S. & Hull, R. (2019). "Treating Multidimensional Presenting Problems with a Mutually Integrative Approach Using the Genogram." Family Process.
• Browning, S. & Hull, R. (2019). "Utilizing the Genogram to Integrate Systems and Psychoanalytic Thinking." Journal of Psychotherapy Integration.
• Browning, S., Jackson, C., Stout, J. A., & Margolius, S. (2021). "The Impact of Intrafamilial Homicide on the Family System." Journal of Family Violence.
• Browning, S. & van Eeden-Moorefield, B. (2022). Treating Interpersonal Problems in Contemporary Families: An Inclusive Approach to Engaging Evidence-Supported Practice. American Psychological Association.