Dr. Justin Romney, LMFT
About Me:
Hello and welcome! I'm Dr. Justin Romney, a passionate advocate for positive change and a dedicated therapist with a background deeply rooted in both personal experience and professional expertise.
Background: I hold a Ph.D. and MS in Couples and Family Therapy from Texas Tech University, and currently serve as an Assistant Professor of Couple and Family Therapy at the University of Louisville. My journey into therapy began at the age of 15 when I faced the profound loss of my two older brothers, one to suicide and the other in a tragic accident. Unfortunately, my early experience with therapy left me feeling more disheartened. This personal encounter ignited my commitment to ensuring that no one should face such despair alone.
Approach: My therapeutic approach is centered on creating a collaborative and feedback-informed environment. I am deeply committed to supporting my clients in their journey towards healing and growth. Therapy, in my perspective, should be a space where you feel the necessary support while being gently nudged towards positive change.
Specializations: With a rich background in various clinical settings including primary care, children’s behavioral health, grief counseling, and private practice, I specialize in assisting individuals, couples, and families navigating through challenging circumstances. My expertise extends to working with high-conflict couples and the systemic treatment of autism.
Academic Involvement: As a professor at the University of Louisville, I contribute to the field by training and supervising master's level therapists. My academic journey includes a Doctoral Fellowship in Medical Family Therapy from the University of Colorado and specialized training in the Gottman Couples Method. I'm also a certified facilitator for Prepare/Enrich, providing me with a comprehensive toolkit for supporting diverse clients.
Contact Information: If you're ready to take the next step, I invite you to connect with me. You can reach out for an appointment by calling my practice at (502)325-3400. I am now licensed in both Kentucky and Indiana.
Thank you for considering me as your therapist. I look forward to the opportunity to support you on your journey towards positive change.
Scholarly Work
Courses Taught
Family Therapy Assessment and Intervention: This course focuses on assessments and interventions regarding relational problems and specific psychosocial difficulties commonly encountered in family therapy practice. Emphasis will be placed on a critical review and evaluation of the evidence-based practices and interventions or strategies that represent integrative approaches in the field.
Supervision Courses: Supervision of student work with a variety of individuals, couples, families, and other systems in community agency settings. This course requires significant field experience in conducting therapy and assessment with individuals, couples, families, and other systems. This course also involved live supervision of students.
Couples Therapy: This course focuses on couples therapy methods. Students will also learn methods of sex therapy assessment and intervention.
Lifespan and Human Behavior: This course surveys human development across the individual's lifespan, from birth to death, emphasizing the clinical relevance for family therapists. Theory and clinical applications specific to the biopsychosocial perspective, human and family development, and health will be reviewed.
Publications
Romney, J.S., Austin, K., Fife, S.T., & Montgomery, A. (2024). It brought us closer: How couples in the USA with children diagnosed with ASC create and maintain relationship functioning. Journal of Family Therapy.
Romney, J., & Garcia, M. (2021). TF-CBT informed teletherapy for children with autism and their families. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 1-10.
Jones, E. R., Lauricella, D., D’Aniello, C., Smith, M., & Romney, J. (2021). Integrating internal family systems and solutions focused brief therapy to treat survivors of sexual trauma. Contemporary Family Therapy, 1-9. doi.org/10.1007/s10591-021-09571-z
Romney, J.S., Fife, S.T., Sanders, D., & Behrens, S. (2021). Treatment of couples experiencing pregnancy loss: Reauthoring loss from a narrative perspective. Journal of Family Psychotherapy.
Romney, J., Austin, K., Fife, S. T., Sander, D., & Snyder, H. (2021). Stress Experienced and Meaning-Making of Couples with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Phenomenological Study. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 49(1), 37-56
Romney, J.S., & Jones, E. R. (2020). A systemic treatment of families with a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder using a narrative lens. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 48(5), 478-494. doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2020.1745718
Romney, J.S., Hawkins, L.G., & Soloski, K.L. (2020). Gender conformity, and suicide: A case study integrating structural family therapy and satir experiential therapy. Clinical Case Study, 19(4), 282–300.
Articles
Romney, J.S. & Reitz, R. (2023). Maybe I was overreacting: A MedFT’s role with autism spectrum disorder. Family Therapy Magazine, 22(6).
Presentations
Family Therapist Role with Autism. UVU MFT Program. Utah Valley University.
Systemic Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. MCFT 703. University of Louisville.
Zhang, L. & Romney, J.S. (2023, November). Home Sweet Home: Does Family Physical Environment Impact Couple Relationship Quality? Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Annual Conference. Orlando, Florida.
Romney, J.S., Reitz, R., Gerdes, A., & Brown, B. (2022). Autism spectrum disorder education and treatment in the residency clinic. Scholarly Topic Roundtable Discussion presented at Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Annual Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Romney, J.S., Austin, K., Fife, S.T., & Buckley C. (2021). We’re broken: Grounded theory on couples with child diagnosed with ASD. Poster Presented at National Conference on Family Relations (NCFR) Annual conference, virtual conference.
Miles, A. & Romney, J.S. (2020, March). Mothers impact on perceived discrimination and life satisfaction. Poster presented at Texas Association Marriage and Family Therapy (TAMFT) Annual Conference, Virtual conference.
Romney, J.S., Hawkins, L.G., & Soloski, K.S. (2020, November). Rock n roll, gender conformity, and suicide. Workshop presented at American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference (AAMFT), virtual conference.
Romney, J.S. & Jones, E. (2020, March). Treating autism with narrative family therapy. 80 minute workshop presented at Texas Association Marriage and Family Therapy (TAMFT) Annual Conference, Houston, TX.