Faculty

John (Jack) Keefe

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology

PhD, Psychology (with Clinical Training), University of Pennsylvania, 2019MA, Psychology (with Clinical Training), University of Pennsylvania, 2014BA (High Honors), Psychology, Swarthmore College, 2010

john.keefe@liu.edu

Description

Dr. John “Jack” Keefe is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at LIU–Brooklyn, a licensed psychologist in New York State, and an adjunct clinical professor and supervisor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His work bridges psychodynamic theory, clinical trials, and quantitative methods to understand what works for whom in psychotherapy, with a focus on treatment personalization, mechanisms of change, and observer-based process coding (e.g., affective experiencing; treatment fidelity). Dr. Keefe’s scholarship addresses improvements in attachment and mentalization as transdiagnostic mechanisms of change, examines moderators of treatment effects using machine-learning approaches, and applies meta-analytic methods to assess the strength of treatment literatures. Clinically, he is formally trained in evidence-based approaches in psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapies. He completed an APA-accredited internship at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and his primary postdoctoral fellowship on the NIH/NCATS TL1 line at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York-Presbyterian–Weill Cornell, with additional postdoctoral training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Specialties

Psychotherapy clinical trial design and analysis

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Keefe, J. R. (2024). Affect-focused psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 77(3), 101–103. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20240033

Keefe, J. R., Kimmel, D., & Weitz, E. (2024). A meta-analysis of interpersonal and psychodynamic psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 77(3), 119–128. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20230043

Chen, C. K., Keefe, J. R., & Srinivasan, R. (2024). Recommendations for dynamic treatment of identity-based trauma: Opening the “I” to reflection. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 77(1), 15–22.

Diamond, D., & Keefe, J. R. (2024). Separation anxiety: The core of attachment and separation-individuation. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 77(1), 251–274.

Kay, S. J., Keefe, J. R., Milrod, B. L., & Barber, J. P. (2024). Childhood trauma and panic disorder: The impact of history of child abuse on illness severity and treatment response. American Journal of Psychotherapy, appi.psychotherapy.20230060. (Advance online publication)

Keefe, J. R., Levy, K. N., Sowislo, J. F., Diamond, D., Doering, S., Hörz-Sagstetter, S., Buchheim, A., Fischer-Kern, M., & Clarkin, J. F. (2023). Reflective functioning and its potential to moderate the efficacy of psychodynamic therapies versus other treatments for borderline personality disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 91(5), 763–775.

Keefe, J. R., Rodriguez-Seijas, C., Jackson, S. D., Bränström, R., Harkness, A., Safren, S. A., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., & Pachankis, J. E. (2023). Moderators of LGBQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioral therapy: ESTEEM is especially effective among Black and Latino sexual minority men. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 91(3), 150–164.

Diamond, D., Keefe, J. R., Hörz-Sagstetter, S., Fischer-Kern, M., Doering, S., & Buchheim, A. (2023). Changes in attachment representation and personality organization in transference-focused psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 76(1), 31–38.

Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Heim, N., Keefe, J. R., Kisley, S., Luyten, P., Rabung, S., & Steinert, C. (2023). The status of psychodynamic psychotherapy as an empirically supported treatment for common mental disorders—An umbrella review based on updated criteria. World Psychiatry, 22(2), 286–304.

Zilcha-Mano, S., Fisher, H., Dolev-Amit, T., Keefe, J. R., & Barber, J. P. (in press). A systematic review of the association between interpretations and immediate, intermediate, and distal outcomes. Psychotherapy.

Zilcha-Mano, S., Keefe, J. R. (co-first author), Fisher, H., Dolev-Amit, T., Veler-Poleg, N., & Barber, J. P. (in press). Is the use of interpretations associated with treatment outcome? A systematic review and meta-analytic answer. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice.

Keefe, J. R., Hernandez, S., Johanek, C., Landy, M. S. H., Sijercic, I., Shnaider, P., Wagner, A. C., Lane, J. E. M., Monson, C. M., & Wiltsey Stirman, S. (2022). Competence in delivering cognitive processing therapy and the therapeutic alliance both predict PTSD symptom outcomes. Behavior Therapy, 53(5), 763–775.

Keefe, J. R., Suarez-Jimenez, B., Zhu, X., Lazarov, A., Durosky, A., Such, S. S., Marohasy, C., Lissek, S., & Neria, Y. (2022). Elucidating behavioral and functional connectivity markers of aberrant discrimination in PTSD. Depression & Anxiety, 39(12), 891–901.

Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Heim, N., Keefe, J. R., Luyten, P., Rabung, S., & Steinert, C. (2022). Empirically supported psychodynamic psychotherapy for common mental disorders—An update applying revised criteria: Systematic review protocol. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 1976885.

Keefe, J. R., Chambless, D. L., Barber, J. P., & Milrod, B. L. (2021). Predictors and moderators of treatment dropout in cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapies for panic disorder. Psychotherapy Research, 31(4), 432–442.

Keefe, J. R., Kim, T. T., DeRubeis, R. J., Streiner, D. L., Links, P. S., & McMain, S. F. (2021). Treatment selection in borderline personality disorder between dialectical behavior therapy and psychodynamic psychiatric management. Psychological Medicine, 51(11), 1829–1837.

Diamond, D. D., Yeomans, F., & Keefe, J. R. (2021). Transference-focused psychotherapy for pathological narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder (TFP-N). Psychodynamic Psychiatry, 49(2), 244–272.

Diener, M. J., Gottdiener, W. H., Keefe, J. R., Levy, K. N., & Midgley, N. (2021). Treatment of depression in children and adolescents. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(2), 97.

van Bronswijk, S. C., DeRubeis, R. J., Lemmens, L. H. J. M., Peeters, P. M. L., Keefe, J. R., Cohen, Z. D., & Huibers, M. J. (2019). Precision medicine for long-term depression outcomes using the Personalized Advantage Index approach: Cognitive therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy? Psychological Medicine. (Advance online publication)

Keefe, J. R., McMain, S. F., McCarthy, K. S., Zilcha-Mano, S., Dinger, U., Sahin, Z., Graham, K., & Barber, J. P. (2020). A meta-analysis of psychodynamic treatments for borderline and cluster C personality disorders. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 11(3), 157–169.

Milrod, B., Keefe, J. R., Choo, T. H., Arnon, S., Such, S., Lowell, A., Neria, Y., & Markowitz, J. C. (2020). Separation anxiety in PTSD: A pilot study of mechanisms in patients undergoing IPT. Depression and Anxiety, 37(4), 386–395.

Keefe, J. R., Chambless, D. L., Barber, J. P., & Milrod, B. L. (2019). Treatment of anxiety and mood comorbidities in cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapies for panic disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 114, 34–40.

Keefe, J. R., & DeRubeis, R. J. (2019). Changing character: A narrative review of personality change in psychotherapies for personality disorder. Psychotherapy Research, 29(8), 1033–1044.

Keefe, J. R., Huque, Z. M., DeRubeis, R. J., Barber, J. P., Milrod, B. L., & Chambless, D. L. (2019). In-session emotional expression predicts symptomatic and panic-specific reflective functioning improvements in panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 56(4), 514–525.

Keefe, J. R., Solomonov, N., DeRubeis, R. J., Phillips, A. C., Barber, J. P., Chambless, D. L., & Milrod, B. L. (2019). Focus is key: Panic-focused interpretations are associated with symptomatic improvement in panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy. Psychotherapy Research, 29(8), 1033–1044.

Keefe, J. R., Guo, W., Li, Q. S., Amsterdam, J. D., & Mao, J. J. (2018). An exploratory study of salivary cortisol changes during chamomile extract therapy of moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 96, 189–195.

Keefe, J. R., Milrod, B. L., Gallop, R., Barber, J. P., & Chambless, D. L. (2018). What is the effect on comorbid personality disorder of brief panic-focused psychotherapy in patients with panic disorder? Depression & Anxiety, 35, 239–247.

Keefe, J. R., Wiltsey Stirman, S., Cohen, Z. D., DeRubeis, R. J., Smith, B. N., & Resick, P. (2018). In rape-trauma PTSD, patient characteristics indicate which trauma-focused treatment they are most likely to complete. Depression & Anxiety, 35, 330–338.

Forand, N. R., Barnett, J. G., Strunk, D. R., Hindiyeh, M. U., Feinberg, J. E., & Keefe, J. R. (2018). Efficacy of guided iCBT for depression and mediation of change by cognitive skill acquisition. Behavior Therapy, 49, 295–307.

Lorenzo-Luaces, L., Johns, E., & Keefe, J. R. (2018). The generalizability of randomized controlled trials of self-guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for depressive symptoms: Systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20, e10113.

Porter, E., Chambless, D. L., Keefe, J. R., Allred, K. M., & Brier, M. J. (2018). Social anxiety disorder and perceived criticism in intimate relationships: Comparisons with normal and clinical control groups. Behavior Therapy. (Advance online publication)

Solomonov, N., McCarthy, K. S., Keefe, J. R., Gorman, B. S., Blanchard, M., & Barber, J. P. (2018). Fluctuations in alliance and use of techniques over time: A bidirectional relationship between use of “common factors” techniques and the development of the working alliance. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 25, 102–111.

van Bronswijk, S. C., Lemmens, L. H. J. M., Keefe, J. R., Huibers, M. J. H., DeRubeis, R. J., & Peeters, F. P. M. L. (2018). A prognostic index for long-term outcome after successful acute-phase cognitive therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy for major depressive disorder. Depression & Anxiety. (Advance online publication)
Keefe, J. R., Amsterdam, J., Li, Q. S., Soeller, I., DeRubeis, R. J., & Mao, J. J. (2017). Specific expectancies are associated with symptomatic outcomes and side-effect burden in a trial of chamomile extract for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 84, 90–97.

Lorenzo-Luaces, L., Driessen, E., DeRubeis, R. J., van, H. L., Keefe, J. R., et al. (2017). Moderation of the alliance–outcome association by prior depressive episodes: Differential effects in cognitive-behavioral therapy and short-term psychodynamic supportive psychotherapy. Behavior Therapy, 48, 581–595.

Luyten, P., Keefe, J. R., Hilsenroth, M., Abbass, A., & Barber, J. P. (2017). Science is what we need in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The Lancet, 390, 229.

Porter, E., Chambless, D. L., & Keefe, J. R. (2017). Criticism in romantic relationships of individuals with social anxiety. Behavior Therapy, 48, 517–532.

Keefe, J. R., Webb, C. A., & DeRubeis, R. J. (2016). In cognitive therapy for depression, early focus on maladaptive beliefs may be especially efficacious for patients with personality disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84, 353–364.

Keefe, J. R., Mao, J. J., Soeller, I., Li, Q. S., & Amsterdam, J. (2016). Short-term open-label chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) therapy of moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder. Phytomedicine, 23, 1699–1705.

Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Gottdiener, W., Hilsenroth, M., Keefe, J. R., Luyten, P., Rabung, S., & Steinert, C. (2016). Psychodynamic therapy: A well-defined concept with increasing evidence. Evidence-Based Mental Health, 19, ebmental-2016-102372.

Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Hilsenroth, M. J., Leweke, F., Luyten, P., Keefe, J. R., et al. (2016). Biases in research: Risk factors for non-replicability in psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy research. Psychological Medicine, 47, 1–2.

Lorenzo-Luaces, L., Keefe, J. R., & DeRubeis, R. J. (2016). Cognitive-behavioral therapy: Nature and relation to non-cognitive behavioral therapy. Behavior Therapy, 47, 785–803.

Mao, J. J., Xie, S. X., Keefe, J. R., Soeller, I., Li, Q. S., & Amsterdam, J. (2016). Long-term chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine, 23, 1735–1742.

McCarthy, K. S., Keefe, J. R., & Barber, J. P. (2016). Goldilocks on the couch: Moderate levels of psychodynamic and process-experiential technique predict better outcome in psychodynamic therapy. Psychotherapy Research, 26, 307–317.

Zilcha-Mano, S., Keefe, J. R., Chui, H., Rubin, A., Barrett, M. S., & Barber, J. P. (2016). Reducing dropout in treatment for depression: Translating dropout predictors into individualized treatment recommendations. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 77, 1584–1590.

Keefe, J. R. (2015). Heightened risk of false positives in a network meta-analysis of social anxiety. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2, 292–293.

Leichsenring, F., Luyten, P., Hilsenroth, M. J., Abbass, A., Barber, J. P., Keefe, J. R., Leweke, F., Rabung, S., & Steinert, C. (2015). Psychodynamic therapy meets evidence-based medicine: A systematic review using updated criteria. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2, 648–660.

Keefe, J. R., McCarthy, K. S., Dinger, U., Zilcha-Mano, S., & Barber, J. P. (2014). A meta-analytic review of psychodynamic therapies for anxiety disorders. Clinical Psychology Review, 34, 309–323.

Satterthwaite, T. D., Elliott, M. A., Ruparel, K., Loughead, J., Prabhakaran, K., Calkins, M. E., Hopson, R., Jackson, C., Keefe, J., Riley, M., Mensh, F. D., Sleiman, P., Verma, R., Davatzikos, C., Hakonarson, H., Gur, R. C., & Gur, R. E. (2014). Neuroimaging of the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. NeuroImage, 86, 544–553.

Schneider, A. M., Simson, P. E., Daimon, C. M., Mrozewski, J., Vogt, N. M., Keefe, J., & Kirby, L. G. (2014). Stress-dependent opioid and adrenergic modulation of newly retrieved fear memory. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 109, 1–6.

Ashare, R. L., Valdez, J. N., Ruparel, K., Albelda, B., Hopson, R. D., Keefe, J. R., Loughead, J., & Lerman, C. (2013). Association of abstinence-induced alterations in working memory function and COMT genotype in smokers. Psychopharmacology, 230, 653–662.

Under Review

Chapman, A.L., Keefe, J.R. (dual first author), McMain, S.F., Kuo, J.R., & Labrish, C. (under review). Predicting Who Benefits from 6- versus 12- months of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder.

Keefe, J.R., Lattanner, M. (dual first author), Franz, P., & Breslow, A.S. (under review). The impact of state- and county-level anti-sexual and gender minority stigma on counseling outcomes among a national sample of college students.

Under Preparation

Keefe, J.R., Kimmel, D., & Weitz, E.S. (under preparation). The impact of study characteristics and exclusions on outcomes in randomized clinical trials of psychotherapies for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Current Grant Support

Center for AIDS Research / NIH — Co-PI, $50,000. Feasibility clinical trial of trauma-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy for people living with HIV and PTSD (n≈20), evaluating acceptability, preliminary effects, and biomarker/attachment targets.

Lectures and Presentations

Keefe, J.R., Levy, K.N., Sowislo, J.F., Diamond, D., Doering, S., Hörz-Sagstetter, S., Buchheim, A., Fischer-Kern, M., & Clarkin, J.F. (2025). Reflective functioning moderates the efficacy of psychodynamic therapies versus other treatments for borderline personality disorder. American Psychoanalytic Association Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Keefe, J.R., Lattanner, M., Franz, P., & Breslow, A.S. (2025). The impact of state- and county-level anti-sexual and gender minority stigma on counseling outcomes among a national sample of college students. APA Division 39 (online).

Keefe, J.R., Louka, C., Moreno, A., Lin, W., Halmi, R.S., Hennelly, C.M., Busch, F., & Milrod, B.L. (2023). Open trial of trauma-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy for PTSD among LGBTQ individuals. American Psychiatric Association Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Keefe, J.R., Kim, T.T., DeRubeis, R.J., Streiner, D.L., Links, P.S., & McMain, S.F. (2021). Patient-level moderators of differential treatment effects in DBT versus psychodynamic therapy for borderline personality disorder. Society for Psychotherapy Research, Heidelberg, Germany.

Honors/Awards

American Psychoanalytic Association Scientific Paper Prize (2024—first author; 2022; 2025—second author)

International Society of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy Best Scientific Presentation Award (2022)

Weill Cornell Psychiatry Teacher of the Year (2021)