Melba Jean Trinidad Vasquez (born February 27, 1951) is an American psychologist who served as the 2011 president of the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...

(APA). Vasquez was the APA's first Latina president. She has authored multiple works on ethics in psychotherapy. She is in private practice in Texas.

Career

Melba J. T. Vasquez attended

Southwest Texas State University Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...

(now Texas State University-San Marcos) and majored in English and political science. She was a middle school English and political science teacher before beginning a psychology career. She received a PhD in

counseling psychology Counseling psychology is a psychological specialty that encompasses research and applied work in several broad domains: counseling process and outcome; supervision and training; career development and counseling; and prevention and health ...

from

The University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

in 1978, then worked at the university's counseling center. She taught psychology both at The University of Texas and at

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado S ...

before moving into private practice. She has been in practice in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

since 1991. When Vasquez was elected president of the APA in 2011, she became the first Latina elected to the position. She had previously served as president of the Texas Psychological Association, the Society of Counseling Psychology (APA Division 17) and the Society for the Psychology of Women (APA Division 35). She cofounded the Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues (APA Division 45). She coauthored ''Ethics for Psychologists: A Commentary on the APA Ethics Code'' and four editions of ''Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Practical Guide''. In 2007, Vasquez was recognized with the Alfred M. Wellner Senior Career Psychologist Award from the

National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology The National Register of Health Service Psychologists (abbreviated National Register) (formerly National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology) is the largest credentialing organization for psychologists in the United States. Founded ...

. She was also recognized as a Distinguished Practitioner of Psychology in the National Academies of Practice.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasquez, Melba J. T. American women psychologists Hispanic and Latino American social scientists Presidents of the American Psychological Association Texas State University alumni 1951 births Living people Hispanic and Latino American women scientists 21st-century American psychologists